March 27

More about Zach Sowers' death: the Sun, the Examiner, WJZ, WBAL TV, WMAR.

A 19-year-old man died this morning after being shot in the chest in the 100 block of Addison St. in Carrollton Ridge. An 18-year-old was injured in the same shooting.

Four people were shot in two separate shootings last night. In the Eastern, a woman was treated at Hopkins for a "graze wound," and three teenagers were shot on N. Gilmor St. -- including a 14-year-old girl who got shot in the face.

A man on Olympia Ave. in the Northwestern learned an important life lesson yesterday: don't lunge at cops with a knife if you don't want to get shot. He had about two hours to contemplate his mistake before he died.

Baltimore City juries aren't completely useless: (Oops. That was a Baltimore County jury. Anyway...) David Miller's jury deliberated for less than an hour before they found him guilty for killing Elizabeth Walters and their unborn baby.

Eugene Perry got two consecutive life sentences for murdering his ex-fiancee and her boyfriend. Perry was a police officer with the state Department of General Services, and his victims were both cops in the Northwestern.

In HoCo, a student testified against a teacher who allegedly took icky photos of the boy with his pants down.

Zach Sowers

From zachsowers.com:

It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that my close and wonderful friend, Zach Sowers, passed away yesterday, Tuesday, March 25, after a long and steady decline. Anna called me today to tell me that he passed away peacefully around 10 p.m. last night. Zach is now at peace after a long and treacherous battle. He was so strong and fought until the very end but it provides comfort for us all to know that he is now in heaven, watching over his friends and family.

Anna has told me that she and the family are doing as well as can be. They have a strong network of friends and family supporting them and ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.

From the Sun:

The teens convicted of beating Sowers could not be charged with murder because the victim hadn't died; their pleas prevent prosecutors from pursing murder charges now.

In December, Trayvon Ramos, 16, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and robbery charges and was sentenced to life in prison with all but 40 years suspended. Three others, who agreed to testify against Ramos, received eight-year prison terms.

Anna Sowers had called the sentences "a joke."

Prosecutors said that the four teens robbed Sowers and used his credit cards to purchase gas and videos during a shopping spree over several days.

March 26

A man was shot in the head this morning in the 400 block of Laurens St. He's at Shock Trauma, but there's no word yet on his condition.

The double-murder trial of David Miller sounds like a Law & Order episode just waiting to happen. The woman who was with Elizabeth Walters when she was killed testified against Miller, an assistant state medical examiner testified that Walters' fetus could have survived outside the womb, a seasoned homicide detective cried on the stand, and Miller tried to fire his public defenders because they weren't asking questions of most of the witnesses.

Bobby Ray Stanbery had a knife, some rope, three porno vids, and had removed the rear seats from his SUV when he tried to "give a ride" to a 14-year-old girl on Woodbourne Ave. last year. For all that, he got a year.

A couple of guys wanted on handgun charges led police on a car chase from East Baltimore to the Harbour Tunnel. WMAR gave the story a big and exciting write-up with phrases like "the driver is behind bars" and "high speed chase through the streets of Baltimore;" meanwhile, the Sun stuck the story in the Blotter and described it as a "medium-speed pursuit."

Allan Clark was homeless when he murdered Michael Evans Sr.; now, it looks like he'll have a roof over his head for a very long time.

Byron Huff indictment

From the State's Attorney's office:

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Byron Huff, 43, of the 1800 block of Richfield Drive, Severn, Maryland on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, and first-degree sex offense.

Court documents allege on September 3, 1996, a woman, later identified as Doris Smalls, 30, was found dead and partially nude in a bedroom basement apartment in the 2700 block of Ruscombe Lane. Ms. Smalls allegedly died from stab wounds to the chest.

In 2007, DNA evidence was retrieved and tested. The evidence from the test was matched to Byron Huff, an inmate in the custody of the Division of Corrections, and police charged Huff with murder in February 2008.

An arraignment is scheduled for April 29, 2008 before Judge John P. Miller, Room 428, Mitchell Courthouse.

March 25

The body of 36-year-old Robert Long was found next to the train tracks in Carroll Park with at least one bullet wound to the head.

The Frederick man who was killed outside the New Cathedral Cemetery in the Southwestern on March 9 has been ID'd as Levette Johnson.

The link above also mentions a 17-year-old who was shot in the back in the 2600 block of McElderry St. on Friday night.

The link above also mentions a lot of people who haven't figured out that you don't leave your $700 GPS or your $800 camera behind when you park your car. This isn't a Baltimore thing, people, it's true in any city. Don't leave shit in your car.

A 22-year-old UMBC student is in critical condition after she was severely beaten by four women at Cheerleaders sports bar in Fell's Point early Sunday morning.

David Miller's murder trial started yesterday, and it's the first time prosecutors are using Maryland's fetal homicide law.

More evidence that the war on drugs is a miserable failure.

Careful, parents, or your young huffers might end up getting beatdowns at Baby Booking.

There's a hefty dose of either racism or paranoia over in homicide.

Yesterday was a rotten day to work in an AAC pizza joint. Some dude robbed a pizza place on Somerville Rd. and carjacked their delivery driver, and three guys with a semi-automatic robbed a Pizza Boli's on Crain Highway.

In Bel Air, Deborah Turner lost two houses to arson within three months. In other Bel Air news, three teenagers were arrested and charged with vandalizing some cars and setting a trash can on fire.

Okay, I admit it. When I read the headline "Referendum on police looks likely," my first thought was, "What? Are they prohibiting mustaches?"

Afternoon

ppatin wrote it in the comments section, and it's far more eloquent than anything I could write: "The actor who plays Sevino on The Wire was stabbed in the ass last night."

March 24

The Easter Bunny brought a basket full o' killing yesterday: one man was fatally shot at 7:20 a.m. in the 3700 block of Ravenwood Ave., and another man's body was found in the 3400 block of Wilkens Ave. at 6:40 last night.

There were several unsuccessful murders over the weekend as well.

• There was a double shooting yesterday afternoon at the corner of Park Heights Ave. and Spaulding Ave.
• On Saturday afternoon, a man got shot in the leg. "The victim and a witness twice changed the stories they initially gave police. Police believe that the victim accidentally discharged his gun and shot himself while trying to escape from a robbery in the 300 block of Collins Ave. in West Baltimore.
• On Saturday morning a 21-year-old with a "long criminal record" was shot and likely paralyzed in the 500 block of N. Decker St.

On Thursday night, a 54-year-old man was shot in the right leg in the 900 block of Druid Hill Ave. Also in the Blotter, a 90-year-old woman's wedding ring was stolen.

Someone firebombed a Middle River family's home in an apparently random attack.

Why wasn't there better communication when 15-year-old Tyisha Brown disappeared?

