Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Killings, Convictions, and the Theft of TastyKakes

An arrest has been made in this years 19th murder. 45-year-old Todd Marrow has been arrested in the stabbing death of Orville Chamblee, 47.

This weeks City Paper has info on the City's last three murders. Specifically, the 26-year-old shot to death in the 1600 block of North Bond St. has been identified as Brandon Washington.

The first murder of the year in Baltimore County occurred this weekend in Rosedale. Erwin Lee Whaley, 35, was found shot to death on Maidstone Court. Maurice Garnett White, 32, was arrested a short time later for on first-degree murder charges.

Antonio W Taylor, 22, was convicted by a city jury of killing Allen Johnson as he sat in his car back in 2009.

The murder trial of convicted murderer Dante Parrish, 37, began today. Parrish is accused of murdering homeless 15-year-old Jason Mattison Jr. in his own room while Mattison's family members were passed out from heroin nearby. Parrish had previously served nearly 10 years for murder before being freed thanks to the help of the Innocence Project.* With DNA evidence being used by the prosecution, one has to wonder why the death penalty is not being considered in a horrific case like this.

38-year-old Dwayne Thompson has been sentenced to 45 years for the murder of his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend. Alvin B. Martin III, 28, was shot multiple times as he laid in bed with his girlfriend.

The most recent edition of the crime blotter has assault of a child, forgetful burglars, and stolen TastyKakes.

A shooting in the 3900 block of Mortimer Ave. leads to an arrest in West Virginia. William Jeffrey Howard, 46, is facing charges of first-degree attempted murder.


The two men pictured right are wanted for shooting a man during a robbery of the Royal Farms on 5200 block of Harford Road.

City state attorney Gregg Bernstein was among a bevy of prosecutors testifying in Annapolis in the hopes of seeking shorter sentencing options for Marijuana possession.

Jermain Lewis has been arrested during a traffic stop last week. One of many arrests the former Raven has endured in the last few years.

33-year-old Pikesville resident Jacqueline Natalie Smith was arrested for first degree assault and child endangerment after stabbing her 15-year-old son during a 5 a.m. argument gone awry.

Don't they realize sharks are the serial killers of the sea? Maryland is highly considering banning the possession and sale of shark fin soup.

Finally, nearly 20 years in the Federal pen for Dundalk resident Freddie Douglas Widener, age 55. Widener and several others were convicted of robbing a Pennsylvania bank and a Loch Raven pharmacy, a robbery in which Widener at some point let off some shots.

A Virginia jury has found George Huguely guilty of second degree murder for the killing of Cockeysville native Yeardley Love.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

17

Police have id'd the man shot to death in a dollar store in a very turbulent portion of Greenmount. 22-year-old Jerry Isaac was killed during what police describe as a fight gone awry. More info has also been relesead on Johnny McFadden, the 62-year-old shot to death in the quiet Windsor Hills area.*

Malcolm Pulliam, 34, has been convicted of shooting the owner of the Blessed Productions Hair Salon in the head.

A fantastic story about the BGF over at City Paper. It's a sort of Coup de grâce to their ongoing series of highly interesting a well written pieces regarding the 2009 and 2010 federal indictments. A really interesting side note from the article is the very prominent evidence dolled out against former Morgan State basketball store Noel Liverpool and "reformed" drug king pin and "The Wire" actor Melvin "Little Melvin" Williams in reference to their being major drug dealers. A good read all around.

A massive cat fight broke out on Belair Road, leading to the police breaking out the pepper spray.

Creepy "mentor" Charles Douglas Shelly, 45, has been busted for molesting a 13-year-old girl.

A woman got carjacked on Hamilton Ave. Friday night.

A former police chief is suing the department due to a lack of support with his post traumatic stress disorder after shooting a young man to death in 2005.*

The owner of Majestic Auto Repair took the stand during the kickback trial of officers Samuel Ocasio and Kelvin Manrich.*

A two alarm fire broke out on the 16th floor of the Westminster house.

Towson parking attendant Timothy Bartholomew died after apparently falling 5 feet in a bizarre accident.

More car related problems in Towson, this time an 18-year-old was hit by a car in Stevenson Lane.

The death of Edgewood home invader Joseph Breckenridge, 53, has been ruled a homicide. Despite that, the homeowner and his neighbor responsible for Breckenridge's death will not face any charges.

Thrice convicted drug dealer Calvin Kenon will spend the next 11 years in federal prison.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Lee Stephens is Guilty

Lee Stephens has been convicted of murdering CO David McGuinn at the now-closed Maryland House of Correction in 2006.

15

The 15th homicide of the the year has occurred in the sleepy Windsor Hills neighborhood in Northwest Baltimore. An as of yet unidentified 62-year-old man was found shot in the head in the 2900 block of Haverford Rd.*

Two men get serious time for attempting to kill a third man in front of his mother. Tavon Jackson , 27, and Dijon McClurkin, 20, were sentenced to 75 and 60 years respectively for the April 2010 attempted murder.

The Robocall trial of former Ehrlich consultant Julius Henson, 62, has experienced an unexpected delay.

Maximum time for a man who cut an Olympic boxing hopeful's life short. Terrance Sims, age 31, who had already been convicted of manslaughter once before, was given a 10 year sentence after having been convicted of killing 17-year-old Ronald Gibbs.*

Historical document thief Barry Landau, 63, has plead guilty. He faces up to 15 years when sentenced in May.

This week's crime blotter has a variety of weird crimes, including a panty raid gone too far, an assault on a sick man, and two men caught absconding with a stolen refrigerator.

43-year-old Robert Mclean has been busted for committing this years 12th homicide.

County police are still ISO Renard Antonio Hunt Jr., accused of shooting up an office in Woodlawn.

Speaking of people County police are searching for, keep your eyes peeled for daytime burglar Alvin Saleem Elamin Thompson, 20.

