67 percent

of 2008's homicides are still open, says the CP.

And names of last week's six murder victims, and the girl "shot to death in the 5600 block of Loch Raven Boulevard on Jan. 4 has been identified as Mayresa Craft, a 15-year-old African-American girl from Towson."

also, "A Map of Recently Seized Baltimore-Bound Drug Packages"

Perhaps you remember the story of Kerri King from last year? Perhaps the photo will remind you? She got 16 years. In the city no less. Says the SAO:
At a hearing today Kerri J. King, 36, of the 100 block of Danford Drive, Elkton, MD pled guilty to vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and two counts of driving while under the influence of alcohol. Judge Thomas J.S. Waxter sentenced King to 16 years in prison; 10 years for the manslaughter count, five years for the leaving the scene of an accident count and one year for the driving under the influence count. Details:

On December 31, 2007, Kerri King struck and killed Officer Courtney Brooks of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department as he directed holiday traffic at the intersection of Exit 53 on northbound Interstate 95. Evidence presented at the hearing today indicated that King had been drinking heavily for 12 hours prior to 11:20PM accident, that the impact of the collision threw Officer Brooks 79 feet through the air and that she fled the scene, actively trying to elude capture by driving home on back roads following the accident.

M1 Conviction for homicide of Alexander Rose

From the SAO: A Baltimore City jury convicted Shawn Dickey, 22, of the 400 block of N. Collington Ave. of first-degree murder, two counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault today following a one-day trial. Jurors deliberated approximately 45 minutes before reaching its verdict. Judge Thomas J.S. Waxter scheduled sentencing for March 17, 2009. Dickey faces a possible maximum sentence of double life plus 65 years in prison. Details:

On May 22, 2007 at approximately 4:16 PM at the corner of Patterson Park and East Fayette Street Shawn Dickey and an unknown male approached victim Alexander Rose and a second man and began shooting at them. One victim was hit in the leg but managed to run away. Rose fell in the 2300 block of East Fayette Street, where Dickey walked over to him, stood overtop of him, and shot him multiple times as he lay in the street. Medics rushed Rose to Johns Hopkins Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The second victim survived.

Assistant State’s Attorney Joshua Felsen of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

You must wonder what got edited out of this video...

12, 15

#12 = Kipton A. Degree Jr., 23
#15 = Ronald Crosby, 56

Did Liberty Ford's customer service manager knowingly rent his home to drug traffickers? Was 80 pounds of pot mailed to JHU? And did a Pikesville granny hide the money? More fascinating twists in the Milton Tillman Jr. soap opera.

2 Police-involved shootings in 2 weeks

Sheezis! The second police shooting of the year went down last night (1/14) in Worser Waverly-- a man with an assault rifle allegedly pointed it at police and got wounded, police say.
Said the CP last month,

Over the past two years, police-involved shootings in Baltimore have risen sharply: In 2007, Baltimore police officers were involved with 32 shootings, resulting in 19 non-fatal victims and 13 fatalities. So far 2008 has seen 21 police-involved shootings, resulting in 13 fatalities. That's up from 2006, when there were 15 police-involved shootings resulting in five fatalities.

"A 2002 rape case involving a pregnant Pikesville woman has been resolved with the sentencing this week of a construction worker, but his victim" has died of cancer.

Bird Flies, Fotogs Evicted

"City joins 18 jurisdictions across U.S. in fighting foreclosures," and check out that foto, heh heh. Also, her lawyer's name is Weiner.

Guardian Angels "Strider" and "Top Gun" are the city's other men in red

A hostage drama at the 7-11 near Herring Run Park leads to police shooting a suspect

Christopher Williams was arrested for killing his cousin Mario on New Year's Day

More Dixon. Somebody told me Lipscomb and Helen Holton also had an affair. True?
(Obama's coming to town Saturday... I wonder if there'll be a photo op with the mayor?)
And more: Mayor remains upbeat, eats cake, ejects fotogs from luncheon
WJZ: who is employee number one?

From the Sun

"you can un-strikethrough mr. dickey hill road

he died friday night, as it turns out. the sun didnt goof, as chuck put it, but the police told us in the morning that he was dead and then took it back later in the day. but like three hours after they took it back, he did die, and they didnt tell us till today."

Boy stabbed in front of City College

"A 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed last night across the street from City College high school in Northeast Baltimore ... [at] About 7:35 p.m., police officers found the boy suffering from stab wounds to his chest at the intersection of The Alameda and East 32nd Street"

Nathaniel "Stinker" Wallace, 37, of Baltimore was gunned down in a bar-parking-lot fight at Dietrich's Tavern in Glen Burnie.

David Talmage Barnes, 49, was found floating near Annapolis Yacht Club.

The Weiner that roared

PGC's first murder of the year is a 19-year-old shot while riding/driving in a car

What the?! "Math Error To Cost Maryland $31 Million"

Stealing from the poor? So what!

She's accused of taking money from needy families to pay for furs and video games, but "City leaders back mayor".
Of local politicians, only Mikulski seems to have acknowledged the charges.
Olesker: it's the gift cards
Rodricks: it's the sense of entitlement
Vozzella: it's the money laundering, stupid!

William Devereux Zantzinger died-- a S.Md tobacco farmer best known for his role in the death of Hattie Carroll-- you might remember the story from two years ago?

From Chuck

"Seems the Sun goofed on #12. The guy on Dickey Hill is on life support,
and #12 was actually a guy in the 3600 block of Lombard St. on Friday
afternoon.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-lombard0109,0,2128542.story

or

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.accident10jan10,0,2640153.story

Of course, the guy on Dickey Hill is on life support, so he'll probably
be #13."

Weekend

The top cop says police have solid leads in many of this year's murders.

BPD: it's not in the public interest to release details about problems in the DNA lab

Tree Top Piru Kevin Gary pled guilty to federal racketeering charges

Burning man

"A man died yesterday after catching fire behind a Fells Point building where scenes of Homicide: Life on the Street used to be filmed."

Shooting around 9 o'clock last night in the 2000 block of Braddish st. (near Coppin State)

Holy Crap! Mayor Indicted!

Crazy!
Even by Baltimore standards!
An extramarital affair with a big fat developer .. furs and gift cards... not classy!
The timeline does seem to establish a pattern...
Says Madam mayor, "I am confident that I will be found innocent of these charges."
(Check out these two newspaper front pages. Will be interesting to see how various outlets go about covering this major story.)

And "Killing in Southwest Baltimore brings homicide count to 12"

15 people shot this week

Mapped by Spotcrime

War on the East Side

The commissioner held a press conference at 11 this morning to talk about it. And another East side shooting reported in the blotter, a man shot in the chest on Rutland Ave (thanks gmd).

The woman who was shot in Middle River last night has died, county police ID'd her as Shirley Elizabeth Worcester, 58, and believe it may be a case of mistaken identity.

Hermann: "Trust us, the police say. The problem is that many city residents don't ..."

Charles McGaney and Gary Collins, suspects in the murder of Ken Harris, are due in court for arraignment hearing today; the Deuce has video of the alleged perps perp-walking.
UPDATE: the hearing was postponed.

Zander Richardson has been charged with the first-degree murder of Travis Makofski, killed during a home invasion in Mt. Vernon last month.

11

Triple shooting leaves at least one person dead on North Bond and East Eager. Hermann notes that 6 of 11 of this year's murders have been in East Baltimore

A woman has been shot and is unconscious in Middle River, there may be a second victim

Indicted!

Not the mayor, but Helen Holton and that developer guy!
Holton was previously best known as the city council member who wanted to pass a resolution against baggy pants.

10

David Falkinburg, 45, was found stabbed to death in his home yesterday in Parkville (right by the city line); a 16-year-old was arrested and charged.