The family of Tracey Testo is still hoping to find out what happened to their daughter when she disappeared three years ago.

Annie Linskey takes a mighty interesting look at the Southwestern Flex Squad. Meanwhile, the NAACP says former Flex Squad commander Robert Smith should be reinstated.

A man was stabbed during a fight in Finksburg, and the stabber was arrested.

The Examiner talks with Pat Jessamy about fighting crime.

Hey, HarCo: If you want the Guardian Angels, you need to step up and volunteer.

The latest issue of Harper's has the following tidbit: "Number of times that U.S. media have called John McCain a 'maverick' since 1995 : 6,757." Apparently, we have a less heralded maverick right here in Baltimore County.

March 21

April Montford died last Friday, after a non-profit agency helped move her from a nursing home to an apartment where her two daughters were paid $13/hour to take care of her. Allegedly, they didn't do a very good job. "Montford, 40, was found in bed Feb. 29 with gangrenous open wounds and bedsores with lice and maggots in them, according to police. She had a month’s worth of urine and fecal matter on her, and her uterus had fallen outside her vagina because of neglect, police said." Her daughters have been charged with vulnerable-adult abuse, first-degree assault and reckless endangerment.

The Blotter has a couple of shootings and a whole bunch of stolen electricity.

Here's a closer look at Sarah Kreager and some of the crap that police had to deal with.

The court says former Police Commissioner Kevin Clark can ask for his job back, along with a $120M raise.

The mother of a Lutherville teen who was killed at his landscaping job says her son was murdered.

An Edgewood man was charged with second-degree murder in the July death of his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter.

Some dude in Edgewater was keeping a pet squirrel, and in the same article but lower in priority, six people were arrested in Annapolis after "neighborhood complaints and recent crime in the area."

March 20

Curse you, Bealefeld, and your almost crime-free news days. Fortunately, I forgot to link to the Ink yesterday, so you murder junkies can get your fix with five homicides over the past week. Of particular interest to those of you who love to bandy about accusations of racism, a black man and a white man were shot outside the convenience store on Garrison Blvd. last Saturday, but only the black man died. Conspiracy???

Nicholas Browning kills like a man, but will he get tried like a little boy?

MTA regulars say our buses are hardly safe and reliable. "Sometimes kids get on the bus and your heart is pounding. ... You better keep quiet or you're going to get slammed. You pray to get off safe."

You gotta love a city where a burglary at "Tiffany Hair & Gift Shop" results in 30 stolen cartons of cigarettes. Next time I need some tequila, I'm hitting my local barber shop.

Now why in the world would Mayor Moyer think a curfew could be enforced when the current laws aren't adequately enforced? (All sarcasm aside, I'm actually glad to see she's looking at possible ways to curtail violence in her city's public housing. Besides, the quotes from the article suggest she's not a total imbecile. Thoughts?)

Actually, Mayor Moyer might want to consider building on this strategy: "An Annapolis man went to the hospital early Tuesday morning after trying twice to buy drugs in different areas and getting beaten up both times."

Carroll County school board cracker Jeffrey Morse used a naughty word. To his credit, he took full responsibility. To the Sun's discredit, this article got about 10 times more words than most murder victims get. (And to the Sun's credit, they've gotten much more thorough in their coverage since we've stopped killing each other so often.)

In really cool news that has nothing to do with crime, a 290-pound baby boy was born at the zoo last night.

March 19

Five Four teens are guilty in the Sarah Kreager beating. A fifth teen was found guilty of second-degree assault (a misdemeanor) against Kreager's boyfriend.

There's some funny business about the gun that the late Curtis Blache used in his cops vs. robbers shootout.

PDJ: Jeffrey G.A. Stimson was charged with possessing and distributing kiddie porn, and is now out on bail.

March 18

The man killed outside a convenience store in Northwest Baltimore has been ID'd as Andre A. Jones.

Curtis Blache, the man who had a gunfight with police, probably won't be in critical condition much longer. Meanwhile, "Police said there was nothing to conclusively link the shooting to nearby Club Choices, the scene of several violent incidents including two homicides since March 2006."

A man was stabbed at a strip mall on Sinclair and Moravia Roads in Northeast Baltimore yesterday afternoon.

A middle school student says that Sarah Kreager threw the first punch, and "The lady had a black eye ... Everybody was laughing at her eye." Nice.

The records of some allegedly corrupt guards at the Maryland House of Corrections will be given to lawyers for Lamarr Harris and Lee Stephens, the two inmates who are accused of killing guard David McGuinn.

In one of their motions, defense lawyers raised the prospect that other officers might have set up McGuinn, a by-the-book officer who strictly enforced prison rules. In court papers, they noted an unnamed witness' statement to state police that corrupt guards "ordered the hit" on McGuinn.

More details on Kwame Travon Johnson's murder. Johnson is the fourth homicide victim in Annapolis so far this year.

Three brilliant teenagers had some assault and home invasion fun in Glen Burnie, then drove home in their car -- a car that the victims could identify.

What do you do with a drunken sailor? Apparently, you charge him and his friends with DABASUI (Driving A Big Ass Ship Under the Influence).

Bossman says the police weren't very nice to him after one of his friends broke a beer bottle over someone's head at a S. Broadway bar.

Sen. James Brochin says felons shouldn't get assistance with their hospital bills. Given that this is a crime blog and not a blog about health care finance, I won't ramble on about how Brochin's proposal, if passed, will likely mean that taxpayers will foot felons' hospital bills instead of a fund that does not consist of tax dollars. Are you gonna mention that to your constituents, Brochy?

25 years for 1985 Robbery, Rape and Murder of Nurse

At a hearing today, Orrell Youmans, 51, of the Division of Correction (DOC) pled guilty to second-degree murder, carrying a deadly weapon and first-degree sex offense. Judge Gale E. Rasin sentenced Youmans to 40 years in prison suspending all but 25 years and five years probation and imposed the sentence consecutive to 1985 rape conviction and sentence. Details:

On January 28, 1985 Youmans deposited the lifeless body of Beverly Louise Feight, 26, in a wooded area in the 4000 block of Westchester Road. Feight had been kidnapped, assaulted, robbed, raped and stabbed. She was last seen by her family the day before when she left for her shift at University Hospital as a nurse. Hospital officials contacted her family when she failed to show up to work.

DNA samples taken from the crime scene were entered into the statewide database in 2002 and 2004 and on October 13, 2006 a match was made to Youmans, an inmate in DOC custody serving a 40-year prison term from a 1985 rape conviction in Baltimore City. Police obtained a search and seizure warrant for Youmans’ blood and on October 24, 2006 a sample of his blood was drawn. On December 5, 2006 the Police Crime Lab informed detectives that this sample matched the crime scene evidence and Youmans was arrested.