Finally, a little tip for those of you out their with a vendetta against the ATF. No a matter how angry you are, don't threaten to kill any, and I mean any, federal agents, especially ATF agents. If you snap and do threaten to kill one, for the love of god don't repeat your threats word for word in the company of possible recording devices. If you do, expect to recieve an eight year sentence, just like Craig Allen Shepperd, 38, did.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Four arrests, two murders

Two murders, two arrests, a conviction and four indictments in the Ink

Two 20-somethings arrested for the murder of Shayvon Booker, 19. One of the suspects, Joseph Butler, has a tattoo on his forehead(!!) that looks like a crucified urinal(??)

Cold Spring RoFo robbed *again*! And an air conditioner stolen from the Naron candy company.

A man arrested for shooting a guy in the face on Pelham Ave.

A year and a day in prison for a man convicted in a $2.8 million mortgage fraud scheme

A couple of Republican reps want to bill inmates $25 for GED classes.

Do it first, legalize it second.
Congress oks spy drones over U.S. cities.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Special and extended attentions

Antomar Jones, 19, was arrested for the murder of Corey Alexander*. The Sun reports that Jones was in a youth program that the victim worked for, and Alexander shot him and another victim while they were arguing in a car.

Trial for Julius Henson is supposed to start today

Two years after the fact, George Huguely is on trial for the murder of Yardley Love in Charlottesville, a scene JZ's Adam May describes as a circus. And WBAL has "special extended coverage." ... Why so much special extended attention?

In Howard County, mom Katie Windsor disappeared while walking to the supermarket on Friday and hasn't been seen since.

Photographer Richard Ross documents children's experiences in the juvenile justice system.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Dangerous Night in Baltimore, Towson Mall Killing Arrest

A surprisingly violent night considering the recent downturn in violence. 6 people were shot, including two fatally. One of the deceased has been identified as 31-year-old Corey Alexander, shot and killed in the 5700 block of Nasco Place.*


Four men have been arrested for the Towson Town Murder of 19-year-old Rodney Vest Pridget. Tyrone Chester Brown Jr., 19, Frank Theodore Williams, 31, Jermell Monte Brandon, 35, and William Ward III, 44. Brown Jr., (Pictured Right) is the accused gunman in the case.*

Have you seen this paunchy middle aged man? He's a suspected serial larcenist.

Surprisingly enough, the taxi driver arrested for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, 56-year-old Ted Bryant, is a previously convicted sex offender, with several violations for failure to register.

The man who reported his former girlfriend missing in the first place has been convicted of her murder. 31-year-old Tyrone Webb, Jr. was convicted by a City Jury after an earlier County Trial resulted in a hung jury.

Cat mutilator Ethan P. Weibman, 20, was given a 90 day sentence for killing two cats he had recently adopted.

The 600 block of Wildwood Parkway will officially be known as the Officer William H. Torbit Junior Way now.

Finlly, this weeks Murder Ink has some interesting stats on the January 2012 murders.

Six Years in the Making

Jury deliberations begin today* in the trial of alleged prison-guard killer Lee Stephens.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Federal murder conspiracy and racketeering indictments for four people connected to the 12/10 Leakin Park execution-style murder of Cherrie Gammon. Gammon was mother of two* and a white-drug addict who danced and sold drugs to support her habit and at some point presumably snitched* on mother "Money" and her son "Tay" and accomplices.

A surveillance video shows a police officer punching a suspect in the face while the suspect's hands were behind his head (see @:39)

Accused copyright infringer and Towson post-office-box renter Naveed Sheikh was nabbed at Dulles en route to Pakistan.

Sacré bleu! Two women, 73 and 64 were robbed outside of Petit Louis*, one the head of the board of directors for the Parks & People Foundation, the other a retired city school principal. Guess which one kept her purse?

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Stolen Cop Cars, Bodies in the Harbor, and Much More...

A man was shot and killed by County police just inside the city line this morning after stealing a cop car, leading police on a chase, and threatening several officers.

Police found a mysterious body floating in the Inner Harbor Monday.

Peter Hermann has a follow up on the city workers busted for drinking and gambling. Spoiler alert, most of the cases fell apart.*

With a trial coming up soon for two officers, new details in the Majestic Towing case have come to light.*

Police are ISO a photogenic suspect caught on camera robbing a man. It's good to know that even with cameras are pointed directly at the ATM, that won't stop someone from robbing you.

The man shot to death Sunday has been id'd as 19-year-old Shayvon Booker.

45 years for Isiah Crowder, 21, who was convicted of shooting his life-long friend Isiah Gordon back in August of 2010.

Two shootings Sunday, including one in the 4700 block of Alhambra Ave, and the other in the 2800 block of Hillen Rd.

Keep on the lookout for hazel-eyed Aaron Parker, who walked away from his halfway house and never came back.

A series of sexual crimes in Catonsville have police on edge. First a woman was abducted and raped a woman walking along North Bend Rd. The second incident was a case of creepy gas station attendant Muhammad Zaman, 45, getting a little too intimate with a woman pumping gas.

Three robbers entered a Owings Mills jewelry store looking for cash, had to settle for diamonds instead. Chawn Rodney Harris, 38, Keenan James Thomas, 20, and Corey Jamal Jennings, 19, have been busted for the bungled heist.

Baltimore heroin dealer Donald Wright, age 42, has been sent away for the next 12 years.

Baltimore's own homegrown terrorist Antonio Martinez, 22, has plead guilty to charges related to his attempt to blow up an armed forces recruitment center. Martinez is expected to be given a 25-year term when sentenced.

A Cecil County tractor heist went bad, leaving one dead and three on the lam.

I realize this news is almost a year old, but I don't recall ever seeing it reported anywhere. Famed "Stop Snitching" host Ronnie "Skinny Suge" Thomas got 12 years in state prison to be served consecutively with his 19 year federal sentence. Goes to show that as serious a committing a murder is, the only way to really get in the BPD's doghouse is to be featured on Anderson Cooper rapping about said murders.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Drones over Baltimore!

You're not paranoid if they're really out to get you! -- more than one reader has reported seeing what sounds like "Raven" law-enforcement drones flying over Baltimore's East-side neighborhoods, 95 and the Harbor area, hovering around houses and also trailing specific cars.
.. anyone else see these??

