15 and 7 Years for Drug-House Killers

At a hearing late Friday, Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced Mark Brooks, 41, of the 2200 block of Clifton Avenue to 25 years in prison suspending all but 15 years. Brooks pled guilty to second degree murder May 11, 2007. Co-defendant Natasha Sarchiapone, 26, of the 2000 block of Griddle Avenue (which should read Grinnalds Avenue), pled guilty to second degree assault and first degree breaking and entering May 11, 2007. Judge Heard sentenced her at that time to 20 years in prison, suspending all but seven years and three years probation for the breaking and entering. Details:

On June 24, 2006 at approximately 11:30 p.m. police responded to 4819 Pennington Ave. for a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, police discovered the victim, Russell Duckworth, 33, suffering from multiple stab wounds to the neck and torso. He was transported to Harbor Hospital, where he died less than an hour later. Investigation revealed that Natasha Sarchiapone was at the Duckworth’s home using drugs all day. Duckworth then told Sarchiapone to leave. Sarchiapone refused so victim physically removed her. Sarchiapone was upset by this and returned with Mark Brooks. They entered the home of the victim without his permission or knowledge. Sarchiapone then proceeded to assault a woman who was in the home while at the same time Brooks attacked the victim with a sharp object, striking him 12 times. Brooks and Sarchiapone both fled and witnesses later identified them as the individuals who committed the above crimes.

August 13

Byron Dickey, 28, of East Baltimore died at Johns Hopkins Hospital after an unknown gunman shot him repeatedly while the victim stood in the 2100 block of Barclay St. about 4 p.m.

No witnesses and no motive in the Saturday evening death of Davon McCargo, though onlookers were there to watch him bleed to death in the street.

"... members of the city's all-volunteer auxiliary police unit say they used to do much more, including walking foot patrols with sworn officers. Many are now saying they do not get respect from the department and they are not being used effectively." In fact, "the unit is so low on the city's radar screen that City Council President Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake was unaware that the unit existed and offered a resolution in June to consider creating a volunteer unit that would supplement police. She later learned that one existed."
Yike!!!

Witness intimidation worked for Jacob Brooks, 19, who was charged with a 2005 slaying outside a Temple Hills nightclub and for the fatal shooting last year of one of his childhood friends who Brooks mistakenly believed was snitching.

Thirty-one years ago, Charles Hopkins went on a tear in city hq on a hunt for Schaefer, instead killing City Councilman Dominic Leone and shooting Councilman Carroll Fitzgerald, a secretary and a city police officer. Judge John Glynn has now moved him to "a less secure residential program."

"A city jury has found that the Housing Authority of Baltimore City should pay $4 million in damages to two siblings [Joseph Avery Jr. and Lisa Avery] poisoned by lead paint in their publicly owned rowhouse in the 1980s."

August 12

Eeeee... there's a manhunt underway in PGC for skeevy-looking John Henri Palmont Jr., left, of the 5200 block of Marlboro Pike, who forced himself upon his 9-year-old neighbor after asking to use the phone.

Clueless police are asking the public's help to find the killer of Dwight Evans, shot multiple times behind Evans Temple Church in the Madison East section of Baltimore, six months and 170 murders ago.

It's the feel-good story of the week... a city jury convicted Kenneth Mahai Friday of first-degree murder, in spite of his threats to witnesses.

Ya think?! Experts opine that HarfCo suspected serial killer Charles E. Burns is "a sociopath."

Samuel David Horne, 25, was shot to death in Edgewood yesterday, in front of a row of townhouses in the 1800 block of Brookside Drive.

The state crackers got Quinton J. Thomas convicted of first-degree murder in MoCo for killing Stephen W. Kelley, 20, of Gaithersburg, after Thomas sent some colorful letters to the wrong address.

Andrew H. Williams' last business venture was shut down for being too much like a Ponzi scheme, and his new one, "Metro Dream Homes," sounds no more respectable.

Blogger Jeff Q. is furious that The Deuce's Linda So lifted his story about Stop Fucking Snitching being a part of the UMBC library holdings, without giving him credit.

Politics: Dixon called Jill Carter "a little girl."

Which would you rather ...
... wake up tomorrow as?	a little girl a withered hag Frank Conaway Sr.
	Current Results

August 10

You may remember Owings Mills High alum Majid Khan, who held in a CIA "black" prison, probably in Poland, for three years and is now in Guantanamo. The NYker reports that the US government has argued that he has to be "prohibited from access to a lawyer specifically because he might describe the 'alternative interrogation methods' that the agency had used when questioning him." (Third paragraph.)