Assistant State’s Attorney and Forensic Sciences Director Sharon Holback prosecuted this case.

Conviction for Motel Murder of Cecil Saunders

Friday, a city jury convicted Donnell Williams, 25, of the 900 block of Woodington Road first-degree murder, first-degree assault and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. Judge Robert B. Kershaw scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2008. Williams faces a maximum of life in prison plus 50 years. On August 9, 2006 police identified Williams on a private, security camera beating and kicking Cecil Saunders, 28, in the head inside a stairwell at the Executive Inn in the 3600 block of Pulaski Highway. Two other men are alleged to have participated in the attack. Co-defendants Demetrius Williams and Leneal Montay Collins are charged with murder and scheduled to stand trial today. Assistant State’s Attorney Diana Smith of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

March 17

One of the two men who were shot outside a Northwest convenience store on Saturday night has died.

Over the past few days, we've had shotgun assaults, cutting assaults, bottle assaults, Taser assaults... it's like a buffet of sociopathic behavior!

It's been a year since Gerard "jailbird" Mungo Jr. was arrested for sitting on a dirt bike in East Baltimore.

Lots of news in AAC: A 17-year-old boy was fatally shot in the same Annapolis block where Timothy Hayes Marsh was killed last month; alleged drug dealer Nicole Tamika Freeman is on the loose; George Alexander Yates really needs to stay away from gas stations; and 0.4% of people stopped at drunk driving checkpoints over the weekend were charged with DUI.

Also in Annapolis, a man was arrested and charged with sexually abusing his stepdaughter for more than 10 years. One of the girl's friends was also abused. "The stepdaughter said she was 7 years old when the abuse began and 12 when the suspect raped her for the first time in the summer of 2004. The last time her stepfather raped her was Jan. 21, before her mother found out about the abuse, according to the charging documents."

Club Choices = Portal to Hell!

Officer Anthony Jobst was shot in the foot and officer Hayden Gross was grazed by a bullet during a shootout with a suspect, Anthony Blache, after they pursued his Audi as it left the vicinity of Club Choices. Blache was wearing illegal, Omar-esque body armor but is nevertheless in critical condition at Shock Trauma.

Other Club Choices incidents:

• This month, "During a fight in Club Choices in the 1800 block of N. Charles St. about 1 a.m. Sunday [March 4], two men were stabbed and a third suffered a broken nose."
  
  
• Jamal Rowlett, 20, was shot to death December 16, 2007 after leaving the club


• "A bunch of kids stabbing each other" February 27thish of 2007 (details lost forever to a dead Sun link; a search of "Club Choices" on the Sun archives says "No Articles Found")


• Pregnant Ashley Harris, who happened to be on the sidewalk outside, was shot to death in March of 2006 after "a brawl involving as many as 40 people" inside the club continued on the street

It's the devil's disco!

Scandalous!

"Victims' fund assists felons."

A double shooting last night in the 2900 hundred block of Garrison Boulevard.

A police officer was shot in the foot this morning.

The City school system paid $123,000 to two former employees who had alleged racial discrimination.

Saturday

Thursday's murder victim was ID'd as Jamal Alphonso Harrison, 22.

A funeral was held this morning for Tyisha Brown, 15. JZ says her family reported her missing, but for reasons unknown it took three weeks for her to be identified.

County Police have arrested and charged three people-- Malcolm Lee Land of Woodholme Avenue, Brandon Christopher Smith, 28, of Flannery Lane, and Frank Antonio Jones, 23, of Brendan Avenue-- in connection with the murder of 23-year-old Marcus Ellis, stabbed to death in the Texaco parking lot in Pikesville.

A Prince George's County corrections officer accused of smuggling cellphones into the jail for inmates is a suspected member of the Bloods "and was bringing the phones to fellow gang members 'as part of an organized conspiracy' involving fellow officers, according to charging documents made public yesterday." In the past three months, six other officers at the jail have been in various kinds of trouble, including two female guards who were allegedly getting freaky with inmates.

Eight corrections officers have been suspended from Roxbury after an incident March 8 involving suspected excessive force.

Before you hire a lawyer in MD, check out the state's site of disciplined attorneys. There, one can learn tidbits such as how KWARTENG, Charles O. was reprimanded for "making a sexual gesture with his tongue at a female clerk at the Circuit Court for Baltimore County," and WARD, Kenneth S. was "suspended indefinitely for acting incompetently and sloppy."

Astonishing stupidity files: MoCo Football coach Aaron Timothy McCown, 31, pleaded guilty Friday to "knowingly receiving an explosive, that is, a loaded pistol, intending to use it to intimidate the referee at a youth football game."

March 14

An unidentified young man was shot and killed yesterday evening in the 1900 block of N. Rosedale St. He's number 37, compared to 57 at this time last year.

The man killed on Spelman St. in Cherry Hill on Wednesday was ID'd as Lemell O. Barnes. (I took a drive down Spelman St. last night. Even the bedsheets hanging on the clotheslines were red. The feds might want to go all Coumadin on that neighborhood.)

A cop who was directing traffic near the arena was run down by a douchebag who didn't want to turn. Some awesome citizens chased down the alleged douchebag and held him/her until police arrived and took him/her to Central Booking, where one can hope he/she was beaten severely.

In other news of citizens not taking any guff, alleged shoplifter Charles Andre Brown was trapped in a Dumpster by Rite-Aid employees who chased his (allegedly) thieving ass down.

In addition to road rage, we also seem to have a bad case of Metro rage.

St. Agnes was locked down yesterday afternoon, thanks to a jackass with a paintball gun.

A 14-year-old boy was beaten but not robbed on Chestnut Hill Ave.

Some charges were dropped against some of the teenagers who might have beat up some people on some bus.

Bobby Hough got 33 years for helping to paralyze a man by dropping him head-first on concrete. Meanwhile, in other concrete news, HarCo police are looking for the dumbasses who dropped a chunk of concrete onto a car from an overpass.

I could soooo make an "up the creek" joke about alleged drug dealer Thomas Creek and prison sex, but that would be tacky.

A man, who may or may not be Zorro, robbed a "convenience story". Inconvenient stories were left alone.

Holy cow! College students drink! I had no idea. We must stop this immediately.

No Death Penalty for David Miller

Remember David Lee Miller, who shot Elizabeth Walters, his 7-months-pregnant girlfriend, in the parking lot of the Home Depot strip mall off Perring Parkway? It seemed like he was going to be the first person to be charged under the new fetal-homicide law, but because the law rejected 'fetal personhood,' he won't be eligible for the big DP.

The Wall Street Journal columnist on Baltimore: the problem isn't poverty, it's crime.

These cases are so freaky. Wendi Scott, right, will plead guilty to one count of child abuse. She "had been using syringes to withdraw blood from her daughter so doctors would suspect [the daughter] had leukemia."