Ink: "As 2008 ended and 2009 began, Baltimore City continued its backslide. Though the city's 2008 homicide total was its lowest since 1988, there was an uptick in murders during the last two months of the year. The trend continues into the new year..."

More details on the life and murder of Tian Zin Wang

Read this story right now: the most preventable murders in the city.
You can help by coming out this Friday to show support.

"In policy change, city police will not identify officers who kill, injure"

Shannon Yearby, 30, (a dude) pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree assault for choking a prostitute and was sentenced to time served after his victim didn't show up for court. So he's back out there. Watch out Pigtown!

Apocalypse soonish: via the CP, Abandoned Places: what remains of the soundstage of the Wire

Rueful laff du jour: "Man accidentally leaves crack cocaine at store"

8, 9

Two more murders, the 51-year-old owner of a carryout restaurant, Tian Zin Wang, 51, who was killed while delivering food, and 21-year-old Joshua Harris, reportedly shot near the intersection of Reisterstown Road and Violet Avenue.

In Rosedale in the county, the death of a woman struck by a pickup truck has been ruled a homicide; she was involved in a Judge-Judyesque dispute over truck payments with her alleged killer.

Nate Chapman's in the hoosegow, but his defense attorneys are still slugging it out over fee$.

Another murder over a cigarette, this time in Upper Marlboro (ok, Bladensburg, but that lacks the ironic panache!)

236

Thanks to Anna Ditkoff, we have corrected and updated the list of murders in 2008.

236. David Woodward, 30, intersection of Bennett Place and Fremont Avenue (s. 12/23 d. 12/25);
235. Petro Taylor, 20, 4400 block of N. Franklintown Road (12/30)
234. Antonio Coby, 28, 800 block of Chauncy Ave. (12/29);
233. Edgar Christopher Mazyck, 39, 2700 Edmonson Avenue (12/28);
232. Lisa Bushrod, 42, 1919 N Broadway (12:38 p.m. 12/27);
231. Alaina Ciara High, 800 block of S. Bouldin St. (12/23);
230. Ronald Comer Hall, 46, Broadway East (12/23);
229. Thaddeus McCauley, 19, 1400 block of Homestead (12/19);
228. Gary Mann, 24, 5100 block of Palmer Avenue /3000 block of Spaulding Ave. (7:23 a.m. 12/16)/li>
227. Warren Davis, 5400 block of Fairlawn Ave. (11 p.m. 12/15);
226. Oril Jackson Jr., 21, North Lakewood Avenue and East Chase Street (7:30 p.m. 12/15);
225. Larry Gaither, 44, 1000 block of Jack Place (12/11);
224. Brian Carlos Smith, 37, 3000 block of Pulaski Highway (12/10);
223. Darrell Keith, 24, 5000 block of Denmore Ave. (12/7);
222. Ronald Jackson, 14, 1100 block of Myrtle Ave. (12/7);
221. Travis Mafoski, 28, 700 block of N. Howard St. (12/6);
220. Michael Harris, 37, 2500 block of Garrett Ave. (12/5);

219. Donte Graham, 21, 1100 block of Abbott Court (11/18);
218. Frederick Ward, 25, 2300 block of Barclay Street (shot 11/5, d. 11/25);
217. Alexander Njuguna, 29, 1000 block of Woodson Road (11/26);
216. Leroy Boxdale, 2700 block of Hilldale Avenue (12/2)
215. Donnell Williams Jr. 1800 block of North Washington Street (12/1);
214. Alton Alston, 19, 200 block of S. Clinton St. (12/1);
213. Dawn Williams-Stewart, 41, 4000 block of Parkside Drive (11/31);
212. Troy Brown, 45, 4000 block of Oakford Ave. (11/31);
211. Darren Davis, 26, 4000 block of Oakford Ave. (11/31);
210. Perrish Parker, 14, 4000 block of Oakford Ave. (11/31);
209. Adrian Andrews, 17, 2800 block of Saint Lo Dr. (11/26);
208. Isiah Benjamin, 6600 block of Eberle Ct. (11/22);
207. Voncelle Blackwell, 26, 2900 block of Limond Place (11/25);
206. Adama Diara, 22, 2200 block of Tucker Lane (7:45 p.m. 11/22);
205. Angelo Ford, 49, 1000 block of Leadenhall St. (6 p.m. 11/22);
204. Richard Green, 39, 1300 block of W. North Ave. (5 p.m. 11/22);
203. Markel Williams, 15, 2800 block of N. Dukeland St. (11/21);
202. Lyle Dimeler, 53, 400 block of Calhoun St. (11/18)
201. William Hightower, 45, 3000 block of Woodhome Ave. (11/15)
200. Veronica Williams, 28, 1400 E. North Avenue (10/20);
199. Eunice Taylor, 69, 3100 block of Mary Avenue (10/20);
198. Valando Goodman, 32, 2200 block of Jefferson Street (shot 1996, d. 6/29/08);
197. Charles Hogans, 45, 2000 block of N. Dukeland St. (10:20 a.m. 11/18);
196. Steven Graham, 14, near the intersection of Maude Avenue and 4th Street (7:30 p.m. 11/18);

195. Joseph Robinson, 30, 500 block of S. Smallwood St. (11/17);
194. Charles Norman, 48, 4800 block of Palmer Ave. (11/16);
193. Larry Franklin Jr., 22, 2000 block of Robb St. (11/12);
192. Gregory Hines, 30, 2200 block of Linden Ave. (11/11) ;
191. Leroy J. Taylor, 45, the intersection of Sewell Street and Argyle Avenue (11/7);
190. Takira Leray Johnson-Bey, 27, first block of Custom House Ave (11/7);
189. Ernest McFadden, 39, near West Saratoga Street and Carrollton Avenue (11/3);
188. Anthony Rainer, 25, unknown location (11/2);
187. Mark Henson, 1500 block of McKean Avenue (11/1);

186. Harley Johnson, 27, 2200 block of Echodale Avenue (10/31);
185. Mark Vines, 21, 600 block of McKewin Ave. (10/29);
184. Jason Betts, 25, 2400 block of Loyola Southway (10/25);
183. Derrick Phillips, 42, 1800 block of North Regester Ave. (10/25);
182. Gregory Boston, 48, 2700 block of Oswego Ave. (10/23);
181. Dontay Monroe, 18, 1400 block of Exeter Hall Avenue (10/22);
180. Marshall Nelson, 23, 3500 block of Pelham Ave. (10/22)
179. Shawn Crosby, 178. 600 block of North Clinton St. (10/21);

178. Carlton Tremain Bethea, 29, 500 block of W. Preston St. (10/20);
177. Delvon Butts, 15, 200 block of S. Smallwood St. (10/19);
176. Suspicious human remains, 1900 block of E. Lanvale St. (found 10/18);
175. Rubin Nelson, 26, 1900 block of N. Rosedale St. (10/14);
174. Justin Berry, 19, Pennsylvania and Lafayette Avenues (10/12);
173. Howard Grant, 18, Pennsylvania and Lafayette Avenues (10/12);
172. Darius Burton, 18, 4300 block of Davis Avenue (10/12);
171. Modesto Smith, 21, 700 block of Alleghany Place (9/30);
170. Cyprian Jackson, 29, 2500 block of Madison Ave. (shot 2000, d. 9/8/08);
169. Clayton Oxendine, 24, 300 block of S. Fulton Ave. (10/6);
168. Darrell Gulliver, 500 block of S. Catherine St. (10/6);
167. Craig Colvin, 23, 3100 block of Virginia Avenue (10/6);
166. William Haskins, 32, 1800 block of Penrose Ave. (10/4)
165. Baby Blevins, 2600 block of St. Paul St. (10/4);