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Scheming, looting, feeling frisky

The Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Van Smith and the City Paper, deeming the reporting on the Redwood Trust double murder "fair and accurate".

And the CP's story on the sentencing of JR Blackwell also nicely pulls together the tales of the Blackwell's businesses, real estate, shootouts, kidnappings and money-laundering enterprises.

Oh, this is bad. The (former, I hope) VP of Harbor Financial, Ralph Edward Thomas, Jr., was indicted on mail fraud after bilking a cerebral palsy victim and and elderly woman suffering from dementia.

Down on the shore, a Baltimorean assaulted a guy with some Liquid-Plumr over a $10 bet.

Another residency scandal: the deputy mayor Kaliope Parthemos lives in the county. Also, she is apparently being stalked by someone with a magic marker*. And she's hawt!

Three years in prison for Larry Alston, a freaky-looking dog abuser.

There's a find: a 1971 newspaper clip in which Frank Conaway Sr. advocates stop-n-frisk. I suspect he's changed his mind since.

Page Croyder: O'Malley puts politics before leadership. Well, duh. And taste was not the same as appetite when the gov breakfasted with same-sex marriage supporters today. In other politicky news, Fenton reports that Ehrlich used campaign funds to pay for Shurick's defense. I'm sure his donors are thrilled about that.

WJZ has a neck-up pic of the pantsless priest.

And the tomb-looting case against Robert E. Hecht Jr. is over in Italy, as the statue of limitations ran out. Hecht is a descendant of the department-store Hechts, and sold some of his "finds" to the Walters in the 50s.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Thought to ponder...

From this week's NYker: there are more Americans in jail now than Stalin ever held in a gulag, more black men in jail than were slaves in 1850.

The sad, the bad and the stupid

Steven "J.R." Blackwell was sentenced to 20 years in the federal pen; his dad is already there.* Like Al Capone, twas the tax evasion that led to his undoing.

Thirteen years for "Big Man" Fauntleroy for selling the crack at the Gilmor homes.

And a decade in the federal pen for hairron dealing for Lamont Causion, 40 (no nickname given).

Oh, Baltimore Guide Police Blotter. "Someone broke into a parked car, stole the radio and set the car on fire." Also stolen: junk food and Ravens playoff tickets. In the Southeast, a woman "took exception" to being called a "dirty bitch," and a man stabbed at a bar left a blood trail.

The Supreme Court is backing privacy rights? It's true, police can't stick warrantless GPSes on car underparts any more.

Today in Annie McCann updates, Vaccaro's waitress says she served Annie McCann* a cappuccino and a cannoli, Anthony Guglielmi told Peter Hermann, then recanted, that the McCann's had a sketch of the waitress* generated with the help of a psychic. What a sad picture that is (left)-- the Sabrina Harman un-Duchenne.

To what do we owe last year's reduction in crime? One theory: Federal grants that helped the state & locals arrest violent offenders with outstanding warrants*.

Well there's an unexpected twist: a guy arrested for the 2000 murder of Heidi Bernadzikowski, 24, was *not* the one who took out a $700,000 life insurance policy* on her.

In Glen Burnie, a man was arrested after pulling a gun on a door-to-door salesman. Shoulda pulled a gun on that barber!

Animal-abuser registry: good idea?

The WaPo reveals that the Ehrlich campaign paid Paul E. Schurick's legal fees. And *irony alert*-- Ehrlich is set to write a column for the Sun.

Pervy corner: a priest with no pants, a Wicomico teacher accused of repeatedly boning a student in a classroom.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Have you seen..

This guy who exposed his sin bits then tried to rape a woman in Guilford Gateway Park? That's the face of a short African-American man, They say.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Now where did I put those?

Annie McCann's parents claims that OCME threw away her organs after her autopsy. The parents are also planning legal action against the state.

7

An unidentified man was found shot in the head and dead near a playground in the 4300 block of Cedar Garden Road.

The parents of Annie McCann, the 16-year-old Virginia girl mysteriously found dead in 2008 may have a "significant new investigative lead."*

A man and a woman were shot Tuesday in separate incidents.

Just two years for Gale Terera Roland, 53, who shook another woman's baby to death.

5 years in the Federal slammer for Kimberly McIntosh, a less then likely BGF leader. City Paper has more info on the single mom turned gang chieftain.

Third generation criminal Dion "Dummy" Fauntleroy Jr, age 28, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for leading the Gilmore Homes drug conspiracy.

In a nearly a months period the Baltimore County Regional Warrant Apprehension Task Force snagged up 382 wanted criminals.

Matthew L. Wood, 30, is in hot water after striking a state trooper with his car.

10 well earned years in Federal lockup for sex offender Windsor Warner Kessler III, 25. Interestingly enough, according to online court records it appears his namesake, Kessler Jr. or possibly even Kessler Sr. was a police officer for several years. I could be wrong, but I'm under the impression Windsor Kessler is not a common name.

Finally Baltimore career criminal Matthew Craighead, 28, has been exiled for the next 15 years after trying to shoot several people outside the Velvet Rope Night Club.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Dragged away

Life for three guérilleros noirs "Petey," "Snags" and "Jim Dog," implicated in the kidnapping, robbery, and murder of Qonta Waddell. You may remember this story, Waddell was kidnapped, kicking, screaming and hogtied, hanging on his mother's leg*.

Two shootings, on Gorsuch Avenue and Terra Firma Road, respectively

The CP's Ink recounts last week's murder of James Hunter.

Six Occupy Baltimore protestors were arrested on MLKJr. day (by State Troopers, oddly) in front of the juvenile jail, and most concerning, media were not allowed to watch and threatened with arrest. In other Occupy news, the Sun obtained emails of one-percenters grousing to city officials about having to see McKeldin Square from their office windows (and uploaded the emails to a document cloud).

And in case you missed it, after Jack Young criticized the Grand Prix, SRB revoked his Ravens skybox tickets*. (Re. the Grand Prix-- don't cities usually have insurance to prevent against loss from events like that?)