An unid'd man was shot to death yesterday afternoon at about 1:30 p.m. in the 3400 block of Dupont Ave. in the city's Central Park Heights neighborhood. No suspects, no motive.

Dwayne Erving, the 17-year-old suspected in Wednesday's double shooting on E. Oliver street, was also charged with attempted murder in September, in connection with shooting a man in a dispute over a pit bull last July. "Prosecutors put the July case on the inactive docket because the victim and witnesses -- including the boy's mother -- were uncooperative."

There'll be no more calling Tyrone (Henderson, 23). After eight gun arrests and no convictions, Rod Rosenstein and friends finally scored an indictment and now he could go to jail for life. Said Bealefeld III, "That doesn't just send a message to him; his buddies see that" they get eight free passes in the city.
(Note to self: GunStat = good, Gun Offender Registry = lame)

Baltimore's least-talented graffiti artist, Kenneth "Oracl" Ellis, is now in hot water for stabbing a man in the back twice in a dispute over a kitten. Ellis says he stabbed "Tiger" twice with three knives while hugging him.

Broadwater serves up the skin-crawly tale of a remorseful gymnastics coach who's going to jail for his bedroom collection of 21 pairs of kid underpants he got from the Lost n Found, and 800 videotapes, all of child pornography. (Lost and found?! 800?! Videotapes?)
Interesting:

This case arose from a nationwide investigation of a sophisticated internet message board conducted last year by the FBI. After determining that the bulletin board contained child pornography, undercover FBI agents used the bulletin board to post a link to a file on a covert FBI computer. The FBI captured the internet addresses of computers that tried to download the file, which was actually a non-pornographic image file.

... and 32-year-old Joppa firefighter Angelo Sudano sent actual pornographic (and lascivious) displays of minors to "a citizen," which also did not go over well.

One escaped Hickey teen was caught, but the other, 16-year-old Davon Julius, is still on the run somewhere in the city.

August 9

Seventeen-year-old Dwayne Erving was arrested for the murder on the 2300 block of E. Oliver Street yesterday.

Very sad: murder victim Lorado Williams Jr. was a friendly and clean-living boxer who liked poetry. The robbery and shooting that killed him seem to be random and there are no suspects, even though there is a police camera right there. A wake is scheduled for Zannino Funeral Home on 263 S. Conkling St. in Baltimore, with viewings from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

Jason Goldsmith, 38, was indicted for assault for beating his wife with their toddler. That's some meshuggah shit, yo.

Remember this video of drug suspect Wayne (Examiner) or Glen (JZ) Curry being punched in the jaw and dragged by an officer? His uncle Fred, who made the videotape, faces some serious jail time. Some defense witnesses said that police arrested him in a drug sweep only after they learned of his identity.

Baltimore city police officer Damian Sabo pled guilty in PA to hitting his estranged wife, Donna M. Bevan, in the head with a pistol as she was holding their 2-year-old child in August of 2006.

A Baltimore City Council committee approved Dixon's dubious plan to start a Gun Offender registry.

A caller to the Ed Norris show reported that mayor Dixon made a quickie apperance before the funeral for Jordan Brown, the man who was shot and collapsed on her front lawn*, but left before the service began.
*it probably didn't happen this way, but we like to think it did.

Country police are still investigating choirmaster David Riley, 59, who was given probation before judgment by a judge for possessing child pornography. Contractors working on his home notified police after they found "chest-high stacks" of photos of 10- to 18-year-old boys "playing tie-up games" in Riley's home.

August 8

Two more murders overnight, both as-yet-unid'd men. The first shooting occurred about 11:15 p.m. in the 1400 block of N. Milton Ave., and the man was pronounced dead at 11:30. The other man died 15 minutes later in the 2300 block of E. Oliver St.
(Thanks M!)

The Ink has 13 murders from July 23 - August 5, plus updates, and Anna says it's "Lorado" and he died on Saturday the 4th on Lombard Street.

Bennie Fullard, 49, was the man arrested Monday for stabbing his girlfriend in Woodlawn after his family turned him in. This morning he waived his right to seek bail. Also, "a man with the same name and born in the same year as Fullard has at least three previous convictions."
That's one wacky coincidence!

