Two city twentysomethings were arrested in AAC for stealing catalytic converters.

Getting Away With Murder: a Primer

We've been long curious as to why Baltimore & MD have such astronomical rates of "undetermined" deaths compared to other areas; this J&B story about the postmortem of suspected prostitute Tyra McClary, who apparently tied herself up, removed her own underwear and buried herself, is enlightening.

Fifteen years for first-degree murder: it never ceases to shock the shit outta me. Today's lucky winner of that incredible deal was Marcus L. Pettiford, 22, of the 2000 of E. 31st Street, who pled guilty and got 50 years, all but 15 suspended, and 5 years probation from Judge Charles G. Bernstein. Details:

On June 5, 2007 at approximately 12:04AM in the 1700 block of East 30th Street Pettiford approached Tyrone Bonner, 29. After a brief argument, Pettiford pulled out a handgun and shot Bonner five times. Pettiford and an alleged co-defendant fled on foot. Emergency personnel transported Bonner to Johns Hopkins hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:33AM. Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Felsen of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

See, it's dangerous in the burbs, too: a man was shot in the neck ... or was it the jaw? outside of the Manhattan Grill in Perry Hall.

Wouldn't You Know it

Rasslin' Luke Broadwater's butt-stapling story got picked up by PerezHilton.com-- with 3 million views, that easily makes it the Ex's most-read story ever!
PS., the buttmenz paper chain has endorsed McCain.
... seems a little premature, but that's how mavericks roll I guess!

Creepy: "Lawyers have started Googling and Facebooking prospective jurors to get a sense of whether they want them on the jury."

#163

A 28-year-old man died after he was found inside a van (... or was it a car?) at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1700 block of North Broadway in east Baltimore with gunshot wounds.

A man was shot in the leg and calf in south Baltimore; a woman was carjacked north of Butcher's Hill

Tyrell D. Tyler, 19, was convicted of attempted murder and gun charges.

A Paki guy got 33 Rosenstein months for his role in a green card/ buttlegging/ bribery conspiracy.

What the?! "Sheriff's deputies in southern Maryland on Monday continued to investigate the discovery of the bodies of two small children in a freezer"

A witness in the barbershop beating contradicts detective Love's account of the events.

?! Police collect criminal DNA from scenes, but tell lab to ignore it.

Tragic: a MD state police helicopter crashed this morning, killing two troopers, a medical technician and an accident victim.

... just what Baltimore nightlife needs: more bureaucracy.

Qs of the day: Why is MD's infant mortality rate as lousy as Uruguay's?

Why was a Bmore police officer forced to look at KKK web sites?

Nine Shootings This Week

... mapped by Spotcrime.

Friday

A man was found fatally shot in the head in Northwest Baltimore this Morning.

Police are seeking a Pennsylvania man - connected with killing a Pennsylvania woman - whose getaway car has been found in the City. This leads me to think that everyone knows this is a criminal haven.

Rule one of criminal buffoonery: Reach for an officer's pistol, while out on bail and at a drug stop.

The Funeral of former Councilman Kenneth Harris was covered by The Examiner, and The Sun.

As this happens, the Baltimore Crime Beat - not to be confused with our Baltimore Crime Blog here - discusses Northwood Plaza, where Harris was shot, as well as dialogue on what to do with it.

He said, they said: A witness is alleging that a Baltimore Officer and Baltimore County Sheriff's deputy beat on a man who they claimed got away. No word yet on whether he actually just "fell down some stairs".

Annals of Witness Intimidation

The claim: While his client got tanna in Guyana, attorney Robert Simels hatched plans that involved "eliminating" witnesses and "neutralizing" their testimony.

Also today, says the office of the Head Ho Slappa, (copy-edited by me):

a jury found Wayne Morris, 22 of the 300 block of S. Calhoun Street guilty of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. The jury deliberated for approximately one day following testimony. Morris was found not guilty of witness intimidation and second-degree assault. His sentencing is set for October 28. The maximum penalty on all charges under Maryland law is 20 years in prison. Maryland enacted a new law in 2005 that changed the maximum penalty for witness intimidation to 20 years in prison.