164. Michael Wilson, 24, 3000 block of Belair Road (10/1);
163. Helen Reightler, 43, Pratt and Charles Streets (stabbed 9/18, d. 9/29);
162. Kevin Rouzer/ McDowell, 29, 1700 block of N. Broadway (9/28);
161. Jarell Laws, 17, alley behind the 5300 block of Cordelia St. (9/26);
160. Derrick "Terrell" Reed, 15, 2500 block of Aisquith St. (9/23);
159. Kenneth N. Harris Sr., 45, 1500 block of Havenwood Rd. (9/20);
158. Barry Graham, 24, 700 block of W. Lexington (9/14);
157. Lloyd Milton, 2100 block of Boston St. (9/14);
156. Darien Sawyer, 29, 1500 block of Wadsworth Way (9/11);
155. Dominic Faw, 29, 200 block of N. Eutaw St. (shot 1995, d. 3/22/08);
154. Robert Wilson, 23, 2000 block of Boone Street (9/9);
153. Andre Harris, 23, 200 block of Harmison Street (9/6);
152. Shirley Johnson, 44, 1100 block of Woodington Road (9/6);
151. Tyrone Bowie, 26, 2100 block of Ashland Avenue (9/3);
150. Demarco Brown Jr., 25, 800 block of N. Milton Ave. (9/8);
149. Floyd Jones, 56, East North Avenue and North Port Street (8/26)
148. Wilbert Flowers, 31, 800 block of East 43rd Street (shot 8/28, d. 8/25);
147. Reginald Carter Jr., 20, 400 block of S. Longwood St (9/1);
146. Durrell Aldridge, 24, 4200 block of Frederick Ave. (9/1);
145. Levon McCray, 23, 900 block of Valley Street (8/30);

144. Clarence Hamlett Jr., 22 Laurens and North Stricker Sts. (8/27);
143. Eric Brown, 1000 block of Edmondson Avenue (8/19);
142. Eddie VanKirk, 42, 300 block of South Parrish Street (shot 11/19/07, died 6/22/08);
141. Tavon Garrison, 28, 2400 block of E. Lanvale St. (8/22);
140. Brandon Robinson, 23, 2800 block of Oakley Avenue (8/14);
139. Michael Sewell, 29, 1000 block of Brantley Avenue (8/12);
138. John Person, 17, 2900 block of Garrison Blvd. (8/16);
137. Kiuna Jackson, 19, Herring Run Park (8/15);
136. Vernon Paige, 21, Patapsco Avenue and Savoy Streets (8/13);
135. Rudy M. Guzman, 22, 3300 block of East Fayette Street (8/8);
134. Shawn L. Weaver, 37 or 38, 1000 block of Shellbanks Road (8/8);
133. Robert Buckner, 19, Club Rios parking lot, 1300 block of Bloomingdale Road (8/6);
132. Javon Thompson, 21 months, 3200 block of Auchentoroly Terrace (2007);

131. Michael Little, 28, 4100 block of Barrington Avenue/ 3700 block of Eldorado Ave (8/12);
130. George Blaine, 30, 1700 block of N. Bradford St (8/9);
129. Mathew Scarborough, 16, 500 block of Castle St. (1:30 a.m. 8/7);
128. Jeffrey Alston, 23, 1700 block of W. Fayette St. (8/5) ;
127. Ralph Hall, 37, 4700 block of Greenspring Ave. (7/30) ;
126. Unidentified man, 1200 block of Orleans St. (7/30);
125. Bernard Soloman, 23, 2700 block of Manokin St. (7/28);
124. Brandon Eveline, 23, East North Avenue and North Wolfe Street (>10 p.m. 7/28);
123. Tyrone McCray(SP?), 28, Ivanhoe and Tunbridge (7/27);

122. Ralph McKnight, 50, 800 block of Bridgeview Road (6/1);
121. Troy Wilson, 17, 400 block of Aisquith St. (7/29)
120. Quinton Hogan, 23, and Donell Rogers, 21, Northern Parkway/Rogers and Wabash Avenues (7/25);
119. Ruby Johnson Mosby, 1200 block of Limit Ave. (7/21);
118. Elizabeth Queensbury, 51,1200 block of W. Pratt St. (7/21);
117. Justin Harrison, 27, 3800 block of Park Heights Ave., (7/21)