Murder victim Eric Ford was id'd as the man killed in the 3400 block of Baltimore street, and four shootings in the Blotter:

• a man walking in the rear of the 4100 block of Stokes Drive about 1:30 a.m. yesterday and gunman shot him in the left arm, - a person fired several shots outside a bar in the 800 block of W. Cross St. about 2 a.m. Sunday, and one of them grazed a guy's left eye ,


• Darrell Smith, 22, whose address was not released, remained in critical condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center after he was shot in the back of the neck about 4 p.m. Monday in the 300 block of E. 21st St. (this item also appeared yesterday),


• and in Towson a man was shot in a leg during "an incident" in a house in the 1300 block of Dartmouth Ave. about 7:40 p.m. yesterday.

The Marcus Brown pension scandal isn't finished yet ... the president of Baltimore's FOP Lodge 3, said that the union has authorized its law firm to explore the possibility of suing the city and the Police Department.

Thank you Luke Broadwater for putting "boyfriend" in quotes there...
if a guy slaughters you in cold blood (all together now ladies) he's just not that into you.
Wow, only 24 homicides in all of Baltimore County so far this year.

How did Kenneth Barnes become the Roland Park pervert? Or is he a misunderstood psychotic? The CP's Chris Landers investigates.
ps. have you noticed there have been almost no perverts reported in a few weeks, after months of having like, two a day?
They must've caught them all...

Fascinating! Freakonomics.com has a Q&A with Sudhir Venkatesh, the then grad-student in the book who studied Chicago gangs. (Turns out they love "The Wire" but not the crack)
Venkatesh makes the excellent points that anti-gang laws are usually racist, won't stand up in court, and too vague to be of any use.
Cases in point, head of the county’s gang-suppression unit Cpl. Thomas Gamble, who says gang indentity is all about "clothes," and the HarfCo elementary-school boy who threw a sign in the class picture.

Speaking of "The Wire," bad news for wannabe Marlos and goatherds: a new City rule allows residents to keep no more than 125 pigeons as pets. And, "you need three acres to have goats, sheep ponies and pigs."
What kind of twisted mutant is a sheep pony?!

Politics: Dixon knows the less she says the better! She's letting her $2 million anti-trash tagline* do the talking and simply not showing up to candidate forums, citing schedule conflicts. But there will be at least one televised debate. We'll have to find a bar with a giant TV for that experience!
*That would be, "Don't make excuses. Make a difference." Said Celeste Amato, the coordinator of the Clean Out Baltimore initiative, "the underlying message is about personal responsibility."

The Sun election blog recaps the Dixon sweetheart-contracts scandal.
Did you know? Not only did her sister work for Utech, a company awarded city contracts against ethics rules, but "the city found, after The Sun's reports, that the company did not have the capacity to perform the public work it was winning."
She also employed "creative" work orders to keep from having to report that she gave her campaign chairman's company half a million bucks! No wonder she didn't want to say anything harsh about the Brown Schammdal!

The Curious Case of Mr. Williams

On August 3 the Sun reported that a man was shot in the head in the 3600 block of E. Lombard St. and died, victim 190.
The next day, the same paper reports that a man was shot in the head in the 3600 block of E. Lombard St. and is "not expected to survive."
And then there's the story of Lorado Williams Jr., shot to death during a robbery in the 3600 block of E. Baltimore St. from today. And now there's also a different guy in the 5th on E. Baltimore St. So now it's two guys, same street.
... Or is it? Now Mr. Williams is back to being shot on Lombard. Or is that his twin brother who also lives in the 600 block of S. Lehigh St., "Larado"?!
Today, Anna says two victims, two different days in two different places, one on Lombard and one on Baltimore, and it's "Lorado."
Who's got it wrong?

August 7

After the William Welch lost-evidence flap, state police have made a "verbal agreement" to handle evidence in cases against city officers in the future.

A rewrite that combines two of yesterday's stories, and additional forensics by Burgersub, clarify a couple of "details":

mr. williams was shot in the 3600 block of e lombard street friday night and died saturday. a 19 year old was shot in the first block of s highland avenue sunday and managed to run to the 3400 block of e baltimore street before collapsing. he died sunday (the same day he was shot). [and,] the sun sucks.

The S has more on the trial of HarfCo suspected serial killer Charles Burns, including a creepy letter the prosecution read. (I'm going to try to copy more primary-source stuff from Sun stories because their links expire in a day).