March 13

A 22-year-old was murdered on Spelman Rd. in Cherry Kill last night. He's the third murder victim there this year.

The person who was killed on Edgecombe Circle on Tuesday morning was 16-year-old Tavon Burks.

Let me get this straight. 15-year-old Tyisha Brown (#21) was missing for three weeks before anyone -- her teachers, her friends, her father -- thought to question where she was?

It's cases like this -- the rape trial of twice-convicted sex-offender Eugene Waller -- that make me hope there is a special place in hell for defense attorneys.

Angry and outraged yet? Pissed off at the incompetence of our government officials? Disgusted with the citizens of Baltimore? If not, try reading the story about 15-year-old Farron Tates.

Okay, now for some good news. The State's Attorney's Office hearts the BPD, and maybe you should too. "... in 2006 her prosecutors had to throw out one in three criminal charges. Last year, only about one in five cases could not go forward."

Byron Alonzo Huff was already serving 30 years for killing Holly Jean Keefe when he was matched to DNA found on 1996 murder victim Doris Smalls. Huff said he "cannot say offhand" whether or not he knew Smalls, and he doesn't know how his DNA could have gotten on her body.

Sgt. Robert Smith can have his job back if he just admits he was wrong.

Former CVS pharmacist Ramon Bautista Juta would take care of you, if you'd take care of him (wink wink, nudge nudge).

In AAC, Carlos Rice was found guilty for murdering Peach Cake. Of course, his defense attorneys said that the murder weapon was used to shoot at Rice's car, so Rice couldn't have done it. Now, forgive me for not understanding the subtle nuances of this case, but couldn't Rice have killed Mr. Cake, and then shot at his own car? Crazy, I know.

A student at Chesapeake Science Point Charter School in Hanover threatened to bring in an Uzi and kill everyone. Meanwhile, staff is getting ready to bail before anybody pees on them.

I understand, John. I always confuse lawn chairs with railroad tracks, too.

March 12

The BPD is still investigating two separate shootings that left one un-ID'd man dead and two men injured, but there don't seem to be many new developments since yesterday.

A nurse was abducted from her Parkville apartment complex as she left for work yesterday morning.

Five Tree Top Pikachus Pirus have yet to be caught in the very cleverly named Operation Coumadin.

If what Councilman Jack Young says is true, our cops are pretty rotten at framing each other.

Police found the body of alleged murderer and/or subprime lender William Buczynski.

Maybe these houses belong to some of Buczynski's former clients.

The accused Columbia pizza man / kidnapper won't be retried on false imprisonment charges, but he still faces up to 10 years for his second-degree assault conviction from last week.

"A group of Jewish advocates against sexual assault is angry over a plea deal for a Baltimore City rabbi who pleaded guilty to abusing young boys but avoided jail time." Hmmm... that sort of implies that there's a group of Jewish advocates for sexual assault who are happy about the plea deal, doesn't it?

JHU students want William Brody's replacement to "spur development without gentrifying the city." Personally, I'd like the new president to be able to shoot golden eggs out of his ass. I wonder which scenario is more realistic?

In a case of timely reporting, a 15-year-old girl has been missing from her Rockville home since Feb 24.

Tuesday Nite, Wednesday Morning

The state has rested in the bus beating case, WBAL has an interview with the bus driver ("I never thought I would see children try to kill anyone.")

The Ink covers the past week's four homicides. The victim found shot on February 15 (victim #21) was identified as 15-year-old Tyisha Brown.

He really was the total male! CP's Van Smith and Jeffrey Anderson have the tale of Shawn Green, an at-large drug trafficker, who highlights "the overlap in the city's legitimate business economy and the drug underworld."

The City Council is discussing a bill that would require scrap dealers to keep a roster of names and identifying information on people who bring in car parts. It's about freakin time, but why stop at car parts?

Teenager Convicted for Shooting at Officers

A Baltimore jury convicted Ronnie Lester, 19, of the 1300 block of Glyndon Avenue, yesterday of two counts of first-degree assault, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, minor in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and fleeing and eluding. Judge Wanda K. Heard scheduled sentencing for April 3, 2008. Details from the SA's office:

At approximately 8:50 p.m. on May 24, 2007 officers observed three individuals on dirt bikes traveling south in the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. As the officers drove up to the individuals, one of the bikes stalled. The officers exited their vehicle and approached the individual on the stalled bike. As they did this, Lester returned on his bike, allowed the other individual on to the back of bike, and fired two shots at the officers before speeding off. The officers gave chase with assistance from Foxtrot. The chase exceeded speeds of 40mph, often going the wrong way down city streets, before the Lester was apprehended when he had to stop his bike due to a gathering of people in the street around a deadly house fire at 1903 Cecil Ave. Officers recovered a .32 caliber pistol that Lester threw off the Maryland Avenue Bridge.

Assistant State’s Attorney Brandis Marsh prosecuted this case.

Double Shooting

Two men were shot at 6:15 this morning in the 2500 block of Edgecombe Circle near Greenspring ave. One died, the other is in shock trauma.
(Thanks galt)

March 11

A man shot Saturday on in the 1800 block of E. 28th St. near Clifton Park in East Baltimore Street died Monday.

The murder/ suicide killer and victim from last Thursday were named: Latasha Harris, 30, and Jerry Bennett, 37.

Tastelessness of the week: "The driver of the city bus on which a woman was severely beaten testified yesterday that he remembered the boy who kicked her in the face but that he wasn't among the accused in the courtroom. Then, the attorney for the boy prosecutors allege kicked Sarah Kreager in the eye threw her arms up in a 'touchdown' sign."

Corrpution Corner
Maybe "The Wire" made this city look too good!
Baltimore City Police Sgt. Robert Smith claims that the city police department’s chief legal counsel told him to drop a defamation lawsuit against the department or face false rape charges.

A second guilty plea in the Utech scandal.

OMG, bitch, puhleeze! Rikki Spector's excuse for her "stupid" traffic ticket = she sent it to the DOT because they needed to know that the officer who cited her was "not dealing well with the public."

The End of "The Wire"

Thoughts?

Meanwhile, "Wire" writers on the drug war (thanks Lucid),
the NYT review, "So Many Characters, Yet So Little Resolution,"
and the very, very long farewell to The Wire from Jersey's Star-Ledger.

Can't get enough? Marc Steiner has podcasts of interviews with the actors.
... and the City Paper has an interview with David Simon.
And it's the final installment of Sudhir Venkatesh's "What Do Real Thugs Think of 'The Wire'?"

March 10

Neighbors' Night Out II coincided with Anna Sowers' 28th birthday. Of course, her husband couldn't be there to share it with her.