A couple of armed robberies in the Patch blotter of the Northern, and someone reportedly tried the door handle of SRB's car. Two years ago, someone broke into her husband's car and stole a satellite system. I hope the police also told him that irksome canard about how it's his own fault for having anything valuable in the car in the first place.

Got honey nut? Michael K. Williams (aka Omar) is appearing in a Marylanders for Marriage Equality ad. And a county lawmaker is trying to pass a gender-identity anti-discrimination bill. Opponents say the bill is just going to encourage sexual predators to cross-dress so they can use women's bathrooms.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Arc of Justice Long, Bending

Death penalty opponents are rallying in Annapolis today.

Occupy Baltimore is rallying at the proposed site of the new juvenile justice center.

CC president Jack wants to rein in spending on police training programs.

A Dundalk man got stabbed in the head when he tried to break up a catfight.

The roof of civil rights landmark Read's Drug Store has collapsed.

Ship employee (one site says a "pool boy") is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl on the Enchantment of the Seas.

The Sun's Yvonne Wenger revisits patricides past in a not-very-enlightening article. Wonder what Nicholas Browning looks like/is doing these days.

Friday, January 13, 2012

"Jews can get away with anything in this city"

A man was shot at the B-More Chicken and Seafood carryout

The man who got away after one Manuel Imel attacked police as they arrested him was re-arrested.

The family of the first man murdered this year, 62-year-old Bruce Royster, has asked for the public's help to solve his killing. Royster was an accountant.

The woman accused of having her estranged husband Lee Martin killed has entered an Alford plea*

The teenager who was accused of killing a teacher at Cheltenham pleaded guilty*

Yes, I'm sure you're probably sick of the Conaway chronicles. BUT... Meister reports that Belinda is still taking that tax credit on her Randallstown home. And check out the comment David Anthony Wiggins left on his blog.. oh my. "I stand behind my statement that Jews can get away with anything in this city. I also stand behind my statement that Frank should have popped your ass. ... Gregg Bernstein, a Jew, is violating the Civil Rights of the People to equal access to the courts and denying the Right of the People to appear before the Foreman of the Grand Jury, and he is being protected on a federal level by Rod Rosenstein, a Jew, in his criminality."

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Stop Shooting. Start Living.

SRB has a thing for attracting baffling slogans. First there was "only a punk would hurt a dog," which left you wondering which kind of punk... like a punk rocker, or an Ashton Kutcher target, or a pirate peg boy? Then there was "I was drunk. Was it my fault?" an anti-rape campaign that sounds like a pro-drunk-driving campaign. Now comes "STOP SHOOTING. START LIVING." which sounds an awful lot like a certain European Sony campaign. Can one not have a rich, satisfying life and a little shooting, too? But anyway, the point is, Operation Safe Streets is back, in which convicts are paid to broker peace and help connect at-risk youth with services. The initiative has been controversial in the past, because, well, the city is paying convicts, and results are hard to quantify. In 2009 a Safe Streets worker was wounded at a memorial BBQ while hanging out with the notorious Blackwell brothers, Bodie Barksdale's nephew was a Safe Streets outreach worker (for better or worse), and last year, SRB yanked funding for the program after suspicions surfaced of possible ties to the Black Guerrilla Family, though no one from Safe Streets was ever charged. But if you're an established 501(c)(3) interested in running your own Safe Streets program in your neighborhood, there's a $375,000 grant on offer. But therein lies the rub... if you're an established 501(c)(3), how would you know all those criminals?

Flying bullets, Yorkie

Two shootings in Cherry Hill*

A woman was shot through her patio door in the Harford-Echodale-Perring Parkway neighborhood

Trial scheduled to start today for Lee Edward Stephens, one of two prisoners charged with stabbing David McGuinn to death in 2006.

Lead investigator in the Mary Hare murder was arrested three years ago* for not following his sargeant's order, reports Fenton

The Ink has last week's five murders

Immigration lawyer David Agatstein pled guilty to helping immigrants commit marriage fraud

Occupiers succeed in saving woman from eviction, for now

Counterfeit bill passed at the Charles Village Pub

A drive-by purse snatching in the Northern

A mugging with a piece of wood, a machete attack, an engine block stolen out of a parked Chevy and threatening gestures with a spacke knife in the Baltimore Guide blotter

Indictments for "D", "Peaches" (real first name = Tyeast), William Alvin Darden and Keith Eugene Daughtry for a scheme to transfer almost $1.4 million out of the Baltimore Housing Authority's bank account.

A man went to jail in the county after he threw his pet yorkie off of his balcony

A century in jail for 28-year-old Jason Scott of Upper Marlboro, a former postal worker* linked to more than 50 burglaries, nine home-invasion robberies, carjacking, production of child pornography, gun theft, and gun-related charges. He's also charged with the killing of a mother and daughter in Largo. "He told investigators that he was inspired by the movie 'Bullet,' starring Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur."

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Bernsteinorama

Bernstein speaks! Not one but two articles out today about his first year, one with TDR's Ben Mook (subscription required) and another from the Sun and Tricia Bishop*, who Page Croyder says misrepresented her words.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Evicted Occupy to Occupy Eviction

Less than a month after eviction from McKeldin Square, Occupy has moved on to a new thing, the group plans tomorrow to occupy a home at 1433 W. Lombard St where the resident is scheduled to be evicted. Property search shows the home was acquired by Deutsche Bank in August, in 2006 it was flipped by one Jui Fan-Lee Yang.

Twenty-one years in the slammer for a Mississippi truck driver who caused four crashes in MD while hopped up on "bath salts"

A reader/blogger has procured an org chart of the Baltimore FBI field office, if you are interested in that sort of thing.

3, 4, 5

The third homicide of the year occurred Friday when 27-year-old Doral Hinton was shot to death in the 2400 block of Ashland Ave. There were also plenty of non-fatal shootings as well.

Virginia resident Raymon Parrot, 35, was shot and killed in the 4100 block of Mariban Court while visiting relatives Sunday.