As I set here I'm thinking of what could've been going through that girls mind, as this was happening to her ... I know if this were me, I'd be saying what kind of 'monster' did I get a ride from. I'd be praying to God please Lord help me.

It's thirty years, yes, that's three zero, for 23-year-old Antoine Oliver, who shot Justice Georgie for $20 at the Divine Unity hair salon on Garrison Blvd. This means Mr. Oliver will likely get out when? ... Anyone? Anyone?
Update: Writes Julie Bykowicz,

Antoine can't get out in less than 15 years because he is convicted of a violent crime. When he does become eligible for parole, the governor will HAVE to sign off on his release, as that is standard operating procedure in all "life sentences" -- even ones with suspended terms like this one.

If he can't get a governor to sign him out of the big house, he'll have to wait until he is "mandatorily released" through "diminution credits," which would maybe happen around year 20. I did an explainer story on this pretty recently ["Pressures dictate plea deals, But sentences in city homicide cases aren't necessarily a bargain for the convicted," July 25, 2007]. Toward the end, it goes into (probably too much) detail about this subject.

Adds Luke Broadwater, wrestling coach/Examiner reporter:

Julie (as usual) is completely right about eligibility for parole. Under Maryland law, if convicted of a crime of violence (as defined by statute) a suspect isn't eligible for parole until he has served half his time. He can be up for his first parole review as early as 1/4th of his time, if he's convicted of a non-violent crime.

Thanks reporters! All quality, those two. So he'll serve at least 15 years.

Blotter: "A 20-year-old Bolton Hill woman was jogging around the reservoir at Druid Hill Park about 3 p.m. Sunday when several young men and women began yelling foul language at her and throwing rocks. The woman was not injured and no arrests had been made."

In the County, another domestic murder, at least the 8th in MD in the past month. Satya Long was found stabbed to death last night at her home in Woodlawn, and a so-far-unnamed man is in custody, turned in by his family after he confessed to his mom.

And a domestic dispute led to a city officer having to shoot one Ronald Bennett, 21. Just in the leg though unfortunately. Apparently there was already an assault warrant out for him but he'd been too busy wailing on his babymom to go to court.

Two yutes have escapes from the Hickey School (Didn't Ehrlich close that place down?). Fifteen-year-old Justin Russell and 16-year-old Davon Julius escaped a week ago.

Peter Franchot is after tax scofflaws. You mean, you can just ignore tax bills? i thought they'd take your house or something, but I guess not!

Three raids in the 'burbs busted car thieves who've sent thousands of Marylanders' vehicles to Africa and the Middle East.
"It's in vogue to run around in these countries with a license plate on that says Maryland on it or Florida on it," said Ben Jillett, a car-theft investigator with the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

Wrestling coach/ reporter Luke Broadwater rides with some unsuccessful bail bondsmen.

August 7th

"Routine Transfer" (Gone Bad, that is): escaped prisoner (and serial escapist) Marvin Jordan (he bolted outside of the court house yesterday noonish) is now on Baltimore's "Dirty Thirty" list. (Dirty Thirty? Really?)

August 6

Suspected serial killer Charles Burns of Bel Air was sentenced to life without parole today for killing Lillian Phelps of Elkton.

Patirica Campbell, the crazy neighbor who abducted 6-year-old Shenika Scott and styled her hair, pled guilty to child abduction as part of a plea deal Friday.

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Calvin Puryear, 20, of the 2600 block of Dulaney Street and Lloyd Chase, 17, of the 2100 McHenry Street for first-degree murder and other charges on Friday. Court documents allege Calvin Puryear and Lloyd Chase are responsible for stabbing Christine Richardson, 15, on July 10, 2007 in her home in the 300 block of S. Fulton Avenue. Christine Richardson was stabbed several times and her throat slashed following an argument with the two suspects. Richardson died the same day. An arraignment is scheduled for August 28, 2007 before Judge John M. Glynn, Room 236 Mitchell Courthouse. Assistant State’s Attorney Cynthia Banks will prosecute this case.

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted James Giles, 21, of the 200 block of Dallas Court for first-degree murder, robbery deadly weapon and other charges on Friday. Court documents allege James Giles is responsible for shooting Robert Perlie, Jr. in the head on May 17, 2007 in the 200 block of Dallas Court during a robbery. Perlie succumbed to his injuries at Johns Hopkins Hospital. An arraignment is scheduled for September 7, 2007 before Judge John M. Glynn, Room 236, Mitchell Courthouse. Chief of the Homicide Division and Assistant State’s Attorney Mark Cohen will prosecute this case.