116. Gary Cooper, 200 block of North Hilton Street (7/20);
115. Omar Phillips, 35, Linden Bar and Liquors, 904 W. North Ave. (7/19);
114. Kervin McKnight, 45, 5000 block of Pembridge Ave. (11:20 p.m. 7/18);
113. Unidentified shot male skeleton, 4800 block of Strathdale Road (January '08);
112. Patrice Marable, 1100 block of Gleneagle Road (7/6);
111. Tony Smith, 3200 block of Lyndale Ave. (2:30 a.m. 7/13);
110. Calvin Ray, 17, 3700 block of Liberty Heights Ave (3:42 a.m. 7/12);
109. Unidentified man, 1800 block of Braddish Ave. (11:45 p.m. 7/11);
108. Brenda Hatfield, 45, 4500 block of Old Frederick Road (7/7);
107. Kenneth Baker, 28, 2600 block of E. Preston St. (3:20 a.m. 7/6);
106. Nicole Sesker, 38, 3900 block of Garrison Ave. (5:30 a.m. 6/27);
105. Chicas Santiago, 38, 2600 block of E. Baltimore St. (beaten on 6/23, died 2:55 p.m. 6/26)
104. Phillip Gaddy, 41, 1700 block of Abbotston Rd. (2:34 a.m. 6/24);
103. Romie Ziegler, 21, 500 block of Bloom St. (8:30 p.m. 6/22);
102. Amanda Marie Bishop, 22, 1300 block of Nanticoke St. (6:10 a.m. 6/22);
101. Stephan Walters, 24, 200 block of E. Montgomery St. (2:45 a.m. 6/22);
100. Marcus Caldwell, 23, 3200 block of Sequoia Avenue (12:30 a.m. 6/22);
99. Keyva Bluitt, 35, 800 block of Battery Avenue (9:15 p.m. 6/20);
98. Brian Goodwin (Goodwyn?), 21, 500 block of Bloom St. (night, 6/19);
97. Donta Gregory, 32, W. 28th St. and Huntington Ave. (11:40 p.m. 6/19);
96. Ronnie Ware Jr., 18, Clifton Ave. and N. Monroe St. (10:30 p.m. 6/17);
95. Sandy Howard, 23, 4100 block of Mariban Court (6:00 p.m. 6/17);
94. Samuel Bobrow, 30, 2900 block of Hamilton Ave. (found 6 a.m. 6/14);
93. Justin N. Amis, 22, 4200 block of Shamrock Ave. (2:30 a.m. 6/14);
92. Bryant Price, 23, 4200 block of Shamrock Ave. (2:30 a.m. 6/14);
91. Andre Wallace, 27, 3100 block of Brighton St. (2:20 a.m. 6/13);
90. Djuan Anderson, 17, 1500 block of Moreland Ave. (3 a.m. 6/12);
89. Darrius Harrison, 17, 1500 block of Moreland Ave. (3 a.m. 6/12);
88. Elizabeth Garrett, 25, 3500 block of Buena Vista Ave. (5:48 p.m. 6/11);
87. Kenneth Cooper Jones, 26, 4500 block of Bonner Rd. (12:15 a.m. 6/9);
86. Unnamed male newborn, 300 block of S. Monroe St. (4 p.m. 6/7);
85. Darrien Brown, 19, 2000 block of East North Avenue (2 a.m. 6/7);
84. Tyrone Wells, 33, 4100 block of Rockfield Rd. (6/3);
83. Unidentified person, 5400 block of Crismer Ave. (3:00 a.m. 6/3);
82. Derrell E. Smith, 22, 3100 block of Clifton Ave. (8:30 p.m. 6/2);
81. Omar Spriggs, 27, 2300 block of E. North Ave. (shot 5/15, d. 5/28);
80. Josephine House, 63, 1700 block of N. Port St. (5/27);
79. Cedric Yarborough, 19, 1100 block of E. North Avenue (5/25);
78. Ronald Crowell, 21, 1600 block of Normal Ave. (2 a.m. 5/24);
77. Carlos Cervantes, 37, 200 block of S. Broadway (9 p.m. 5/19);
76. Jeffrey Gause, 42, 1700 block of Hollins St (12:20 a.m. 5/18);
75. Valerie Barnes, 18, 800 block of Pontiac Ave. (midnight 5/18);
74. Michael Morris, 46, 4200 block of Colborne Road (5/16);
73. Marcellus Hall, 1500 block of N. Mount St., at Baker St. (9:40 p.m. 5/15);
72. Tony Allen, 52, 2300 block of E. North Ave. (6:00 p.m. 5/15);
71. Marvin Lucas, 21, 300 block of S. Dallas Ct. (9:00 p.m. 5/14);
70. Timothy Swann Jr., 27, unknown location, died after being dropped off at Shock Trauma (3:20 a.m. 5/11);
69. David Henderson, 18, 2800 block of Hillen Rd., at Harford Rd. (10:20 p.m. 5/9);
68. Robert Johnson, 39, 1200 block of James St. (5 p.m. 5/7);
67. Kenneth Carter, 17, 3000 block of Presbury St. (2:15 a.m. 5/7);
66. Ellsworth Monroe, 73, 3900 block of W. Belvedere Ave. (4/25);
65. Paris Richardson, 21, Jimmy's Chinese Carryout, 2500 block of E. Hoffman St. (1 a.m. 5/5);
64. Tyrone Freeman, 25, 2100 block of Orleans St. (7 a.m. 5/4);
63. Sean W. Henderson, 35, 3200 block of Belair Rd. (2 a.m. 5/4);
62. Dawn Lynn Shipley, 29, 500 block of Brunswick St. (1:00 a.m. 5/3);
61. Michael Wilson, 23, 4100 block of Newbern Ave. (2:00 a.m. 5/1);
60. James Daniels, 51, 600 block of N. Clinton St. (night of 4/11, body burned and dumped in Essex on 4/12);
59. Michael Ellerby, 24, 500 block of N. Stricker St. (12:15 p.m. 4/21) ;
58. Nancy Schmidt, 74, 200 block of W. 31st Street (5:30 a.m. 4/21);
57. Stanley Johnson, 25, 3400 block of 6th St. (2:45 a.m. 4/20);
56. Tavon Smith, 27, 2900 block of Garrison Blvd. (9:30 a.m. 4/14);
55. Shaundretta Griffin, 14, 1900 block of N. Patterson Park Ave. (3:00 p.m. 4/16);
54. Anthony Izzard, 25, 1700 block of W. Lexington St. (12:30 a.m. 4/12);
53. Yolanda Brown, 36, 3600 block of Winterbourne Rd. at Gwynns Falls Park (6:00 a.m. 3/20; declared murder ~4/8);
52. Gerrald Megginson, 20, 400 block of S. Stricker St. (9:15 a.m. 4/3);
51. Darius Bunch, 31, 800 block of N. Franklintown Rd. / 700 block of N. Longwood Ave. (1:23 a.m. 4/1);
50. Lamar Skinner, 20, 2400 block of E. Hoffman St. (9:20 p.m. 3/31);
49. Anthony Castillo, 6, Marriott Hotel, 100 block of S. Eutaw St. (1:15 p.m. 3/30);
48. Austin Castillo, 4, Marriott Hotel, 100 block of S. Eutaw St. (1:15 p.m. 3/30);
47. Athena Castillo, 2, Marriott Hotel, 100 block of S. Eutaw St. (1:15 p.m. 3/30);
46. Ronald Joyner, 27, 1000 block of Billie Holiday Ct. (5:30 a.m. 3/30);
45. Javon King, 19, 5400 block of Nelson Ave. (1:08 a.m. 3/30);
44. Tyrone Bahia, 19, 100 block of S. Addison St. (1:38 a.m. 3/27);
43. Zach Sowers, 28, 300 block of S. Robinson St. (10:00 p.m. 3/25);
42. Robert Long, 36, 400 block of S. Stricker St. (9:30 p.m. 3/24);
41. April Montford, 41, 400 block of W. Franklin St. (died due to neglect, 3/14)
40. Jeffrey Butler, 3400 block of Wilkens Ave. (6:40 p.m. 3/23);
39. David Andrew Rankin, 21, 3700 block of Ravenwood Ave. (7:20 a.m. 3/23);
38. Andre A. Jones, 18, 2900 block of Garrison Blvd. (10:15 p.m. 3/15);
37. Jamal Alphonso Harrison, 22, 1900 block of N. Rosedale St. (6:10 p.m. 3/13);
36. Lemell O. Barnes, 22, 2800 block of Spelman Rd. (11:00 p.m. 3/12);
35. Tavon Burks, 16, 2500 block of Edgecombe Circle (3/11);
34. Marcus Hughes, 36, 1800 block of E. 28th St. (3/10);
33. Levette Johnson, 35, 700 block of Wildwood Parkway, near New Cathedral Cemetery (3/9);
32. Latasha Harris, 30, 200 block of Atholgate Lane (3/5 or 3/6);
31. Dalion Stanley, 45, 700 block of Druid Park Lake Dr. (3:40 a.m. 3/4);
30. D'Andre Jackson, 35, 2800 block of W. Lafayette Ave. (10:55 p.m. 3/3);
29. Anthony Underwood, 29, 5000 block of Denmore Ave. (1 a.m. 3/1);
28. Bernard R. Wallace, 44, 1300 block of Bloomingdale Rd. (7:15 a.m. 2/29);
27. Rebecca Meekins, 16, 1500 block of Mt. Royal Avenue (6 p.m. 2/27) ;
26. Edward Tyree Baylor, 32, 1500 block of Mt. Royal Avenue (6 p.m. 2/27) ;
25. Eric Jones, 23, 700 block of W. North Ave. (12:15 a.m. 2/25);
24. Julius Pressley, 23, corner of N. Milton Ave. and E. Chase St. (8:40 p.m. 2/24);
23. Henry Davis, 48, 1100 block of North Chester Street (2/20);
22. Murriel Chew, 20, 1000 block of Russell St. (2:40 a.m. 2/18);
21. Tyisha Brown, 15, 3400 block of Woodland Ave. (1:10 a.m. 2/16);
20. Shenera Norris, 31, 4400 block of Fairview Ave. (9 a.m. 2/15);
19. Jeff Payne, 22, Morgan View Apartments, 1500 block of Pentridge Road (1:15 a.m. 2/15);
18. Kermia Hair, 25, 1800 block of Bolton St. (3 p.m. 2/7);
17. Emmanuel M. Bryant, 500 block of N. Loudon Ave. (12:45 p.m. 2/7);
16. Cumberland Richardson Jr., 62, 1600 block of Federal Street (9 a.m. 2/5);
15. Victor Couther, 19, corner of East Federal and North Bond streets (10:44 a.m. 2/2);
14. Edward Lamont—he was the police-involved at the beginning of the year that was later ruled a homicide.
13. Sidney Millner, 25, B&W Liquors in the 400 block of N. Stricker St. (shot 5:40 p.m. 1/24, d. 1/27);
12. Michael Johnson, 24, 2000 W. Lafayette Ave. and Payson St. (4:30 p.m. 1/25);
11. Irvin Lawson, 32, 900 block of W. Pennsylvania Ave. (12:30 a.m. 1/25);
10. Lisa Holley, 38, 2700 block of Pelham Ave. (domestic, beaten 1/16, d. 1/21);
9. Effrem Devon Kearney, 20, 1500 block of Holbrook St. (9:30 p.m. 1/19);
8. Collin Mazyck, 24, 2700 block of Tivoly Ave. (11 p.m. 1/18);
7. Isaiah McKeiver, 19, 3500 block of Cliftmont Ave. (7 p.m. 1/18);
6. Edward Smith, 14, 800 block of Bethune Road (1/14);
5. Willie Joyner, 18, 400 block of E. 25th St., multiple stab wounds(1/12);
4. Zachariah/Zechariah/Zecariah Hallback, 18, bus stop at The Alameda and East 33rd St., shot during a robbery (d. 1/11);
3. Jerrell Brown, 30, 3000 block of W. North Ave., found at his home (1/8);
2. Jerome Waters, 32, 2800 block of Kentucky Avenue, shot on street (1/4);
1. Linwood Colvin, 28, 28, 800 block of Bethune Road, shot during a robbery

Friday! Friday! Friday!