Cops are still looking for the man who shot rookie Pedro Perez.

Dang. They have garages in the 600 block of N. Linwood St.? No fair. (Also in the Blotter, a sexual assault in the Eastern, stolen drugs and beer kegs in Parkville, stolen trash bags in Cockeysville, and $160 of stolen cigarette lighters in Franklin, presumably to light the $250 of stolen cigars.)

Check out the specter of Rikki's disappearing traffic ticket.
UPDATE: Rikki denies all wrongdoing in a very confusing story.

Alleged PDJ: David "Dewey" Louis Vasses, of the 100 block of Kipling Court in Abingdon, charged with sexual child abuse, 4th-degree sex offense and unnatural and perverted practices. And gross and willful hair gel violations.

A suicidal man in Glen Burnie followed through on his threats as police tried to intervene.

A man from Frederick took the whole "going to the cemetery" thing a bit too literally.

In Worcestor County, a 77-year-old Pocomoke City man was murdered in his living room.

On a political note: Gloria Steinem says it's OK for women to think for themselves.

Le Week-End

Julie B. serves up the tale of the purported head of the Baltimore "Tree Top Piru" Bloods, Steve Lamont Willock, aka "Kanibal Lecktor," who rose to power while in jail in Cumberland.
Did you know? "the price of crack can be five times higher in Hagerstown than in New York."

"A mystery is developing at the Prince George's County jail: Why, twice in a single week, has an inmate turned up with a handcuff key?"

"For nearly two decades, Kellie Robinson was just another drug statistic in Baltimore. But her story is unique." ... she's middle-class and well-connected. Yawn!

The Annapolis Capital admits to being duped into printing a fauxbituary.

They may not be as bad as those pesky sex children, but Virginians are annoyed by the French kissing children nonetheless.
(compound modifiers are your friends, people!)

Officer Shot

City officer Pedro Perez was shot in the leg at about 1 a.m. this morning by a gunman hiding in some bushes.

March 8

Antwaun Sumpter was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl after trying to force his way into her house.

Two Mt. Hebron High School students are facing felony charges after the old bomb-in-a-trashcan trick.

Kelroy Williamson got two consecutive life sentences from circuit court judge Paul A. Hackner. Lots of character witnesses said Williamson is a great guy, but DNA evidence said he's a piece of shit rapist.

Three cheers for the witness who not only testified in the bus beating case, but also ran out of her house to help break up the attack.

There was a bank robbery in Towson yesterday afternoon.

March 7

A domestic murder/suicide Wednesday night in the city, fortunately the kids didn't see it. (There's no Applegate Road in the city, there's an Applegate Court in the County)
Correction: Irwin at the Sun says it's Atholgate Lane and that the couple were found yesterday, not Wednesday.

Bus-beating boyfriend Troy Ennis: no spitting, no slur.

The identity of murder victim #21 remains unknown, and police have released a spooky sketch, right.

Police are "seeking a gunman who opened fire in a Northwest Baltimore convenience store yesterday, grazing a girl and an employee."

A bad week for the PD! Two city officers are in hot water, one for debt card fraud, the other for an armed confrontation with his ex's husband... add that to the two police brutality suits filed last Friday.

Down at the Federal Courthouse: 11 indicted for running a drug-mule conspiracy; 7 1/2 years for a guy who stashed a stolen handgun in a vending machine; a guilty plea on a gun charge from an aging Pagan.

A skeleton found in Emmitsburg may belong to missing Deysi M. Benitez.

"Minnesota bars thwart smoking ban by declaring everyone an actor"
Meanwhile bartenders at Frazier's and Zissimo's are grousing that police are targeting their patrons.

Eight years for Killer of Toy Gun Stickup Man

At a hearing yesterday, Omar McGee, 18, of the 3400 block of Dupont Avenue pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Judge Timothy J. Doory sentenced McGee to eight years in prison. Details:

On August 9, 2007 McGee shot to death Troy Richardson, 30. Richardson, using a realistic toy gun, robbed a drug dealer of narcotics in an alley off of the 3400 block of Dupont Avenue at about 1:35 p.m. McGee, informed by another drug dealer of the robbery in progress, retrieved a weapon and approached Richardson, who was still brandishing the toy gun. McGee fired three shots at Richardson, hitting him twice in the leg and once in the face. The toy gun was next to the victim when paramedics and police arrived.

Assistant State’s Attorney Robin Wherley of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

16-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Murder of 17-Year-Old

At a hearing today, Tevin Moultrie, 16, of the 1600 block of Cliftview Avenue pled guilty to second-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and two counts of reckless endangerment. Under terms of the plea agreement, announced in open court, Moultrie faces a maximum prison term of 30 years when sentenced July 22, 2008 by Judge Lynn K. Stewart.

On March 13, 2007 Steven Washington, 17, was found lying on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of Cliftview Avenue suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the head following an altercation with the defendants. Police identified Moultrie through witnesses.

Co-defendant Maurice Wilkerson pleaded guilty January 15, 2008 to accessory after the fact to murder and will be sentenced Monday, March 10, 2008.

Assistant State’s Attorney Paul O’Connor prosecuted this case.

Life + 20 for Murder of Ronald Stewart

At a hearing today, Judge John C. Themelis sentenced Ajamilla Longmore, 20, of the 5000 block of Linden Heights Avenue, to life in prison for first-degree murder and a consecutive 20 years in prison for use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. This was the maximum possible prison term Judge Themelis could have imposed. A Baltimore jury convicted Longmore February 6, 2008. On December 13, 2006 at 9:38 p.m. Longmore approached Ronald Stewart, 29, while walking in the 4000 block of W. Belvedere Avenue. Longmore then shot Stewart six times. Stewart was pronounced dead on the scene.

The jury found co-defendant Ernest Hudson not guilty of first-degree murder.

Assistant State’s Attorney Cynthia Banks of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

March 6

A man was stabbed to death at a Texaco station in the 7400 block of Liberty Rd. in Pikesville this morning after a fight inside the Sisters Bar on Liberty Road. County police have ID'd the victim as 23-year-old Marcus Ellis of the 2400 block of Barnesley Place.

Luke B. gives his month-end murder review, but there's just not as much work for him to do this time around.

Contrary to my conspiracy theories yesterday, Heath St. is not in a "bad part of town," and local residents are trying to keep it that way.

At a hearing this morning immediately before he was expected to ask for a postponement of his trial, Paul Jones, 40, the guy who was tackled and held by Judge Ward after climbing out of a Lafayette Street back yard, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree burglary and one count of first-degree burglary. Judge Timothy J. Doory sentenced Jones to six years, six months in prison on each count, concurrent.

There's an abandoned baby and a whole lotta family drama.

Two men were wounded after being shot in a car in Annapolis.