A boy was shot last night in 3400 block of E. Baltimore St.

Lorado Williams Jr., 27, a victim shot and robbed on Friday in the 3600 block of E. Baltimore St. died (unknown if there's any relationship to the incident above.)

Two more (!) shootings in the Blotter:

Shooting // Police responding to a report of a man shot in the 3000 block of McElderry St. about 5 a.m. Saturday found the victim bleeding from a bullet wound to an upper leg. The victim, 22, was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Eastern
Shooting // A 25-year-old man was shot once in the upper body in the 900 block of N. Patterson Park Ave. about 3 a.m. Saturday and was admitted in critical but stable condition at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The man, who lives in the 1100 block of N. Carey St. in West Baltimore, was found by police responding a report of a shooting.

The trial of officer William Welch has been postponed. Welch is accused of raping a 16-year-old (alleged) prostitute in the SE district house. Three weeks ago, the police lost (or perhaps "lost") the girl's clothing from the evidence room.

One Clinton Dunnock got 14 years for trying to bring 7 kgs. of cocaine (about 15 1/2 pounds) from NY to Baltimore. Why is the DEA the only organization in the US that uses the metric system?

We love sites like this! Truth About Dixon dishes scandals, outrage

Mayor Dixon has a new project: GunStat.

Matthew R. Dieterle, who killed his AAC "girlfriend" Samantha MacQuilliam in Tampa, had a criminal history including assault, gun violations and burglary.

In lieu of a certain candidate's recent issues, we thought it time to reset the mayoral poll, right.

August 5

Don't forget Neighbor's Night Out!
Join your fellow crimefighters in boozing it up at Max's this minute!
Even if it seems like Dixon is co-oping the event, galt, proceeds do go to the Zach Sowers Recovery Fund, a very worthy cause.

Do you know someone who drives in MoCo in a silver BMW 5 series that now has front-end damage (or their car's suddenly disappeared? Well that said someone may have mowed down 17-year-old prospective chef Esai Lopez, and you should totally narc on them.

"Can we have a police patrol in this area?" a resident of asked Sheila Dixon. But not a peep as to what the mayor's answer was?!

"The reason why we chose Baltimore was, they came in with the highest bid on bodies." -- Maj. Jeffrey Ball in a Sun medical melodrama piece ("A Doctor at War") on how UMM's Shock Trauma trained a doctor for Iraq.

August 4

"A 20-year-old man was shot several times in the 3400 block of Carlisle Ave. in Northwest Baltimore about 12:30 a.m. He was taken to Sinai Hospital for surgery and listed in grave condition, police said. About an hour later, a man was shot in the head in the 3600 block of E. Lombard St., ... The man was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and is not expected to survive. ... Another man was stabbed about 5 p.m. yesterday near Liberty Heights Avenue and Garrison Boulevard in the Forest Park neighborhood."

Police have released a sketch of the suspect who raped an 88-year-old woman, shown at right. Hmm, is that man Asian?

Gus S. on the Zach Sowers case.
Where's everybody going for neighbors' night out tomorrow?
The family & I will be at Mama's on the Half Shell at 6 (the only place in the city that has lobster rolls and a children's menu) ...hope everyone comes out!

Defendant Brandon Morris, accused of shooting Correctional Officer Jeffery Wroten, is such a spaz he'll have to wear a stun belt to court.

As regular readers surely know, killer moms aren't rare.

In MoCo, Francesco Kelly, who at age 16 shot a man because the victim's girlfriend made fun of him on a bus, is a free man.
"The verdict surprised even the defense team."

HBO Trolls Craigslist, Pt. Deux

Since everyone was so jazzed about the last ad...
HBO's "The Wire": Extras needed for Monday Aug. 6th

Reply to: wirebaltimore@gmail.com
Date: 2007-08-02, 2:28PM EDT

Pat Moran and Associates is looking for people wanting to work as background extras on HBO's "The Wire," this coming Monday August 6th. The commitment may be for the entire day so please DO NOT respond unless you are available all day.

We are looking for all types, male/female, Caucasian/African American, age range preferably 25+, although we may need high schoolers as well.