A 2006 beating turned into a 2011 death, which has now become 2012's 5th homicide.* Joseph Curtis, age 65 at the time of his death, is counted in this year's tally. His attackers have already been tried for the crime.

The Skateworks rape trial has ended in acquittal. Davon Perry, 26, was found not guilty on two counts of rape while deadlocking on sex offense charges, leaving the opportunity for a re-trial open.

The City PD and the ATF are working together to solve the heinous murder of 84-year-old Mary Hines.

A Maryland man is in hot water for trying to join a Somali terrorist group.

A Towson liquor-store robber got 10 years in the Federal pen. 27-year-old Edward Sample was exiled after pleading guilty to the 2009-2010 robbery spree.

Another Baltimore criminal was exiled for the next decade. Darryl Carter, 48, got his prison term after being caught holding a gun while riding a bike down Oliver Street.

And yet another ten-year term for another Baltimorean. James Bridgeforth, 38, was given the parole-free term after copping to bringing in heroin from India, Ghana and Peru.

Finally, 15 years at Club Fed for Roger "Tink" Ford. Ford was a major player in the Gilmor homes drug conspiracy.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Rapes, Robberies, and More Rapes. 2012 is Really Starting on a Low Note...

A serial rapist has been arrested for, surprise, surprise, rape. Nelson Bernard Clifford Jr. age 34, was arrested for a series of rapes, including one where he broke into a woman's house and raped her while her children were nearby. Clifford, a convicted sex offender, had been charged with sex offenses 3 times prior, as well as having been indicted for failure to register as a sex offender multiple times. Clifford beat his last rape charge back in September.

A possible robbery turned into a very definitive shooting in Glen Oak. A man was shot in the back Friday night at the 5700 block of Chinquapin Parkway.

Police are ISO a perv who raped a transgendered teen back in November. Though, with his face being plastered everywhere, it should only be a matter of time.

30 years in prison for the death of a County teen. Jason Gross, 37, was given the 30-year term for the murder of Rochelle Battle, despite the fact that her body has yet to be found.

Finally, several charges were thrown out in the last day of trial in the Skateworks rape case. Several charges were thrown out Friday, including first degree rape and assault charges. But after deliberating for several hours the jurors were not able to come to a decision.

I decided to take a trip to the Circuit Courthouse in Baltimore County Friday, to watch a few cases and just generally get a feel for how the county courts were handling cases. I bore witness to a bevy of cases, some interesting, some not so much. I managed to miss all the cases I had wanted to see, including the sentencing of Jason Gross, and the trial of Jeremiah Edwards, who was facing car theft charges, but more importantly was indicted for a Dundalk murder late last year.
I had completely forgotten that the Skateworks trial was going on, and sure enough, I walked into what I thought was a random jury trial, and instead found out to my surprise, that I had in fact walked into the closing statements of the Skateworks trial. I was both horrified, because I had up until then done a good job of burying my head in the sand about this case, and disappointed, because the state had done a very weak job of presenting their case against Davon Perry, 26. Although I had only been to the final portion of the trial, I got the sense that, had I been in the jury box some 10 feet away, my confidence in giving a conviction would have been sub-par a best.

But my trip to the courts wasn't entirely horrendous. I did catch the sentencing of Andrew Palmer, who if you may recall, was the man who made headlines for faking seizures at restaurants to avoid paying his tab. Palmer was on trial for... faking seizures! This time, at a local Applebees. Unfortunately for Palmer, his case was heard by the Honorable Judge Sherrie R. Bailey, who is by far my favorite judge now, after her non willingness to let repeat offenders walk. And golly, Andrew Palmer was a repeat offender, with, and I quote the prosecutor: "a 116 page criminal record" Palmer has been around. Around so much, in fact, that he was caught in the act due to the fact that a paramedic who responded to the scene recognized him from a prior fake seizure. The only line of defense Palmer offered before sentencing was the fact that he has been held since June on these charges, and last Friday he had supposedly "been nearly beaten to death by an inmate serving 127 years without parole." Of course, the great Judge Bailey wasn't interested in his sob story, and gave him the maximum, 18 months.

Friday, January 6, 2012

#2

Fenton Tweets: "Breaking: 84 y/o woman who died in fire yesterday morning had been first stabbed multiple times, autopsy finds..."
WTF?! Story here*

And WBAL has pictures of Jerome/Bootsy and friend, the Bolton Hill kidnapping home invaders. Guglielmi says it took police so long to release pictures because of the holiday weekend.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

'They brought a toilet and a megaphone'

Adam Meister takes to his blog now that "this part of the saga is over." ... check out this clip he found from the Afro-American, June 1972: Frank Conaway charged after hitting his wife and putting her in the hospital! On one hand, neither I nor Adam had been born when this went down. On the other, I get the sense it was not so easy to get charged with wife-beatery 40 years ago.

Abduction on Jordan Street

A Bolton Hill man was abducted on Jordan Street, taken on a tour of ATM machines and then left in some bushes on North Avenue*, minus his wallet, iPad, cellphone, gym bag and grey 2011 Infiniti SUV.

Remember the Walmart bleach attack? Now the alleged victim in that case, Ebony Odom, has been indicted for reckless endangerment and second-degree assault.

Murders may be down in the city, but they're up in the county

Lots of car-related crimes and a robbery at King Wok in the North Baltimore Patch blotter. In the Northern District, a 30 percent increase in shootings and a 22 percent increase in commercial robberies in '11, say police.

Kooky video of the day
: Adam Meister stroking his cat and Frank Conaway jumping out of bushes in WBAL's report about the conclusion of the latest installment of Days of Our Conaways.

Seriously?! Down in DC, 75-year-old Marion Barry is running for re-election.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Who'll pay for it?

The Maryland Court of Appeals has ruled that indigent defendants are entitled to public defenders at all court proceedings including initial bail hearings*. Public Defenders say they don't have the resources to do it.