This Friday at 7:30 at the Theatre Project there will be a staged reading of 2008's Murder Ink by everyone's favorite crime reporter, Anna Ditkoff, to benefit the House of Ruth.

Seven murders in five days

The 17-year-old boy shot in the head on Friday, Andre Thorpe, has died.

A female (reported both as a woman and a teenage girl) and a 16-year-old boy were killed last night in an apartment building in the 5600 block of Loch Raven Boulevard.

Lougene Williams III, 20, was shot to death in Waltherson

A 51-year-old deliveryman was shot multiple times in East Baltimore

"As investigators probe the disappearance of cars removed from Baltimore City's impound lot without owners' consent, the absence of the stolen cars from the city's auction list raises questions about how vital automobile information was acquired by alleged thieves."

A man was shot in the shoulder near Mondawmin mall last night; a man was stabbed in the side at 3:30 a.m. in the 1800 block of McHenry St. (this morning I assume)

Weekend

Will the mayor be indicted, or will the whole episode evaporate? We'll find out soon...

Three people were shot Jan. 2, including a 17-year-old shot in the head by a gunman in a white or grey car.

Have you seen missing alleged criminals Edward Reisch or Antonio Emmanuel Queen?

Luke Broadwater counts the 234

Cheeky

MD begins DNA collection, but will the state crime lab be able to process all of those samples?

Two days, three murders

A double homicide at the Forrest Street apartment complex, one man in black killed in the parking lot, the other found in a stairwell.

A man shot while walking in Edgewood

Hermann reminisces about hands-on police commissioners of days gone by (check out Ed Norris with hair!)

... so maybe the drop in homicides doesn't make everybody feel safer, but still, that represents 40-something lives, a Greyhound bus full of people. And maybe it indicate that the BPD is effectively applying evidence-based methods. (Or maybe it means we have 48 more undetermined deaths this year. Bur our New Year's resolution is to be less cynical).

The 233 of 2008

... see corrected list posted on 1/6

Ding Dong!

"Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld rung in the new year by personally arresting two people and seizing two sawed-off shotguns"

.. murder #1 happened at 12:50 near Patterson Park.

The Year in Homicide

Who reported it best?

"Murder count falls, hopes rise in city" by Justin Fenton of the Sun

"Baltimore not as bloody in '08 with fewer killings" by Ben Nuckols, AP

Reporter Showdown!
Who wrote it best?	Justin Ben
	Current Results

Life w/o Parole for Cop's Killer

At a hearing today Judge Timothy J. Doory sentenced Brandon Grimes, 23, of the 800 block of Cator Ave. today to life in prison without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and a consecutive 18-year prison term for use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. A Baltimore City jury convicted Grimes August 29, 2008 following a two-week trial and deliberating approximately four hours over two days. Prior to the shooting, Grimes had been arrested 17 times in 3 1/2 years.
Details in this case, from the SAO:

In the early morning hours of January 9, 2007 Brandon Grimes fatally shot Baltimore Police Detective Troy Lamont Chesley, Sr. (right) in the 4500 block of Fairfax Rd. as Chesley was returning home from his shift.

Judge Doory told a courtroom filled with friends and family of Det. Chesley that this case “calls out for punishment” and described the murder as “brazen, cowardly, cruel and unjustified.” Det. Chesley’s mother and brother both delivered victim impact statements to the court prior to the sentencing today.

Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Wiggins of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

Rite Aid Robber Dies

"A suspect in a robbery of a Rite Aid store in Precinct 11/Essex has died of gunshot wounds suffered in a confrontation with a police officer this morning."

The Ink

The Ink includes the previously overlooked murder of David Woodward, 30, shot Dec. 23, died Christmas Day.

27 minors murdered in 2008

Including baby Blevins (#164).

Gary Mann, shot to death in the 5100 block of Palmer Avenue at 7:23 a.m. on December 16 at the age of 24, also appears to be a new addition to the toll that brings the count to 234-- or is he one of our unid'ds?

233?

"Baltimore City police said a man's body was found Tuesday afternoon in Gwynns Falls Park, and they called the discovery a suspicious death"

"Racial disparity still plagues Maryland corrections system"

MD judges lose a week of vacation!

231, 232

Sunday the 28th, Edgar Christopher Mazyck, 39, died after being shot at Edmondson Discount Mart. Mazyck left the store and was shot by an unknown assailant as he walked back inside.

Last night, a man and a woman shot near Druid Hill park, the man has died, the woman is in critical condition.

Four old people charged with murder of Brooklyn teen

Forty-six-year-olds Joseph Richardson and Lawrence Lewis, 43-year-old Virgil Hitchen and 53-year-old Patricia Trusty are being held without bail in the fatal shooting of Steven Graham, 14. According to charging documents, the suspects were seeking retribution for a robbery at a Brooklyn home Nov. 18.

Best Buy Cares Indeed!

So I had a washing machine delivered this morning from the Timonium Best Buy, and on the way out the delivery guy have me this card requesting that I "please take a few minutes to answer some questions" regarding my "delivery experience" ... and he told me that if he didn't get at least two customers to go online every day to delivery.bestbuycares.com and fill out the survey then Best Buy would dock his paycheck!!

That can't be legal, can it?

County police need help to ID gunshot victim

"Baltimore County Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the body of an adult male, believed to be Hispanic, discovered deceased in the roadway. His body was found in the eastbound lanes of Pulaski Highway east of Stevens Road, 21162 in Precinct 11/Essex."

No S, no M in quintuple shooting

A quintuple shooting: "some of the victims were found Sunday along Wheeler Avenue near West Fayette Street. More victims were found along North Gorman Avenue and in the 100 block of North Benatalou Street." Three victims were female, one was a 16-year-old boy. No suspects, no motive.

The 22-year-old woman found shot to death in Canton last weekend was identified as Alaina Ciara High, apparently a frequent and habitual drug user.

"I have to kill someone for my family," said a 13-year old boy who broke into a woman's home at 10 in the morning, armed with a knife

Police are searching for two missing Landsdowne teens, one of them is suicidal

"Community activists and families of people whose deaths remained unclassified are planning to hold a candlelight vigil outside the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore on Wednesday evening. The vigil, scheduled for 6 p.m., is being held to honor the hundreds of people in Baltimore whose deaths have been ruled 'undetermined' during the past decade."

Take a guess: how many MD law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty so far in '08?

Under-trained OB/GYNs lead to a deadly c-section rate in MD

Crazy-driving dad saves day

In PGC, a kidnapped family is saved by dad's erratic driving!

An arrest in the Edgewood Christmas Eve murder

The MD Court of Appeals is considering how much privacy blog commentors deserve.

For what it's worth... reader opinions of the death penalty haven't changed much since last year.

230

An unidentified woman reportedly found murderized on the property of William C. March Middle School at 1919 N Broadway.

Prison-Industrial Complex

"... the fastest-growing, least-examined type of incarceration in America, an industry that detains half a million people a year, up from a few thousand just 15 years ago. The system operates without the rules that protect criminal suspects, and has grown up with little oversight, often in the backyards of communities desperate for any source of money and work."

