May 7

Wow! This weekend's murder rate is down 66% from the same period last week. Perhaps the mayor and police commissioner should schedule a meeting to celebrate their success. Yesterday morning at about 1:30, an unidentified man was repeatedly shot in the 200 block of S. Spring Ct. in the Southeastern. He died at Hopkins about an hour later. Early Saturday morning, an unidentified man was fatally shot in the head in the 1300 block of Herkimer St.

Two more of last week's murder victims have been identified. 23-year-old Matthew Davis was the man found in an Acura in the 100 block of S. Mount St. on Thursday evening. 16-year-old Jamal Knox was the boy found in a car in the 500 block of Half Mile Ct. last Monday.

In addition to the newly-identified homicide victims, today's Blotter (linked above) also lists a shooting, two stabbings, a whole bunch of burglaries in the county, and the arrest of Gregory Davenport for the murder of Dewitt Smith.

Soman Thamby was arrested and charged with killing his wife, Lesa.

A PG man was stabbed to death at an International House of Pancakes in Bladensburg early this morning.

Ten teenagers escaped from the Charles Hickey School on Sunday night, and five of them are still at large.

Not only had Brandon Grimes, the man accused of killing Det. Troy Chesley, been arrested 17 times, but the gun that Grimes used in the murder had come to the police's attention twice before.

Pharoah Carr, a witness in the murder trial against LeShawn Green, is refusing to testify in court, so city prosecutors have been granted the right to use a taped interview with police.

Shawn Anthony Jones' trial begins today in Carroll County Circuit Court. Jones is accused of first-degree murder in the death of Donnie Bowman, and attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of Lamont Dew.

Opening arguments are scheduled to begin today in the trial of John Gaumer, accused of murdering and raping Josie Brown on their first date. The Examiner article really reflects what a spineless piece of crap Gaumer is.

Someone set a fire in the elevator of a Towson University dorm.

At a hearing today, Judge Roger W. Brown sentenced Derrick Taylor, 27, of the 4000 block of Ridgecroft Road, to three consecutive life-without-the-possibility-of-parole prison terms and another consecutive 60 years for three use of a handgun in the commission-of-a-crime-of -violence counts. A Baltimore Jury convicted Taylor February, 27, 2007 of three counts of first-degree felony murder (murder committed during the commission of a felony), three counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. The jury also convicted Taylor of several handgun counts but failed to reach verdicts on first-degree murder (premeditated) and several second degree murder counts and assault counts. Judge Brown declared a mistrial on those counts and the state entered a nol pros on those counts following the sentencing hearing today. On January 10, 2005 Taylor shot and killed Nathan Gulliver, 49, Antwon Arthur, 38, and Steven Matthews, 36, at a drug and alcohol recovery house in the at 540 block of West 27th Street. A second defendant in this case, Corey McMillon, is serving a prison term of life plus 20 years for a previous murder conviction and faces an April 20, 2007 trial date for his alleged involvement in this case.

The Baltimore City Grand Jury has indicted Keith Vaughn, 34, of the 4500 block of Pen Lucy Road for the first-degree murder of Antonio Brown, 16. Court documents allege on September 6, 2006 Keith Vaughn and two other suspects approached Antonio Brown and two other persons in 100 block of Diener Place, and Vaughn produced a handgun and shot Antonio Brown to death. Vaughn is held without bail at the Baltimore Detention Center. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for May 15, 2007 before Judge Lynn Stewart.

At a hearing today Judge Allen L. Schwait sentenced Reginald Williams, 35, of the 400 block of East Eager Street, to five concurrent life in prison terms. Williams was the serial rapist who struck around the Read Street area in the Central District. He pled guilty October 26, 2006 to three counts of first-degree sex offense, one count of third-degree sex offense, one count of rape and three counts of second-degree assault. Judge Schwait also sentenced Williams to a concurrent 30 years in prison, 10 years for three separate counts of second degree assault. Williams is eligible for enhanced penalties due to his criminal record and the State filed its intent to seek those penalties. Williams faced the maximum penalty, life in prison, for each of the sex offenses. Williams sexually assaulted five women over the span of three weeks between December 3-22, 2005. On December 22, 2005 police attempted to arrest Williams in the 1200 block of W. Saratoga Street when he fled into an alley and pulled a gun. Officers shot Williams in the leg.

Scheduled tomorrow:
Re-arraignment for Brandon Grimes, 21, of the 800 block of Cator Ave. 9:30AM tomorrow before Judge Martin P. Welch.
The City Grand Jury indicted Grimes February 12, 2007 for first-degree murder and attempted robbery deadly weapon. Court documents allege on January 9, 2007. Brandon Grimes fatally shot Baltimore City Police Detective Troy Lamont Chesley, Sr.

The murder and child abuse trial of Annette High, 48, of the 1600 block of Mountmore Court, 9:30AM tomorrow before Judge John M. Glynn. The BCGJ indicted High August 28, 2006 for first-degree murder and child abuse. Court documents allege that on April 17, 2006 High beat Kayah Jackson, 14 months, about the face and neck while acting as caretaker in her home. The baby died at University Hospital on the same day.

March 2

Starting Monday at the courthouse: "Reception Court."
Explains an insider: "The goal of reception court is to have all the cases for trials appear before two judges, one in each building. They will personally review all these cases then send them off to other judges who presumably will not have dockets since all the cases will be before the so called reception courts. Determinations will be made as to what cases should go forward, etc, based on how old they are, how many times they have been postponed, etc."
Fascinating!

Marc Steiner spent two hours talking about Baltimore crime, and in the modern fashion both shows are available as a two-part podcast: Hour one, hour two.

The trial of Ameer Taylor, accused of killing Samuel Richardson June 2 of 2005 behind the Rendez-Vous is scheduled begin Monday. The trial's start date has been postponed three times. The word from the office of Mrs. J:

The murder trial of Ameer Taylor, 32, of the 7400 block of Barkers Court, is scheduled for trial 9:30A a.m. Monday, March 5, 2007 before Judge David Ross, 203 Mitchell Courthouse ... A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Taylor February 15, 2006 for first-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a felony crime of violence, and handgun on person in connection with the fatal shooting of Samuel Richardson. Court documents allege that in the early morning hours of June 2, 2005 Taylor pulled up to Richardson, who was walking in the 400 block of West 26th Street, pulled a handgun and shot Richardson several times. Richardson was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

As if your girl-crush wasn't already heavy, ♥Jayne Miller♥ digs into the clusterfuck that is the bail-bonds business, and hounded the guy who posted bail for Brandon Grimes down Calvert Street.

What the?! Twenty-year-old dad Kenneth George Ryan huffed keyboard cleaner (?!), beat his 15-month-old-son Julian Woody to death.

Sign of the times: WBAL reported that three people were shot at a birthday party on the East side... and in spite of the crime scene tape, the party kept on.

Again?! Another officer has was attacked at Jessup, and the suspect is a 38-year-old convicted murderer serving a life sentence.

In the Eastern, a man shot two guys sitting in a parked car.

The man found dead in the area of Max Blobs Park Road in Jessup was ID'd as Leonard Richard Prahl, 55.

"A trooper found $300,000 in powder cocaine in a minivan with New York license plates on Interstate 95 in Cecil County during a traffic stop."