Following his April 2006 arrest for a home invasion and murder, Morris was charged with witness intimidation, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to commit assault after investigators reviewed more than 36 phone calls Morris made from Baltimore City Jail. In those phone calls, Morris commanded and directed persons to take action against the witnesses in the murder case in an attempt to prevent their testimony in his trial, including a pregnant witness. Morris can be heard in many calls, played in open court, describing how he wanted to get out of jail and come home, and needed help to eliminate witness testimony to thwart his murder case.

On August 27, 2008 Morris was convicted of second-degree murder, five counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, two counts of robbery deadly weapon, two counts of attempted robbery deadly weapon, four counts of assault and 4-counts of conspiracy to rob in the home invasion. In that matter, Judge Clifton J. Gordy scheduled sentencing for October 28, 2008.

On April 20, 2006 Morris kicked down the door at 1404 Kuper Street, announced a robbery, and shot and killed an occupant of the home, Robert Atkinson, 47. One victim was pistol-whipped and two victims, including a pregnant woman, were assaulted. All were robbed of various items on their person including cash and cell phones.

A lot of examiner Love for Ken Harris

You have to give respect to the Baltimore Examiner. Despite the unwieldy website - which I'm finally learning to navigate - they did a good job of covering the reactions to the death of former city councilman Kenneth Harris, Sr.

Gregory Kane summarizes his view of Harris' legacy and how we as citizens can remember him best. True to a good Gregory Kane writing, his view is peppered with his cynicism towards the city, with quotes such as:

When Baltimore voters rejected him, I saw it as a rejection of accountability. I figured Baltimoreans — who acted like true, bona fide Balti-morons in this instance — really didn’t want the answers to those questions Harris put to Brown, or want to know about those sloppy budgets the school board put out or budget deficits of $58 million. Balti-morons would get exactly the municipal government we deserved.

Michael Olesker is saddened but disgusted with us for the death, arguing that most citizens have become numb to the murders in baltimore until people like Ken Harris get killed. What Olesker doesn't know is that our government has assured us that only bad people die in Baltimore.

Luke Broadwater reflects on his final interview with Harris, who, perhaps in a case of irony, was discussing another victim of crime.

Stephen Janis has collected some quotes from Harris, which shows him to be a squeaky wheel in a grease-free city government.

The BPD has pledged all of its resources to solve the death of Harris. That sounds like a good idea, since the other people killed didn't deserve the same treatment. I know, more bad people killed, yes...

Frank Conway and the Family wants to help pay to lower gun crimes. Political? Yes. But hey, I don't see Sheila Dixon offering any fur coats, do you?

Plenty of activities in the Local Blotter too. After all, the law abiding citizens won't scare and concern themselves.

15-year-old is #161

The Baltimore Sun reports that a 15-year-old shot in the abdomen last night on the 2500 block of Aisquith Street has died at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

One Sketch-Ass Mall

Day late, dollar short dept: "Police are preparing for a sweeping search of the neighborhood where former City Councilman Ken Harris was murdered three days ago." ... The Northeast has been plagued by violence and robberies-- more so than usual, I guess. ... Stolen autos, shootings, robberies and shoplifting around the Northwood plaza strip mall since July, mapped by Spotcrime ... ... and Gus Sentementes guest-blogs about a young Ken Harris on "Crime Beat."

The Murder Ink is up to 159, puts names to the numbers
(Our count is one off of the Ink's and two off of the PD's, wonder why? Did the police take off the two "justifieds"?)

Overhead on the scanner: armed robbery at about 7 p.m. in the 800 block of Guilford Avenue, suspect described as a "#1 male, armed and dangerous" (thanks, that narrows it down!)

You hope summer's out of reach: a geezer with a metal detector found a hand grenade on the beach in OC.

ME: No Drugs Involved in K-Swift's Death

Drugs & alcohol have been ruled out in the death of K-Swift; her death was attributed to neck injuries.