We will also need people who are willing to use their car in the show, if you have a car that is NOT white, preferably darker colors, please specify in your email.

All emails should include a recent photograph, age/height/weight, car make/model (if applicable) and a phone number where you can be reached.

Please send submissions to wirebaltimore@gmail.com

These are Non-Union positions, pay is $50/8 hours, plus a $10.00 bump if we use your car.

www.patmoranandassociates.com

Location: Baltimore
Compensation: Non-Union, $50/8
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

(Thanks Dan!)

August 3

Four Three murders in 24 hours:

• An unidentified man was killed at 1:30 a.m. this morning in the 3600 block of E. Lombard St., in the Baltimore Highlands whoops, wait, he survived!
• Donte Bracey, 20, was shot in the back shortly before 11 p.m. last night in the 500 block of E. 23rd St. in the East Baltimore Midway
• A man was shot in the 3400 block of Carlisle Ave., in Northwest Baltimore, and is in "grave" condition (er, there's only one kind of condition that's appopos for the grave... but it sounds like he's still alive)

The other two murders must be the two unid'd men from yesterday: 7:45 a.m. in the 3700 block of Lyndale Ave. and an 18-year-old man 1:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of Marbourne Ave in Lakeland.

Indeed, the "more details" in the "written-off carjacking" are very depressing: not just details that make it clear an armed carjacking really happened and Grimes was the 'jacker, but stolen credit cards that could have helped lead police to Brandon Grimes had police believed the victim and recorded the crime properly.
Like the commentor said, "if somebody really wants to kill somebody else, there's nothing the police can do!"

In Clinton, PGC, Terris Terrell Luckett, 39, shot his wife and then drove to a barbershop to kill a football coach.

Pediatrics & Parenting
Trouble for Mitchell's mayoral campaign: his DAD and treasurer allegedly spent $40,000 of campaign money on personal expenses.

Jessamy vs. Kraft: who's the baby?
Kraft sent Jessamy letters asking her to get tougher on violent crime in his Southeast District, and released one of them to "the media", and Jessamy went ballistic:

"'Councilman Kraft, please grow up,' Jessamy wrote in a letter dated Tuesday. 'Stop being a petulant ‘do nothing’ politician and represent the interest of your constituents. I am willing to work with you, but will not under any circumstances tolerate your attacks.'”

We don't know exactly what Kraft's letter said, but can't help but to notice Jessamy seems to have a whole lot of trouble getting along with others (and is none too PR-savvy either. Had anyone heard of that letter before this?).

An AAC teenager was found "responsible" in juvenile court for the death of her newborn infant found in a trash can.

August 2

Update, if you're following the OC fetus-mom story:
Prosecutors have dropped the murder charges in the case of the 26-week-old fetus found in Christy Freeman's house, but have now charged her with murder of an "infant" "born" in 2003.

Is Nicole Richie still in town? A "vehicle going the wrong way in the 1400 block of Montford Avenue crashed into a police car."
Crazy picture!

Media news:
Dolan Media, owner of the Daily Record and other "niche" business and law papers, has gone public ... and amazingly the public is buying it!

So much for that lull... two more murders, unid'd:
7:45 a.m. in the 3700 block of Lyndale Ave.
and an 18-year-old man 1:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of Marbourne Ave in Lakeland.
The Sun's 187 and 188 = our 192 & 193.

Court of Appeals: the state needs to try harder to comply with convicted rapists’ and murderers’ requests for post-conviction DNA testing, checking the police evidence-control unit isn't enough.

A third suspect was arrested today in the Carl Lackl case, Marcus Antwan Pearson, 26. Also in custody are Johnathan Ryan Cordish, 15 of the 300 block N. Monroe St., and Ronald Wendell Williams, 21. Though it's clear Pearson and the 15-year-old gunboy targeted Lackl, police say there's no evidence that the killing was motivated by Lackl's planned testimony in the Patrick Byers murder trial.

Blotter: A man was shot in the shoulder by robbers in the Northwest; a man was shot in the upper right leg trying to flee an altercation with two other men in the 3300 block of E. Fayette St. about 3 a.m. Sunday, a woman was punched in the face at a gas station in the 2200 block of Linden Ave.; police are seeking several teenage females who attacked two other females, one 19 and the other 16, in the 2100 block of N. Pulaski St. late Saturday night.