Related Rodricks: Immigrants pay taxes

The good, the evil and the stupid

Early this morning two people were shot at Club 410 at Belair & Moravia Rds. in the NE.

"Police have relocated an 87-year-old after a firebombing attempt on her home in the Walbrook neighborhood, authorities said yesterday. The incident occurred early Saturday morning, two days before she was to appear in court to face her alleged attacker in a March home invasion."

Hermann: "Adrian McFadden was pointing a black six-shot revolver at Avon Ball Jr.'s face and threatening to pull the trigger. Ball's foster brother, George T. Johnson, stared back at the gunman and pleaded, 'Don't shoot him, shoot me.' The gunman obliged ..."

A man was shot at E. Monument and N. Port streets.

Tales of the stupid: A Baltimore man stopped for speeding in Easton was arrested for impersonating a police officer after flashing a defunct Loyola College security badge.

229

A 22-year-old woman was shot to death in Canton last night in the 800 block of S. Bouldin St.

Ronald Comer Hall, 46, was shot to death at Broadway and E. Lanvale

228

An unidentified man was shot in the head at North Fremont Avenue and Bennett Place.

Hermann follows up on the story of Carlos Woods, a boy caught in crossfire at age 3, now 10 years old.

Trooper fired after getting drunk, kidnapping man, subjecting him to white-knuckle ride in Towson

Three gun-toting felons got some Rod time, including Jermaine Bell, accused of paying $45k for the murders of three harewin-trade rivals (and the DOJ is now publishing press releases as PDFs, how annoying)

Media blabber: Tim Franklin, editor and VP of The Sun, has jumped ship. His successor will be the guy who was the mastermind behind the launch of that wildly popular paragon of intellectual progress, "b." And only good can come of that.

The End

Michael Johnson Jr., suspected serial rapist, shot himself twice and died in a boarding house near Albany, N.Y.

Just asking

A program in Mexico pays poor people to take their children to doctor's visits and send them to school. Could it work here?

Hearth and Home

More details on the murder of Travis Makofski/Mafoski, 28: he was shot during the course of a home invasion, in which a gun was held to his mother's head. No word on if the suspects were caught (but odds are they haven't been).
Especially between now and Christmas, don't open the door to anyone if you're not sure who it is! It's the most dangerous time of the year right now!

"Police advise crime victim to move"

"Two veteran Baltimore city homicide detectives are facing an internal investigation after allegedly refusing to cooperate in attempts to evict a public housing tenant."

"A Goucher College student who allegedly was sexually assaulted has come forward but is not cooperating with Baltimore County police, police said."

What the?! Dept:
"A man who was convicted of four sex offenses involving a 14-year-old girl is entitled to a new trial because of the way the last member of the jury was chosen, the Court of Appeals held."

"A Prince George's County police lieutenant charged four times this year with driving under the influence passed out behind the wheel of a running police cruiser in one incident, had to be Tasered and pepper-sprayed in another and was at fault in a hit-and-run in a third"

227

Thaddeus McCauley, 19, was shot to death in the 1400 block of Homestead.

In the county, a man stabbed his "girlfriend" to death

A guy was shot in the leg near City College

LOLZ!! "Chief judge exempts other judges from pay cuts"

In better news, the Medical Examiner's office has complied with the Freedom of Information Act and released information on unclassified deaths as requested by the Examiner.

10 people shot

this week, mapped by Spotcrime.

The futility of it all

An excellent, very depressing CP article about Anna Sowers: "one woman's futile attempt to confront a city's most entrenched problems."

Murder news updates in the Ink, and a sobering stat: if we had NYC's homicide rate, we would have had 38 murders this year (!!)

Why does MD keep hiring other state's rejects? The latest prize pick is deputy secretary for Behavioral Health and Disabilities Renata Henry, run out of Delaware on a rail for her alleged mismanagement of the state's psychiatric hospital.

Arrests for the murder of Rubin Nelson.

What the?! The MVA hired a man convicted of stealing cars, who then allegedly proceeded to ... steal cars.

What the #2?! City police executed a search warrant on the home of Bealefeld's father-in-law.. ISO child porn!

The Innocence Project has filed a complaint with the State Police against the problem-plagued city crime lab

Melanie Blevins, mother of the baby found dead behind St. John's church, was officially charged with murder. Charging docs say the baby may have also experienced "pressure to the neck." Sigh.

QTD: "Honey ... your ex-boyfriend needs an attitude adjustment. The kind given in the workshop sponsored by those famous and esteemed Americans Mssrs. Smith and Wesson."

Report challenges conventional wisdom: Postponements have little effect on conviction rates.

Seven students were arrested after a brawl at Overlea High, and a student's father was arrested for interfering while his child was being arrested. He should hook up with this lady.

Yo

Total male in total jail

Fugitive Shawn Green was arrested in PA.

224, 225, 226

A fatal shooting this morning near Pimlico race course

A fatal shooting yesterday evening on the east side at North Lakewood Avenue and East Chase Street

A man was shot to death last night on Fairlawn Ave., reportedly the 3rd person this year to be killed near the Rogers Avenue metro station.

The man stabbed to death on Jack St. last week was ID'd as Larry Gaither, 44.

What the?! A mother was taken to Central Booking and her son and another boy were hauled to juvie after a fracas with a school police officer

Police have obtained a warrant seeking the arrest of two alleged accomplices of Juwann Smith in connection with the theft of cars from the city's impound lot.

it's nice to see someone being exposed to literature

The drama!

A rooftop chase in Washington Village led to the arrests of two attempted robbers

Not one but two idiots incidents in the blotter in which would-be victims grabbed the guns of would be-robbers.

Good news: police report that violence against prostitutes has gone down

'Domestic incidents'

Dashia Jones-Jenkins, 20, was shot in the 1900 block of Madison Avenue, police say it was a 'domestic incident'

The tragic story of Veronica Williams, killed by her abusive husband in front of the North Ave. courthouse

The Sun reports that the tough economy can "push frustrated men into acts of violence."

Have you seen Quinzell Tyrell Covington, left, wanted for first-degree murder? Note giant teardrop tattoo.

A man shot in the eye; a man shot in the leg

Chinese Cuisine shooting victim Marvin Edmonds to Luke Broadwater: 'I felt like a piece of nothing'

College students and an employee of the state's attorney's office busted on hairron conspiracy charges

Good point, Greg "Kan": what happened to that $58 million?

life, it means 4ever and that's a mighty long time

Could MD's death penalty be abolished next year?

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Baltimorean Brian Nichols was spared the death penalty, but a federal death penalty pursuit may still be a possibility

A man survived being shot at Washington & Lafayette Sts. last night.

The feds are now involved in the manhunt for suspected serial rapist Michael Johnson, who's still on the lam in a Chevy Cobalt.

At Goucher College, "it's the sort of campus where everyone is friends, and now there are accused rapists among them .. a disturbing e-mail from the school's president says that insiders are raping their peers." Said a student, "Last night, there were like three Baltimore County Police here, and public safety was like all going crazy."

A Hopkins undergrad was punched for no apparent reason while walking past Blimpie's

Page Croyder blogs about "the drug addiction sham".
and QTD, re. the Ken Harris murderers: "I get tired of reading generalized sentences like Hermann’s, or articles that describe criminals who 'slipped through' the system or the cracks before they commit a truly heinous crime. In order to slip through there first must be an effort to catch them."

You should laugh too if it happens to you

So Dixon is outraged at that video of girls laughing as a man is shot. But any girl who has ever had to play cute to get out of a scary situation will immediately recognize that the "laugher" is a hero-- she did exactly the right thing to save the life or her and her friend!