No charges in Conaway kerfuffle

... for either Meister or Mr. Conaway. But Meister will surely face ¢harge$-- the "frail white boy" hired Warren Brown as his attorney. As for old Frank's firearm permit, his lawyer says it wasn't expired and the charges were based on clerical error.

The Ink recaps last year's 196 murders, with updates on cases. In case you were wondering, Belair-Edison was last year's most murderous neighborhood.

And what the hell? Video of balding man attacking cops is making the rounds. WJZ identifies him as Manuel L. Imel. Blame it on the alalalalalcohol!:

#1

Aw geeze, it seemed like we were going to go four whole days into 2012 with no murders, but it was not to be. The first victim of the year is reportedly a 62-year-old man shot in Park Heights last night. *

The Ink details last week's four murders, plus updates

In the County, a girl gang-raped at Skateworks identified one of her attackers* -- she was 12 and he's 26. Blargh. One of the other attackers, Kadeem R. Santiful, 19, plead guilty, and the other, Tracey W. Hankins, 15, was moved to the juvenile justice system.

Oh Conaways, you so crazy! Frank Senior pays* $3,640 in back taxes

Three men (including Thomas Jefferson!) cop to stealing $2.6 million worth of metal through a fence-hole at the Port of Baltimore. Sounds like Peanut is still at large.

A sexagenarian M&T trader pleaded guilty to stealing $223k from her former employer and one of its trading partners

Donor Richard Stewart pleaded guilty to failing to pay employment taxes, so the guv re-gifted his contributions to a group that shoots deer for the hungry.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Hermann: 80 percent of perps had it coming

Life "" art: Omar Little arrested for handgun charges*

Hermann does the math so you don't have to: 80 percent of 2011's murder victims had criminal records, as 90 percent of those arrested for murder. I wonder if the trend holds from a few years back in which victims had been arrested more times, on average, than alleged perps.

2012's first shooting victim is 13*

Bernstein to organize prosecutor's caseloads into geographic "zones"*, as opposed to by crime category. Sensible solution, or deck chairs?

A case to watch: MD being sued over racial disparities in school funding

Dickeyville tire-slasher arrested

Er, whut? The city sheriff is going to start seizing the Housing Authority's stuff to pay for the lead paint judgement against them

Sunday, January 1, 2012

2011 Homicides

With 197 homicides this year, Baltimore has had its lowest homicide total since 1977. Fenton from the Sun reports on the near-jubilance of public officials over this under-200 year.

Last year we had 223 homicides,
2008 was 234;
2007 was 291;
2006 was 274;
2005 was 269.
We've blogged 1,487 murders.

Here is the complete listing of 2011's 197 victims:

197.  Phylicia Barnes, 16, 6500 Eberle Dr. Found: (4/20/11) Added: (04/26/12)


  • 196. Tiyon Campbell, 31, 2800 block of W. Garrison (12/28)
  • Saturday, December 31, 2011

    Justice Delayed

    It has been more than five years after the murder of CO David McGuinn at the Maryland House of Correction. Jury selection in the trial of the first of his two alleged killers begins Tuesday* in Anne Arundel County.

    Friday, December 30, 2011

    'I don’t think there’s anything about which
    I will ever be more grateful'

    Have you seen these two, wanted for attempted armed robbery on the Light Rail? (Left, via WBAL)

    Robberies galore in the southeast and coats for the homeless stolen in the southern, reports the Baltimore Guide

    Last week's four murders recapped in the Ink. Says O'Malley of the drop in the murder toll this year, "I don’t think there’s anything about which I will ever be more grateful in public service."

    The WaPo follows up on the case following the killing of U of MD student Justin DeSha-Overcash

    Police backtrack on the whole "prosecutors are stalling and hindering our cases" thing

    Two "doctors" (can you call them doctors if they lost their licenses to practice?) are facing murder charges under Maryland's "viable fetus" law after two botched abortions. The women lived.

    Nathan A. Chapman Jr., once a prominent man about town, is now a man about a halfway house*

    Hellz yes, tax giveaways need more scrutiny

    The FBI says gun sales are up

    The Tribune Co. bankruptcy case will lurch on until at least this summer with hearings not starting until May. In better news, the judge has reversed himself, deciding that Zell won't be in line for a bankruptcy payout after all.

    Drugs are bad for you

    Three suspected heroin overdose deaths in two days in Harford County.

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011

    196

    Tweets Fenton, "Shooting at 2800 W Garrison is a homicide."

    UPDATE: Fenton says the 31-year-old victim was killed when he fought back during the course of a home-invasion robbery*.

    a friend of mine was also burgled yesterday in Endor Gadrens-- had her door kicked in in the middle of the day; thieves took her kids' Christmas presents. Sigh.

    Have you seen...



    this guy? He's wanted for questioning in reference to the December 9th triple-shooting near Club Envy in the 1800 block of Maryland Ave.

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011

    The year in crime, torts and general bad behavior

    It's the end of the year, which means it's a fine time to recap some of the most notable civil- and criminal-law stories of the past 12 months:

    10. Conaways in the crossfire: Frank Conaway Senior kept his position as clerk of the court again, but there was still bad news aplenty for the family: Belinda lost her city council seat to Nick Mosby after Adam Meister revealed she was claiming a tax credit illegally, TDR revealed a laundry list of problems at the Clerk's office, and Frank Senior got in hot water for brandishing a firearm with an expired permit in front of his house. And Frank Conaway Jr.'s book's sales rank slipped to #4,104,807th on Amazon.

    9. Tow-mageddon: 17 officers charged with extortion in a dirty towing scheme. As Jayne Miller's source said, "it's not the crime of the century, but it's not pretty."

    8. It got a little harder to rape somebody. The Sun's Justin Fenton uncovered the unsavory fact that the city has the nation's highest level of rape cases deemed "unfounded"*. And, finally, the FBI changed the definition of "rape" to include male victims, penetrations sans penis and non-forcible rapes.

    7. For whatever reason, this was the year an exceptionlly high number of dirty political chickens came home to roost in MD: Paul Shurick, Jack Johnson, Tiffany Alston, Richard Stewart of the redistricting committee and Belinda C. all felt karma's bitter sting.