The alleged HoCo kidnapper got off with a second-degree assault conviction, and he says the whole story is a load of bunk.

Nolan Evans, son of Vernon Evans Jr., was found not guilty.

Eric Jamison shot himself in the thigh with a stolen gun, then stashed it by the vending machines at UMMC where a little kid found it. Society could be spared from his stupidity for 7.5 years.

Good to know at least one College Park student isn't a complete dimwit: "It's scary, but if you lock the door, you can avoid him."

Indictment in Jabari Stocks' Murder

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Phillip Queen, 28, of the 100 block of Conley Avenue for first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in the death of Jabari Stocks, 3, on June 8, 2007 in the 900 block of Patapsco Avenue. Queen was acting as caretaker when he telephoned the child’s mother at work to report the child was not breathing. Jabari died at Harbor Hospital. An arraignment is scheduled for April 7, 2008 before Judge John P. Miller, Room 428 Mitchell Courthouse. Queen is being held without bail.

March 5

Dalion Stanley was fatally stabbed outside his home at the Lakeview Tower Apartments in the 700 block of Druid Park Lake Dr. yesterday morning. In the same article, the un-ID'd man who was shot on W. Lafayette Ave. has been officially ruled a homicide.

Anna D. sheds light on last week's murders, and observes that the Central is the second-most homicidal district in the city this year.

Don Holman, the man whose body was found on Guilford Ave. on Sunday, was the victim of a hit and run.

Things aren't looking good for 21 guards at the Maryland House of Correction.

After reading Gang Leader for a Day, I have some theories about why this dude took a cab to 7-11 instead of calling an ambulance. Any BCFD people out there care to comment on ambulance response time to "bad" neighborhoods in Baltimore? (Of course, the shooting victim may just be a moron, but that doesn't lend itself to conspiracy theories, now does it?)

Sarah Kreager says she didn't do anything wrong on the bus, but her medical record suggests she was a real pain-in-the-ass while she was at Sinai. Of course, she's not on trial for being a difficult patient, now is she?

A really disturbing kidnapping attempt is described in HoCo court.

Convicted dog killer Celeste Rainone made a plea agreement that should keep her out of the dog grooming business.

Maybe we could let Celeste and her grooming tools loose on Michael Hein, who's got a thing for a 6-year-old girl in his care.

In Maryland, rapists maintain parental rights! That's wrong on so many levels, I don't even think I can muster up snarkiness about it.

Somebody in HarCo is in need of a good ass whooping.

Dang. Now what am I supposed to do?

35 Years for 1st-Degree Murder with Crowbar

The SA's office reports that Judge Wanda Keys Heard sentenced Calvin Jackson, 32, of the 3800 block of Fairhaven Street to life in prison suspend all but 35 years. Jackson pleaded guilty November 28, 2007 to first-degree murder.

Judge Heard sentenced Adrian Brown, 38, of the 500 block of Maude Avenue to four years in prison. Brown pleaded guilty November 28, 2007 to accessory after the fact.

On January 5, 2007 police discovered the body of Edward L. Canupp, 61, on the living room floor of 538 Maude Avenue suffering from severe head trauma. Canupp was the landlord of the property. The investigation revealed that Jackson fatally assaulted Canupp with a crowbar and Brown attempted to cover it up.

Assistant State's Attorney Cynthia Banks of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

"Please refrain from eye-fucking me"

Helpful hints for Pigtown drug dealers from Anger Hangover.

March 4

A man was killed on W. Lafayette Ave. last night, and another man was wounded on E. Hoffman St.

The body of one Joram Shijenje, 34, was found in an Essex parking lot at about 1 a.m. today after gunshots were reported to police.

Anthony Underwood was the man who was killed Saturday on Denmore Ave.

The powers-that-be named the three cops who were involved in the killing of an unidentified man during a grocery store robbery on McElderry St.

Two stabbings and a busted nose at Club Choices, aka Club You're Gonna Get Your Ass Beat or Killed If You Come Here.

There was a car chase in Brooklyn early this morning, and WMAR tells us that "A man once scene dangling out the window was trapped, and seriously injured." Sounds like a seen from a good movie.

Sarah Kreager took the witness stand, and said she can only ID one of her attackers.

The drug cops in the Central have been very busy.

More on Little Melvin at the Examiner, and it's pretty danged interesting.

Would TV news ever fan the flames of fear in order to boost ratings? Absolutely not. Meanwhile, "Students at the University of Maryland around the College Park area are worried and with good reason." (Note. Don't read the article if you're worried about serial snugglers.)

PDJ: Pass the child porn, Dahling!

Some TDR Links

A man exposed to lead paint in the projects won a $5.7 million settlement against the city last week.

Paging Judge Judy: "A Locust Point man is suing the production companies behind 'The Wire' for a bicycle crash allegedly caused by a worker during filming of the HBO show."

Constellation Energy to MD: Bitch better have my money!

Daily Record editorial advisory board: Let's go gay for pay!

Conviction in Gang-Graffiti Murder

A Baltimore City jury convicted Thomas Taylor, 27, of the 4000 block of Garrison Avenue today of first-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and attempted second-degree murder. The jury deliberated for approximately four hours today after hearing four days of testimony last week. Judge John N. Prevas scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2008. Details:

At 2:59 p.m. on March 1, 2006 in the 3300 block of Oakfield Avenue, Taylor, a self-described Blood, shot and killed Joseph Miller, 26. Miller, Taylor and others were arguing over Bloods graffiti located on the wall of a corner store in the neighborhood. Taylor, who was wearing red, left the scene. He returned with a gun, having changed his clothing to black. Miller remained at the scene in an attempt to break up the argument over the graffiti. Taylor hid behind some bushes, stood up, and fatally shot Miller and seriously wounded another.

Assistant State’s Attorney Theresa Shaffer of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

March 3

An unidentified man was shot and killed early Saturday morning in the 5000 block of Denmore Ave., near Pimlico.

The body of a man was found in the 2300 block of Guilford Ave. yesterday afternoon, and police are doing an autopsy to see whether he was the victim of a beating or a hit-and-run.

Luke B. looks at Anna Sowers' work on a law that would "allow prosecutors to charge suspects with murder if their victims have been beaten into a coma and remain in a persistent vegetative state for more than four to six weeks."

24-year-old Tina Hamm told police that her Cecil County mother was missing, but forget to mention the part about (allegedly) killing mommy.

Gunplay at the Wal-Mart on Baltimore National Pike last night!

It's a rough day in the Blotter for the fairer sex: The woman killed on 2/16 in the 3400 block of Woodland Ave. is still un-ID'd, a man was arrested in the 2900 block of E. Madison St. for choking an 18-year-old woman, a 78-year-old woman was rear-ended by a hit-and-run driver, and a 17-year-old girl was busted for stealing a Tweety Bird watch.