A 15-year-old was arrested for shooting a 9-year-old.

County police are looking for a white guy with a neck tattoo who robbed the Northwest Savings Bank.

An 11-year-old girl stabbed with scissors, a guy shot with a bb gun and a man stabbed in the head, neck, back and an arm by robbers after disembarking from a bus.

The death penalty commission has held its last hearing. Police are investigating the death of an inmate at Central Booking. But what story gets top billing in the Examiner's crime pages?

Speaking of the big D, the trial of Baltimorean-turned-alleged-courthouse-killer Brian Nichols is finally underway in Atlanta after years of delay. Here's that New Yorker article about Nichols and Georgia's "death penalty paradox."

The crappy economy is making it tougher for sperminators to make child support payments, and the city is grappling with what to do with crazy, drug-addicted "parents."

American Taliban

... at first it sounded a little over the top, but after reading this, I'm not so sure.

So Many Bullets

A 50-year-old man was shot in the stomach on Howard Street this morning.

A man was shot multiple times on Saturday on Pulaski Highway.
Also robberies in Bolton Hill.

Police have released pictures of the nightmarish mask used by one of the gunmen in Ken Harris' murder, which may have been used in other crimes. Reports conflict on where Harris was shot: "ambushed" by the club's front door, or while fleeing to his car. The E reveals that the New Haven lounge had been robbed once before in the past three months. No new information on the mysterious woman in the car.

A MD student was killed in MA, and a MD doctor was killed in Pakistan.

County police are looking for a burgundy Chevy Suburban with front-end damage that was involved in a hit-and-run that killed a man in Woodlawn.
AAC Police are also looking for a light-colored 1990s American van, implicated in a fatal hit-and-run involving a motorcycle in Glen Burnie.

Fights breakout! The smell of alcohol on the suspect's breathe! Reports spread through hearsay! A party at Towson's University Union led an arrest, a hospital visit and linguistic horrors in the Towerlight.

Anna Sowers has a guest column in today's Examiner regarding Jessamy's response to the jury bias report.

WTF?!?! Kenneth N. Harris Sr. Killed!

... reportedly by three gunmen robbing the New Haven Lounge in the Northwood Plaza mall, who shot him as he was running away to his car!
And the killers are still on the loose.
Unfuckingbelieveable!
JZ has video of the police press conference. Bealefeld reveals that police found a mask similar to the "Scream" mask and Harris' wallet nearby.
More on Harris from a vintage CP article and a Wikipedia bio.

More Fun With Rod and Pat

One Allen Gill got 40 years of three hots & a cot for drug dealing and three murders. Sounds like a pretty good deal, actually...

An MVA photo machine, stolen mail, a Washington Post article, medical scrubs and fake canes = one seriously elaborate identity-theft scam.

Tree Top Piru ran gang from prison, gets sentenced to more prison.

There's something you never see in the city... police busting car riflers.

Feisty Meisty: "Is it possible to start a Dixon prosecution fund?"

18 Shootings this Week

Eighteen people shot since last Friday, mapped by Spotcrime (note Boston St. was a double).

Noon(ish)

Thomas Moylan, an inmate at Central Booking, died after being found unconscious in a shower on Wednesday night. In previous conversations with his mother, he alleged inadequate mistreatment.

There were two more nonfatal shootings in Baltimore, one in the Northeast, and one in the west where a guy caught a bullet in the bum bum. Take that, Tom Green!

Shootings and stabbings in Baltimore City, and burgled homes in Baltimore County. Even the blotter can show the stark differences between the two jurisdictions.

Peter Hermann discusses helping those who won't help themselves, Baltimore judiciary style.

A bad time to be named Deandre...

In another "win" for the good guys, Deandre Brown, 20, pled guilty of shooting at four police officers and was sentenced to (life with all suspended but) 25 years. And we wonder why its difficult to hire more of Baltimore's finest...

Homes Burgled! Cars yanked! Vacuums... sucked away? All this and more in today's blotter.

Local Campuses:
At Johns Hopkins University, start watching your bikes.