    6. The Brew attacks! Rapacious newsroom cuts by the Sun's evil gnomish overlord left the local paper of record with scant resources to do the time-consuming, ass-pain investigative pieces necessary to uncover pork, malfeasance and sketchy government dealings. Stephen Janis' defection from Investigate Voice to join the Fox news team left another news hole. But fortunately for us all, the Baltimore Brew stepped into the breach, uncovering the mayor's plan to stealthily privatize rec centers, explaining the little acronyms like TIF and PILOT that let city officials grant breaks to their developer pals, and the high price of settling police misconduct lawsuits. What they cover is just a fraction of what could use delving into, but hey, it's something.

    5. It gets better-ish. The arc of the moral universe is long and full of dings, dents, and crack-crazed seagulls, but it eventually, slowly bends towards not sucking as much. So it went this year for the state's gay and transgender citizens. In spite of the Senate passing the gay marriage bill, it died in the House. In March, Tyra Trent was murdered, and in April, Chrissy Polis had the tar beaten out of her at McDonald's. But it is now possible for a baby to have two mommies on a birth certificate (if said mommies married elsewhere), and starting next month, Baltimore county employees who were married in other states can receive same-sex benefits.

    4. Phylicia Barnes, a 16-year-old honor student, went missing December 28 of 2010, and a long, pitiful search by police and family ensued-- one so desperate, police were taking tips from Cham. Barnes' beauty, youth, apparent innocence and mysterious disappearance seemed a perfect fit for Natalie-Holloway-level national hysteria and hand-wringing, but Barnes was apparently not blonde enough* for the national media, which ignored her case until Anthony Guglieimi shamed producers into briefly spotlighting her disappearance. Barnes' body was found in April in the Susquehanna, the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide, but still, no one's been arrested yet.

    3. Mayhem at the Select Lounge. Chaos reigned at West Franklin and N. Paca on January 9: 42 shots fired, Officer William Torbit Jr. and reveler Sean Gamble killed, four citizens hit with bullets. But after an eight-month independent investigation, no charges were filed, no changes were made to BPD procedures, and FHB III concluded that officers "acted reasonably."*

    2. Baltimore swore in a new prosecutor, Gregg Bernstein, who was promptly never heard from again. To be fair, press releases have finally started trickling out in the past few months, and as promised, office staffers did get their BlackBerries and the do-not-call list was abolished*. But it's uncertain if the office is actually more functional than Jessamy's was: in August police complained about prosecutors stalling and "hindering"* cases.

    1. Murders, shootings and unclassified deaths are down-- way, way down. From 335 murders in 1993, to 223 last year, to possibly under 200 in 2011, which will make the murder rate lower than it's been since the 1960s. The drop in violent crime is not just a local trend, but a nationwide thing (hellz, crime is even down in Detroit!), and theories abound as to why. Cops having better technology? The right people finally going to jail? Have we "bupe" to thank? We may never know for sure, what whatever it is, we'll take it.

    ... so what did I miss? ... Fenton posted his top 10 in crime* a little while after I posted this one.

    Monday, December 26, 2011

    Suspicious Food Containers, Merry Merry Shootings

    City Hall was shut down for a little while this morning due to a bomb scare. Turned out it was just a food container and a t-shirt, though the BCPD intelligence section is taking over the investigation now.

    A 30-year-old man was shot in the face in the 100 block of South Monroe St. on the 23rd.

    Another December 23 shooting, this time in the 400 block of North Rose St. Two people, a man and a woman, were non-fatally shot at around 7:30 pm.

    Two people, a 20-year-old and a 26-year-old were shot in the leg on the 24th in Poppleton, specifically the 100 block of North Freemont Ave.

    If there weren't a lot of Christmastime homicides this year, it wasn't for a lack of effort. Two more people still were shot in West Baltimore, inthe 700 block of West Lexington St.

    Finally, an arrest has been made in the Woodlawn stabbing death of Kevin Regusters. Registered sex offender George Robert Evans Jr , 35, was charged with first degree murder on Dec. 22 for his role in the stabbing death.

    Sunday, December 25, 2011

    Aw geeze

    A murder Christmas Eve brings the toll to 195. A moment of thanks and appreciation to the dedicated and selfless officers, EMTS, firefighters and medical examiners who work on Christmas.

    Thursday, December 22, 2011

    The Legend of Stanley

    Violence in SW Baltimore is related to the shooting of a "legend," says FHB III-- a legend named Stanley, who is apparently as slippery as a greased pig on a Teflon pan*: "Armed robbery and handgun charges were dropped by prosecutors in 2008, and he was found not guilty of attempted murder in 2004. In 2007 he was convicted of drug possession with intent to distribute and sentenced to eight years in prison, but seven years and four months of the sentnece (sic) were suspended."

    Towson Town Center shooting victim, Rodney Vest Pridget, was not picked at random and not robbed*, county police say. He was also once convicted of roughing up a guy and stealing an Xbox.

    How far we've come: Fenton posted a year-in-crime story from 1993, when by Dec. 14, 335 people had been murdered in the city*.

    O'Malley fills the CSA seat left vacant by Judge Joseph F. Murphy Jr. with "Bob"

    Beatings, Shootings, and Life plus 40

    A Baltimore grandmother who was beaten with a hammer by her own 14-year-old grandson in March has died. 67-year-old Shirley Garrett died in the hospital after receiving the fatal injuries from her grandson Hassanhii Garrett, 14. Hassanhii was charged as an adult with attempted murder before his case was juvenile court. This murder replaces the murder of Cristopher Gilliam on the homicide list, after his killing was deemed justified.*

    The jury has deliberated in the school bullying case, and returned a verdict in favor of the school.

    A 40-year-old man was shot to death on West Pratt Street last night.

    A man is dead from apparent stab wounds after a fight in Woodlawn got out of control yesterday night. Kevin Eric Regusters, 23, was killed on Purnell Drive in Woodlawn.