If "L" had fled or protested or stared at the shooters or looked too interested she might have been killed. But what she did was actually quite smart and her body language tells the story. At first, as the incident begins to go down, she sees what's happening and quickly moves towards the door and her friend. You can see the fear on her face and her shocked expression. Then she realizes they can't get out. She smiles, not towards her friend but towards the shooters, to communicate she's no threat.
She smiles to project "we're giggly girls in our own world, we're not concerned about you," and as soon as she and her friend could safely escape, they do.

That girl is a model. If you're ever in a life-threatening situation like that, you do what you need to get out alive!

Poor Suge, so snitched upon

Nine shootings this week, including two 15-year-old boys, mapped by spotcrime

Police and the FBI raided what JZ's calling a "Crips gang house" at 225 S. Hilton Street this morning

The State's Attorney's Office reports that at a hearing today, Judge John N. Prevas sentenced Anthony White, 24, of the 200 block of S. Smallwood St. to 50 years in prison suspending all but 25 years. White pled guilty October 22, 2008 to second-degree murder in connection to the May 15, 2007 shooting death of Deandre Salmond. Salmond was found shot to death in the 500 block of S. Smallwood St. Last week Judge Prevas sentenced White’s cousin, Patrick Wilkes, to 100 years in prison suspending all but 60 years for the above murder and two separate murders.

Skinny "I hope you catch AIDS in your mouth and your lips the first thing that die" Suge was snitched upon once again, an informant ratted out his illicit prison cell phone.

Laugh so you don't cry?

Luke Broadwater somehow got that video of girls laughing as a man is shot, now it's hit YouTube and will no doubt soon show up on one of those Nancy Grace-ish cable tv shows. It is kind of weird.. why do you think the girls are laughing?

Four defendants were convicted in federal court this week under RICO, prosecutors say Bo, Rock, Weazy and Goo are responsible for five murders, drug trafficking, armed robberies and writing rap lyrics that threatened witnesses.

Report: Angelo Ford (#202) was killed trying to convince drug dealers to relocate

Youths attacked a homeless man in the blotter

'Fat Eric' Brown, got 30 fat federal years yesterday in connection with the contract murder of Angelo Stringfellow, alleged Baltimore drug lord

Students robbed at a party on Lake Avenue

Yesterday evening, "Police in Baltimore County said an argument over a Play Station led to a 13-year-old boy stabbing his 16-year-old brother."

A Hopkins student mugged on 32nd street

Lots of the theft in the Northern in the Messenger blotter

HoCo accused killer Antajuan Wilson on why he did it: "I've built my life on not lettin' nobody disrespect me"

220, 221? 223?

"A man was shot last night on a street in the Ellwood Park-Monument neighborhood in East Baltimore and died later at a hospital."

A man was found shot in the head in Brooklyn, but there may be some question about the cause of his death

The Ink details seven homicides from Dec. 1 through 7, including Leroy Boxdale and Donnell Williams Jr., which I haven't seen reported anywhere else

Mayor horrified by video of carryout restaurant patrons laughing, stepping over shooting victim to get their food. More on the CJCC meeting from Anna Ditkoff

QTD: Bealefeld on violent offenders-- "These folks are not sitting at home contemplating stock futures"

Hermann du jour: "A mother says best thing she ever did was leave city"

The skateboarder of "Cop Vs. Skateboarder" fame is suing the city.

Have sex offender restrictions gone too far?

Like, duh
"City resident wonders if tow truck drivers are on the take"

Greg Kane is apparently the latest victim of the "gang initiation" urban legend e-mail forward

Shootings, Car Chases and Jackassery

Shootings
A 41-year-old man was wounded in a shooting on the east side last night

Attorneys for Gary Collins, accused in the murder of Ken Harris, plan to challenge the legality of the warrants used to seize his DNA

County dad got 10 years for killing son on Father's day

Car Chases
Hunt continues for the PA alleged serial rapist, the DA says he's a danger to himself. Predictions?

"Baltimore Man Behind Wheel In Wild Two-State Big Rig Chase"

Car stolen from city impound lot resurfaces in VA

Jackassery
Your tax $ at work: we can all breathe easier with a 62-year-old pot-smoking ecologist off the streets

A 15-year-old is in stable condition after being shot on S. Fulton St. & W. Fulton Ave.

Alleged rapist on the hoof

Michael L. Johnson Jr., the PA official charged with kidnapping and raping a Highlandtown drug addict, is suspected of being a serial rapist and is now on the run in a Chevy Cobalt.

Horrid: mom of four Shanika Pretlow murdered because her "boyfriend" thought she had HIV

According to the SAO, today Tyyea Gee, 23, was found guilty of violation of probation for a new conviction for fourth-degree sex offense and was sentenced to 9 years. But why was he out at all? Says the press release,

In April 2005 Gee was convicted of three counts of Armed Robbery, one count of Robbery and 2 counts of Assault in the first degree. At that time he was sentenced to 15 years with 10 years suspended and placed on 5 years probation upon his release. Gee was released from incarceration on November 9, 2007. While on probation, Gee was arrested on a new charge of fourth-degree sex offense. Gee was convicted on November 20, 2008 and he was sentenced to 1 year in prison by the Honorable John Howard. The new conviction violated Tyyea Gee’s probation.

Today's federal sentences include 10 years for crack and 10 1/2 years for crack & a sawed-off shotgun

More on Ronald Jackson, the 14-year-old murdered while delivering fruit-- police believe it was mistaken identity.

"Two teens charged in backhoe rampage"

County police are looking for a suspect who's robbed three gas stations and assaulted a clerk. Unfortunately, the pictures aren't very helpful.

Tribune = Bankrupt!

It's official, and the WSJ calls it "among the least surprising potential bankruptcies ever."
Horrible news for Sun employees.

And in other grim news, the NYTimes Co. is planning to borrow against its building to stay afloat.

:(

218, 219

Good Jeebus!
A 14-year-old boy was shot to death while taking fruit to an elderly neighbor!

and Darrell Keith, 24, was shot by two unknown men near Park Heights.

Head of the police union Robert Cherry attributes recent homicide spikes to cuts in police overtime, Col. Rick Hite blames "desperate times," and Hermann says "we're just stuck with the rhetoric"

copious amounts of makeup fighting the ravages of time

The York Daily Record explains Highlandtown to Pennsylvanians: "You look at these women. You can get an STD just looking at them."

Tribune = Bankrupt?

Uh oh. The Wally Jay reports that the Tribune Co., owner of the Baltimore Sun, is "preparing for a possible filing for bankruptcy-court protection as soon as this week." Yike! "The company's cash flow may not be enough to cover nearly $1 billion in interest payments due this year, and Tribune owes a $512 million debt payment in June." The company's been staying ahead of its debt payments so far by selling off assets, but is running out of options.
More from the NYT

217

A man died after being shot in the face in Mt. Vernon

A robbery suspect was reportedly shot after attempting to run a city officer over with his car.

Spotcrime reports a shooting and stabbing on Denmore Ave. near the Pimlico race course.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested for the Sept. murder of Derrick Reed, 15 (#161).

Vocab word of the day: poltroonish, as in, are poltroonish gang members ritually murdering women on Halloween as part of an initiation rite?

Hermann talks to the parents of Annie McCann, who died mysteriously in the city.

& speaking of mysterious deaths, The Examiner makes a good point: even if you buy chief ME Fowler's explanation for the classification of hundreds of deaths as 'undetermined', that still doesn't excuse the office's violation of freedom of information laws!

216

An unid'd man shot to death in CHuM.

Allegation: teen Timothy Oxendine, indicted for murder last Wednesday, was being bullied by victim Markel Williams.

At Carver vo-tech High, witnesses say a student punched a school police officer with a closed fist, then the officer jumped on top of the student and beat him with a stick!
"An internal review of the incident is being conducted"

Police to stoopin' teens: "You'll be in a place with no homies ... You will understand what it's like to feel vulnerable, about what it means to be sexed into a gang." (?)