Olesker wrote an interesting story about Little Melvin.

The FBI investigation into the police killing of Edward Lamont Hunt is not S.O.P.

I hope someone throws a pitbull at Charles Littlewood and Anthony Paolini (assuming, of course, that the dog doesn't get hurt but the jackass robbers do).

TK Sharkey's in Annapolis may need to be renamed TK Stabby's.

Emmitsburg house for sale. Human remains not included.

Weekend

TDR's Steve Lash: Two separate police brutality lawsuits were filed in the city last Wednesday. Anthony Carter claims he was handcuffed and beaten, then arrested for filing a false police report when he complained. Mark Antonio Craddock claims police broke his elbow and strained his shoulder while roughing him up at the Rent-a-Center.

Blotter: A man was robbed in Hampden's Roosevelt park, an unnamed man is wanted for beating a woman with a chair.

Two Baltimoreans, Rodney Terry and Michael Lawson, were arrested for a home invasion in Delaware, a third suspect, Jessie Gay, was found shot to death the next day.

"Are you a cop? Cause you have to tell me if you are... " Baltimorean Jameel Abdul Pittman, 27, is being held on $250,000 bail after allegedly attempting to sell crack cocaine and heroin to an undercover Westminster police officer in the Village Shopping Center.

Daniel Laurey, 31, got more than 21 federal years for crack dealings.

Attempted armed sodomite Brian Lee Gould of Brooklyn got two years for failing to register as a sex offender. He was originally arrested in D.C.

A federal jury convicted Robin Neil Snyder, age 55, of Pikesville and Mortgage Bankers, Ltd. Friday of 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering and obstructing justice in a scheme to defraud commercial loan applicants.

Yike, are the plasticized bodies on display at the Science Center the corpses of former Chinese political prisoners?!
UPDATE: Lucid assures us that they are not.

February 29, evening

Bernard Wallace was shot last night in the 1300 block of Bloomingdale Rd. in West Baltimore, and died at about 7:15 this morning.

There was a shooting, possibly fatal and/or involving police, at the corner of Dunmanway and Sollers Point Rd. in Dundalk.

"This is one of those things that just happened. God only knows why." Uh, actually Jerri, if the article is accurate, it's pretty easy to figure out why this happened. The reason involves the words "douchebag" and "huffing."

Pedro Alfonso Orellana, a.k.a. Michael Roy Arnison, a.k.a. alleged perv with a thing for 7-year-old girls.

Jessica Rey really needs to lay off the sauce.

(Officer) Moran had enough time to leap onto his cruiser's roof, police said. He pushed off the oncoming car with his feet as it went by and was not injured. The other driver kept going, though the police cruiser was damaged, said police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn.

The third officer chased and stopped the second driver on I-95 near Route 100. Jessica Rey registered a blood alcohol level more than 2.5 times the legal limit of 0.08, police said.

Freakonomics does The Wire, episode 8

The latest take on The Wire from the thugs at Freakonomics. "I hope you suffer; it’s good for you.”

February 29

A man robbing a grocery store was shot to death by an unnamed officer last night.

File under stupidity, astounding: Baltimore City worker Charles Payne allegedly robbed a pedestrian of $296, then fled the scene in his Public Works pickup truck "emblazoned with the Baltimore City emblem."

Armed robberies, thefts and burglaries in the Blotter.

Wow-- a witness alleges that the murder of corrections officer David McGuinn was a "hit" ordered by crooked guards running a contraband-smuggling ring.

Seriously?!

"For the first time in the nation’s history, more than one in 100 American adults is behind bars, according to a new report."

30 Years for Prison Shank

At a hearing Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Brian Medlin, 21, of the 3300 block of Woodland Ave. pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder. Judge Timothy J. Doory sentenced Smith to 30 years in prison. Details from SA's office, edited for style:

On March 15, 2007 at 3:45 p.m. Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC) inmates Medlin and the victim, Michael Reed, 23, were en route from the Mitchell Courthouse to BCDC in a prison van. Medlin, a self-proclaimed Blood member, was able to free himself from restraints. He produced a “shank” (homemade knife) and proceeded to stab Reed, who was in restraints, in head, face, upper torso, hand, chest, and legs. As the van arrived at BCDC, a Division of Correction Swift Response Team observed confrontation in van and immediately stopped the assault and recovered the shank. Reed suffered a collapsed lung. Medlin was being held on a narcotics charge; Reed had pleaded guilty that day to an assault charge and is currently serving a 15-year-suspend-all-but-eight-year prison term.

Assistant State’s Attorney Brandis Marsh prosecuted this case.

February 28

Two people died in the course of a road rage incident in front of MICA, and police are looking for a green Jetta with front-end damage.
More details from Dick and Brent.

Blotter: Murder victim #24 was ID'd as Julius Pressley, 23.
Also, a man was shot multiple times Tuesday in the Western and lived, and a guy was jumped after turning down a North Avenue ho.

In an unusual case, trial began for the murder of Michael Jay Francis, though his body hasn't been found.
QTD from Abraham Dash, UMD law prof: "... if you have someone saying they saw a defendant shooting a victim five times in the chest, that's pretty good stuff."

James Edward "Lil' J" Smoot, a Bloods gang member who at age 14 killed pot dealer Marquel "Marty" Smith, got 20 years. Smoot's accomplices were indicted in the TTP takedown last week.

Crack dealer Richard Morris got 20 years.

Old people were duped by "deception burglars" in the Parkville area

Bobby Wayne Rhodes got 41 months for tainting baby formula.

Two child porn guilty pleas: Frank Pierce Young, age 78, of Annapolis, Maryland, and Harold Leroy Rivers, age 62, of Pikesville.
Meanwhile, the House OK'd child porn (bill making possession a felony)

Groaner of the day: What did "Bowzer" say to the musical imposter bands?

Alleged Child Rapist Indicted

Today the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Timothy Price, 31, of Owings Mills, on a 15-count indictment alleging second-degree rape, sex offense and sexual child abuse. Court documents allege Timothy Price had sexual intercourse with a 12 year-old victim on three occasions at different locations between December 2007 and January 2008. He is currently being held on a $1 million bail in the Baltimore City Jail. An arraignment is scheduled for March 20, 2008 before Judge John P. Miller, Room 428 Mitchell Courthouse.

February 27

Holy cow! Someone got shot in Edgewood. I don't think that's ever happened before!

Three murders this week in the Ink: Henry Davis, Murriel Chew and an as-yet-unidentified man. Plus more on the thoroughly WTF?! case of Juanita Robinson.

"Attorney In Bus Beating Wants Case Dismissed" Well, duh!

HoCo slugger Kevin Klink got 13 years. His victim's father didn't know how to take Klink's apology.