Beware the sound of a saw in your driveway: stealing catalytic converters is a profitable and low-risk activity for thieves.

Notable quotable: "Baltimore is a safe city." - Mayor Dixon
Was our mayor lying to our people in uniform?
(Or did she mean relative to Iraq?!)

Notable quotable II: "I'm goin to the hairdresser, I can't do it this way!" - Sheila Dixon, last two seconds of Fox's "Raw News" Mayor Dixon Crime Plan Press Conference
The "officer sentenced" video with the reporter chasing down Joseph Mosmiller and his slouchy lawyer is also a hoot:
"Why would you take pictures of women's breasts? Get ahead of him! She says she's been damaged forever emotionally! You have nothing to say to her? What about to fellow police officers! Fellow police officers!"

The media frenzy surrounding the OC fetus house has prompted police patrols. And no word from police or the prosecutors since Monday, when he told reporters that Freeman caused her baby to be stillborn. (How is that possible? Said a police spokesman, "use your imagination.")

August 2

In the case of murdered witness Carl Lackl, there's been a third arrest: Marcus Antwan Pearson has been charged with first degree murder:

Pearson made telephone calls to Lackl about a car that the Rosedale man was selling to lure him outside of his home, county police said. Pearson was in a vehicle in front of the shooter's car, and pointed out Lackl as they drove by, police said.

Suspects in the Lackl case so far are:
Marcus Antwan Pearson, 26,
Johnathan Ryan Cordish, 15
of the 300 block N. Monroe St., and
Ronald Wendell Williams, 21,

Guard your car's catalytic converter, although I don't think your dealership's repair shop is going to mind too much if they've gotta replace 'em for you.

Awful: the rape and robbery of an 88-year old cancer patient in Southeast Baltimore.

Mayor Sheila Dixon demands accountability from the police:

On Wednesday, the mayor said this isn't the first time she's heard complaints of crimes that hadn't been written up. She called the practice unacceptable in her administration.

Jesus God! Hasn't the misreporting or underreporting or whatever-reporting-of-crime been a big complaint against the police department and the mayor's office for, um, quite some time now? Hopefully, if there's one silver lining from this tragic shooting, it'll be an overhaul of how the police report crimes (and, hopefully, a police department with the balls to stand up to any political pressure it might get to do so).

August 1

A man was fatally shot in the 1200 block of Nanticoke St in Pigtown, South Baltimore.

The man who ran to the mayor's West Baltimore house after being shot has died.

At a hearing today Judge Allen L. Schwait sentenced Antonio Dana Rogers, 28, of the 100 block of Cherryhill Road to life in prison for attempted first degree murder and an additional 25 years in prison, consecutive, for use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and prohibited possession of a handgun counts. A Baltimore City jury convicted Rogers June 5, 2007. The story:

On August 23, 2005 at approximately 11:00PM the victim was walking in the 2000 block of McCullough toward the 400 block of W. Presstman St. when she became engaged in an argument with Rogers. As the victim continued toward her home, Rogers followed and pulled out a small caliber handgun, shooting the victim two times – once in the abdomen and once in the arm. When officers arrived the victim told police that “Dana” shot her and that he stays in the Cherry Hill area of the city. Rogers was eventually apprehended and was identified by both the victim and other witnesses. The victim suffered permanent injuries due to the shooting and now has to walk with a cane. She has undergone 14 surgeries since the shooting due to the injuries she suffered.

Today the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Rodney Fray, 39, of the 1800 block of E. Pratt St. for first-degree murder and deadly weapon. Court documents allege that Rodney Fray was responsible for an incident on July 7, 2007 when Ashley Bellosi, 23, was found suffering from head and neck injuries in her apartment in the 800 block of St Paul St. Fray allegedly fought with Bellosi, knocked her unconscious and then left the scene. Bellosi died later at University of Maryland Shock Trauma Hospital. Fray was reportedly Bellosi’s boyfriend.

Domestic Horrors!
An 88-year-old woman was raped in her home by a 20-something black male in South Baltimore.

The family of murder victim Anna Bergman are outraged that she wasn't granted a restraining order. The court commissioner in Catonsville says that Bergman claimed that Ryan Bulter threatened her new boyfriend, not herself. and she was told that he should apply for his own order.

WTF?!: In Frederick County, Donna Jean Compton, 46, pled guilty to transmitting images of her 14-year-old daughter “in various stages of undress” to a "juvenile acquaintance."