ME's Office= Sketchy?

"The state medical examiner is refusing to release basic information — full names and locations — about hundreds of deaths classified as 'undetermined' in Baltimore." The ME's office currently has about 700 deaths in the "undetermined" category, says Peter Hermann (apparently the only guy in the state the ME will speak to).

a 16-year-old girl allegedly stabbed her grandfather in the back six times

... more on the murder of Dawn Williams-Stewart, who was apparently killed trying to leave her psycho husband

Guess what, Dude?!

World's oldest pot stash found!

.. and OJ just got 15... or was it 16? or 33? years in jail. Karma!

Inactive, Unclassified

Five years after the death of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Luna, the case is 'inactive'

Janis on one of the city's hundreds of "unclassifed" deaths

Judge's son pleads guilty: some apples actually fall pretty far from the tree

#215, and a policewoman stealing cars?

... and what other shiteousness did we miss? Well... eight murders, for starters, including:

A man shot to death in the 3400 block of Park Heights Ave., Hermann reports it was a drug-revenge killing, ravaging, yet defining, the neighborhood

Four homicide victims ID'd: Perrish Parker, 14; Darren Davis, 26; Troy Brown, 45; Alton Alston, 19.

In other craptacular news,
"A Baltimore police officer and her husband are now the targets of an expanding investigation into vehicles stolen from the city’s Pulaski Highway impound lot, a law enforcement source told The Examiner this week."

Methadone mom Vernice Harris is reportedly not doing so well in rehab.

A PA former police officer was arrested for abducting and raping a heroin addict

But in better news, county police arrested one Rex Wesley for the murder of Donna Brown (ex-wife of Warren), and made arrests in two other murders.

Demented dad Mark Castillo was zapped with a Tazer when he tried to walk out of a courtroom in MoCo

Over at the BJ watch, anticipation is building for Empriss' court date

... and Michael Phelps is dating a stripper.

Friday

Domestic killings and police shootings in Baltimore County are apparently free of gender bias.

Donny Moses on a West Baltimore Thanksgiving day triple stabbing: "It was a family gathering, a family argument and a family cutting."

An Arnold man was shot in Annapolis early this morning, and a Hagerstown man was stabbed near the Washington County Hospital.

Hermann on Shock Trauma's attempts to lower DWIs.

205, 206

An un-ID'd man was fatally shot on St. Lo Dr. near Lake Clifton High School yesterday evening, and police are unsure whether the victim is a teen or adult.

A few hours earlier, a dead man was found in a BMW in Cockeysville.

39-year-old Isiah Benjamin was the man who was fatally shot while sitting in his girlfriend's car in the 6600 block of Eberle Ct. on Saturday night.

Michelle Ha is getting into the Thanksgiving spirit.

Tips on how to shop safe, including "book it to the car and hop in."

The naked preacher

David Briggs, the alleged nutso who allegedly slashed Aysha Ring's throat, allegedly likes to preach naked. (WJZ has video, but none of it's nekkid.)

Baltimore's schools are as wacky as ever: students attack teachers, parents attack teachers, students attack each other, students attack bathrooms... all we need now is a little bit of teacher-on-teacher action.

Hey, looks like the good folks at North Ave. might be running things at Jessup, too.

The owner of a shady moving company offered to email proof of his company's trustworthiness to Luke B., but the email has yet to arrive.

Ha ha ha, funny funny, ha, that's a good joke. Jackass.

Detectives in the county arrested David Aaron Briggs, 23, for the the murder of Aysha Ring; police say Briggs and Ring didn't know each other.

204

A quadruple shooting in the Southwest, in the first block of N. Monastery Avenue, and the victims are reportedly all juveniles, & sounds like they're all still alive!

A man shot to death in Worser Waverly.

More on the teen-on-teen murder at William H. Lemmel Middle School

Homicide victim #194 was ID'd as Donte Graham, 21.
#196 was named as Charles Hogans, 45.

What the?! Tenants evicted over management company's unpaid water bills

City jury awards tugboat deckhand $7.1 million

Narcotics, murder, child abuse, kidnapping a minor... all on Wednesday's criminal court docket

QTD:

"there is a strong undercurrent in this city that the Harris murder was given significant[ly] more attention, resources, and determination than hardly any other murders get. And only the 'connected' have the police on their side."

Or, Mr. Cynicalpants, maybe the crime lab's now cleared the backlog of 24,000 DNA samples they had last year, and these "perps'" samples just happened to be next in line!

Funeral tomorrow

at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen on Charles Street for former Baltimore police officer and school teacher Samuel Hicks, killed in the line of duty as an FBI agent in PA.

201, 202, 203

"Three killed in shootings within three hours in Baltimore; fourth victim injured in first shooting"
Adama Diara, 22, was the victim of what police say was an attempted robbery gone bad. The deuce ID's 6 p.m.'s victim as Angelo Ford, 49.

No bail for Timothy Oxendine, 14, accused of stabbing 15-year-old Markel Williams to death behind Lemmel Middle School in West Baltimore

In the county, Aysha Dawn Ring, 24, died after her throat was slashed at Charing Cross Liquors on Saturday, police published a video still of the suspect but say they don't know yet who the guy was or what his motive might have been.

Have you seen any of these three missing Maryland teens?

a little less death

Overdose deaths in the city have allegedly gone down by 24 percent, and methadone overdoses are down by half!
?: 67% of overdose victims were male.
Why would that be?

199, 200

A 15-year-old student was fatally stabbed outside William H. Lemmel Middle School this afternoon.

Veronica Williams, 28, the woman stabbed by her husband by Eastside District Court on North Avenue, died yesterday. She's just been granted a restraining order moments before.

Juwanna know how a car got off the city impound lot?

No gag order in the Ken Harris murder case.

Armed robbery conviction

A Baltimore City jury convicted Jermaine Southern AKA Swilling, 35, of the 400 block of E. Eager St. of two counts of armed robbery and two counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence today following a two day trial.

Armed robbery carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. Use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence carries a maximum of 20 years. Judge Timothy J. Doory scheduled sentencing for January 15, 2009.

On March 20, 2007 at approximately 9:50PM in the 500 block of Centre St. both victims were walking home from a play at the Baltimore School for the Arts when Southern approached and pointed black revolver at both, ordering them to “give me your bags.” The first victim handed over her bag, which contained her wallet, credit cards, US currency, paperwork, and keys. The second victim threw her bag, which contained her wallet, credit cards, $30-$40 US currency, paycheck, cell phone and keys to the ground and Southern grabbed it. On April 30, 2007, both victims positively identified Jermaine Southern in photo arrays. Further investigation revealed that Southern used the phone within an hour of the robbery to call his sister. No gun was recovered. None of the victims’ effects were ever recovered.

Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Leedy of the General Trial Division prosecuted this case.

.. how much time will he get?

Speaking of School for the Arts, 1986 video of Jada Pinkett and 15-year-old future murder victim Tupac, lip-synching to Will Smith in the school's hallowed halls!

197, 198

In the Ink, Anna Ditkoff reports that two murders from earlier this year have been added to the toll, including Eunice Taylor, a 69-year-old woman allegedly pushed to death by her granddaughter.
More on the legal issues from P. Hermann

"Bad Trip: Fells Point Mushroom Bust Snares a Guns-and-Drugs Convict"

A lot of people have asked for updates on the Annie McCann story.
PP sent this article from the Mt. Vernon Gazette, which answers nothing

Pellet-Arm Girl and the Southern district BJ tax on the John Watch.

QTD: "an expungement is a lot like wearing an Armani suit without taking a shower — your outer appearance is flawless but, just beneath the surface, is a smelly little secret you hope no one will discover."

"What do you do when your client opts for death?"