In the county, Nicholas Weaver was formally charged in the 2002 murder of David Baskin, Jr. Weaver was returned to Baltimore yesterday from New York after waiving an extradition hearing.

A couple of armed gas station robbers were nailed by police after stealing money from a teenager in the Deener.

The cells in their cells provide "extraordinary telephonic opportunity."

A 16-year-old set off an explosive device in his Millersville high school, and now faces felony charges.

15 Years for Parolee's Assault With Dog

At a hearing today, Charles Smith, 23, of the 3100 block of Belmont Ave., pleaded guilty to two counts of second degree assault. Judge Timothy J. Doory sentenced Smith to 15 years in prison, 10 years for one assault and a consecutive five years in prison for the other. Details from the SA's office:

On April 20, 2006 Agent Kimberly Collins and Lt. Robert Thumma were working in their jobs as members of the parole retake warrant task force when they were attempting to serve the parole retake warrant against Smith at his home, 3117 Belmont Ave. Smith was on parole for attempted murder and was in violation. Upon arrival they were met with Smith’s mother who stated her son was home. He came down the steps along with his pit bull and the dog ran out the open door and started running down the street. Smith told the agents the dog was extremely vicious and would only answer to him. Because there were children playing outside, the agents allowed Smith to attempt to retrieve his dog. Smith ran after the dog with Agt. Collins behind him on foot and Lt. Thumma following in a patrol car.

Smith caught the dog, but as Agt. Collins was about to place him under arrest he threw the pit bull through the open window of Lt. Thumma’s patrol car and directly onto Lt. Thumma’s lap. Lt. Thumma was able to get out of the car uninjured, leaving the dog locked inside. Smith, in an attempt to elude capture, ran at and pushed Agt. Collins with such force that her feet went over her head and her head hit the concrete sidewalk. Smith eluded arrest that day and was eventually arrested in November 2006. Agt. Collins sustained a fractured skull and a large hematoma behind her ear and to this day continues to suffer from headaches.

Assistant State’s Attorney Staci Pipkin prosecuted this case.

UPDATE: A source tells us the dog is fine and living with the defendant's mother.

Who's that cop?

From a Sun article by Annie Linskey and Nick Madigan:

The Baltimore Police Department is considering changing a long-standing practice of quickly releasing names of officers who kill or injure citizens ... Under one plan, the officer's name would be released only after investigations by the department's internal investigation division, homicide and the state's attorney's office ...

The article goes on to say that "police officers involved in departmental shootings could become targets themselves." I wonder how many police officers have become targets, compared to the number of witnesses who have been attacked/killed to keep them from testifying?

Additionally, do police officers deserve more privacy than "normal citizens" who are being investigated for possible criminal actions? Should the names of alleged sex offenders not be released unless the person pleads/is found guilty? Does "innocent until proven guilty" only apply to police officers?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

February 26

The latest murder victim was ID'd as 23-year-old Eric Jones, who was shot to death in the living room of a rowhouse on W. North Ave.

Frank Rodney Jones Jr.'s body was found last week in Davidsonville, but his car and his killer are still missing.

Ryan J. Butler Sr. got 50 years for killing his former girlfriend. From Jennifer McMenamin at the Sun:

When DNA analysts examined blood evidence from the Baltimore County townhouse where Anna Marie Bergman was shot to death, they isolated a genetic profile of not only the 20-year-old murder victim. Mixed with her blood, they also found DNA of her 3-year-old son.

"It was probably tears," prosecutor Michelle Samoryk told a judge yesterday at a plea hearing in the case.

In HoCo, Kevin Klink got 13 years for killing Robert Brazell Jr., 18, with a baseball bat.

Samuel and Donna Merryman of HarCo were accused of starving their 8-year-old adopted son to death; they pleaded guilty yesterday to first-degree child abuse.

Is it just me, or does "Tree Top Piru" sound like some long lost Pokemon? You know, maybe Pikachu's thuggish little cousin or something. (There's more about the bust at the Examiner, along with an interview with Rod and a handy glossary.

The feds are investigating BPD Officer Tommy Sanders' fatal shooting of Edward Lamont Hunt.

There was some hostage action in Cherry Hill yesterday.

"Dennis" is (allegedly) a dirty, dirty man.

Bully Be Gone!

Lamarr Harris needs to take some lessons from Terrance Washington, who is still on the loose and probably not getting skull drunk.

Ew, gang rape in a Federalsburg Junior League baseball dugout.

Dang, That's a Lotta Gang

Here's the DOJ press release about the 28 indicted "Tree Top Piru" gang members. The indictment includes allegations of five murders, witness intimidation, drug trafficking, RICO violations and poor punctuation.

February 25

Feels like old times. We had five shootings last night and this morning, two of which were fatal. A man was killed and a woman was injured in the 700 block of W. North Ave., a 23-year-old man died last night after being shot five times at the beautiful corner of N. Milton Ave. and E. Chase St., a gunman opened fire in a corner grocery on N. Gilmor St. and hit one man, and a 70-year-old man was injured during a home invasion last night in the 3500 block of W. Forest Park Ave.

Julie B. takes a look at some of the realities of dealing with domestic violence in the city. For instance

Shenera Norris told a Baltimore judge that she did not want prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against her boyfriend - a man accused of battering her and threatening to kill her with a butcher knife. ... So last May, the cases against Dale Rodney Jones were suspended. On Feb. 15, police said, Jones stabbed Norris, 31, to death. Still holding the knife after the attack in Norris' apartment building, Jones, 48, was shot to death by a police officer.

When demons talk, S.T. Nelson listens.

In the Southeastern, it's fake cops vs. real cops. Also, a whole bunch of people got stabbed.

If you see a blue '98 Land Rover with Maryland tags 01573M6, the dude driving it might kill you.

The infinitely wise City Council is going after dirt bikes.

The infinitely inept Dept. of Transportation is still being troubled by fake parking tickets.

Somebody is really pissed at mailboxes in HarCo.

Annapolis PD chief Joseph Johnson is interviewed in The Examiner.

All of the young (alleged) sex criminals aren't in the city; some of them were busy raping a 12-year-old girl in Federalsburg.

Weekend

Friday, Governor Martin O'Malley announced yesterday a coordinated federal state and local crime fighting effort ... for Annapolis!

Baltimore City Solicitor George A. Nilson: we want more work!

The MD senate has made it a misdemeanor for educators, human services workers, police officers or health care practitioners who have reason to believe a child has been abused to not report the evidence to authorities.

Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin are still against Rod Rosenstein's judgeship. It's a cautionary tale: learn to do a job well, then you'll get stuck with it forever!

What the?! Educators complain of truant preschoolers.

Billy Murphy on Billy Murphy: defending a real Clay Davis would be "in the seven-figure range."