    Life plus 40 for the home invasion murder of Shelton Elliott back in 2009. Abron Scott, 44, was given the life term after being convicted on all counts in October.

    Another County homicide. The death of a Pikesville woman has been ruled a homicide. Herbert Wesley Johnson Jr. is being held without bail for beating Gwendolyn Jackson to death.

    Just another day in Baltimore. An elderly woman was robbed not once but twice over a span of a few minutes.

    Finally, a large scale brawl erupted at a basketball game between Lemmel Middle School and a DC school.

    Wednesday, December 21, 2011

    Suspects suspected

    Phylicia Barnes' father says he's anticipating an arrest in the case, BoCo Popo say that's not so, though note the investigation is still active and progress has been made. Hmm.

    Police Tweet "SHOOTING: 700 Belnord (Eastern District, Madison-Eastend Community) 11:58pm, adult female shot. Detectives investigating."

    The judge threw out 9/13 counts* in the city bullying lawsuit, the case is to the jury now

    Rod Rosenstein: politicians who shove cash in their "under ware" are stupid, greedy dummkopfs (to paraphrase a little)

    Blood on Blood Action

    Dajuan Marshall , 29, The leader of the Bounty Hunter Bloods has been sentenced to life plus 20 for kidnapping and fatally shooting Kenneth Jones the leader of the Pasadena Denver Lane Bloods.

    The Sun has released their top 10 local news stories of 2011. Crime stories making the list were the Select Lounge shooting, the McDonald's assault of a transgendered woman, and the Wire's Felicia "Snoop" Pearson being arrested and later convicted for her role in a drug ring.

    Police have released surveillance photos of the two men who shot the owner of Upclose Barbershop during an attempted robbery. The owner is still in critical condition.

    Grand Prix officials have until Dec. 31 to pay back the more than 1 million dollars in taxes they owe to the state.

    County police are trying their hardest to emphasize that the fatal shooting of Rodney Pridget (Pictured Right) was "absolutely not a random act." Which is good, in the sense that regular citizens aren't being robbed and murdered, but it's still pretty cruddy no matter what.

    Finally, a one-alarm fire in Hampden left a man dead.

    Tuesday, December 20, 2011

    193

    Two men were shot last night, leaving one dead. 29-year-old Donte Lamonte Collins was shot and killed at the 1500 block of North Rosedale St. Yet again, there is a bit of confusion with how his name is spelled, with District Court records calling him Donte, while Circuit Court records spell it Dante. Unless someone says otherwise, he will be listed as Donte in the homicide tally.

    County Police have id'd the man shot to death at Towson Town Center. Rodney Vest Pridget, 19, was shot in what police are calling a "targeted shooting" although they have not given any reason as to how they have come to this conclusion.

    An arrest has been made in the shooting of a city cab driver. Maurice Alvin Turner Jr. has been charged with first degree murder after being identified as one of the two men who robbed the cabbie. The other man has not been identified. According to court records, this is Turner's third arrest for attempted murder after being charged in May of 2007* and June of 2008* respectively. Turner was given a 30 year sentence with all but 5 years suspended for the second attempted murder charge.

    Life plus 20 for Kelly Shird, age 28, for murdering Craig Bouie in 2010 during a break-in gone bad.

    The man shot by county police during a home invasion in Dundalk has been id'd as Christopher Kane Bernert, 27. Bernert is now facing a bevy of serious charges, including attempted murder and armed robbery.

    A 20-year-old man was shot early this morning in the 1300 block of Glyndon Ave.

    Police are asking John Q. Public for help finding family members 54-year-old Joseph Allan McCoy who was killed in a motorcycle accident last month.

    Finally, Maryland lawmakers are at it again, trying to repeal the death penalty. The last execution in Maryland took place in 2005, when Wesley Baker was put to death.

    Monday, December 19, 2011

    Man killed at Towson Town Center

    A man was shot to death outside of Towson Town Center, Justin Fenton retweeted this photo (cropped by me). Wjz says it was inside the parking garage, the Sun says it was on the road on the East side of the Nordstrom's, Fenton says there are preliminary reports of a suspect being taken in for questioning.

    191, 192

    32-year-old Jeffrey Smith was shot and killed on Belair Rd. No suspects or motive at the moment.

    Dayon Barnes, 27, was shot and killed while sitting in a car in the 200 block of N. Smallwood St. Barnes made local headlines last year after being part of a money counterfeiting group with Erik Desmond Stokes and Darryl Bacon. Stokes was shot and killed by County police during apprehension. Barnes and Bacon were arrested without incident. Both men had their cases Nolle Prosequi earlier this year. With Barnes dead Darryl Bacon is the only member of this ring left, although he is currently wanted out of Annapolis for parole violations.

    The Sun has id'd the guy shot on Elsinore Ave. as 23-year-old Lawrence Edwards. While every District court charge he has calls him by Lawrence Edwards, all his circuit court charges spell his name Lawrence Edwardes. I'll stick with Edwardes for the moment until I hear otherwise.*

    A Baltimore cabby was robbed and shot at the 2700 block of Sisson St.

    The shootings keep piling up in the City, with a man in serious condition after being shot earlier today, while two men were shot in the 3000 block of Belmont Ave. Thursday evening.

    Lavelva Merritt, the co-conspirator in the Stephen Pitcairn murder was given another 5 years to her sentence.

    A home invader in Dundalk was shot by County police after a woman reported a man with a ski mask standing over her as she slept.

    21-year-old tattoo fanatic Dalonte S. Dunston was the 5th and final person charged with a robbery murder in little Taneytown, MD.

    Finally, proving that your never too young to be mind-bendingly creepy, 21-year-old Scott Seidel was given a two year sentence for impersonating an FBI officer on teen chat-rooms while simultaneously pretending to be a hacker, all in order to convince girls to strip on webcams. Creepier yet, as recently as last year Seidel lived in the Donnybrook Lane apartments, located a few hundred feet from Towson High School, which is full of young women the same age as the girls he targeted online. So to sum it up, what a scuzzbag.