New journalism takes a hit

Acorn videographers busted breaking into Senator's office Watergate style

Life + 70 for Belair Rd. Murderer

From the SAO:

At a hearing today, Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced Dominic Brown, 29, of the 1300 block of Vida Drive to life in prison plus 70 years. A Baltimore jury convicted Brown October 30, 2009 of first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and two counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence.

Judge Hears sentenced Brown to the following: life in prison for first-degree murder, 30 years in prison for attempted second-degree murder and 40 years in prison (first five years without parole) for two counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, all consecutive.

On May 4, 2008, Sean Henderson and a group of friends were inside La’Son’s Bar and Grill located in the 3200 block of Belair Road. Henderson left the bar and spoke with two women outside the bar. Witnesses observed Dominic Brown approach Henderson and the two women. Brown began yelling at one of the women, the mother of his son. Shortly thereafter, Brown produced a handgun from his waistband and fired it at Henderson multiple times. As Henderson attempted to run southbound on Belair Road, he was struck once in the chest, once in the back, and once in the forearm. Witnesses observed Brown flee northbound on Belair Road. At approximately 1:54AM officers responded to that location for a shooting call. Upon arrival, officers found Henderson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics transported Henderson to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:31AM. A second victim, Christopher Pinkney, suffered a single gunshot wound to the right knee and entered Johns Hopkins Hospital on his own a short time after the arrival of Henderson. The investigation revealed Pinkney was not a target but was inadvertently shot as he exited a store located next to La’Son’s Bar and Grill.

Your Tax $ at Work

HR2450, a bill going to committee, would require non-Federal prisons and correctional facilities holding Federal prisoners under a contract with the Federal Government to make the same information available to the public that Federal prisons and correctional facilities are required to make available.

As of now, "companies that run private prisons say they are not required to disclose basic information about the facilities or the inmates -- except for reports issued upon an inmate's death -- under existing FOIA law because while they receive taxpayer money, they are not public agencies."

Wonder what these agencies could possibly have to hide?

11

View Larger Map
Unidentified man, shot around 9:30 p.m. last night in the 1900 block of Aisquith Street.

"Baltimore police are investigating the rape of a woman inside her home in Reservoir Hill, and are trying to determine whether it's related to a series of other attacks in recent months."

What the? ACORN "pimp" arrested in phone-tapping scheme

and is the Obama administration really more transparent?

More on the jailed sex offender still on city payroll

Serving out a prison term for sexual abuse of a minor didn't stop Dennis McLaughlin from collecting his city pay check. Now DPW investgators are trying to find out who submitted fake leave slips from in Baltimore County lock-up on charges of impersonating a police officer.

Meanwhile, Dixon staffers are given 24 hours to submit resumes or clean out their desks.

Small world!

One of the people charged in the counterfeit money/ drug bust last week was on federal probation for her involvement in the firebombing of the home of community activist Edna McAbier. Surely you remember that one: "the leader of the area Bloods initially wanted to shoot her in the head with a shotgun, but the gang dismissed the idea as not dramatic enough."
McAbier still lives in hiding, as far as we know... unlike at least one of her would-be killers!

Need some churchin'?

Need some churchin'? Drop by the 2010 Interfaith Vigil Against Violence at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral up on Charles Street, "organizaed" by the Baltimore Interfaith Coalition

LoLz: "Baltimore PoliceDept GUN ARRESTS: BPD seizes 14 illegal guns over the weekend including one from a man impersonating a police officer at a flea market."

"Hundreds Of Shoes Found In Bags Along Md. Creek"

Don't Miss

...NPR's story on the Bail Bonds industry. All kinds of interesting!
Thnx PP

Also interesting: NYT on transgender name-changes. I wonder at what point, according to MD law, does someone undergoing a sex change officially become the other gender?

10

View Larger Map
Three men arrested for the stabbing death of Marine Pfc. Darius Ray, 20, at a house party early Saturday morning at a party at 6908 McClean Blvd.

Police "experimenting with new patrol strategies to counteract the hordes of drunken barhoppers who flood the streets at last call"

A victim's daughter talks to the reporter who wrote about her mother's murder in the NYT Fashion & Style section.

Baltimore John Watch

Page Croyder on the Guilford kidnapper: "if getting the conviction was so important that it justified probation, why didn’t they do something meaningful when [John] Couplin was arrested again while on that probation?"
Three weeks ago Croyder wrote about another John, John Miller: "Jessamy['s] attorneys clearly don’t have the records that they need, and they lack the training to recognize and properly handle threats ... This is something Jessamy could have fixed years ago and still hasn’t. Yet soon she will be running around Annapolis telling the 2010 General Assembly all the things she could do with more criminal laws."
...Jessamy was appointed (by Glendening I guess) to the Office of the State's Attorney in 1995 and has won three elections.
Fifteen years ago! And no one has ever mounted a credible threat against her for that office, ever!
Amazeballs!

No Money for Moms Day

HoCo jury won't give $700k to dirtbike mom

And no $$ for mother of Terrell Suggs' children, who asked the court to dismiss her protective order and a $70 million lawsuit ... "an attorney for the player said the couple is trying to reconcile."

Ooh, counterfeit money!

Reports the BPD,

On January 21st, at about 645 hrs. Officers from the Central District Operations Squad observed a gold Pontiac grand prix in the 1600 block of Mcculloh street believed to be involved in suspected drug activity.

The officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop at which time the vehicle then fled. The officers were able to follow the vehicle and give out a good description to assiting units. As the vehicle crossed into the Western District, BPD's Violent Crime Impact Section assisted in following the vehicle.

The occupants bailed out and ran into 2312 Avalon ave. Officers secured the dwelling at which time observing drugs in plain view. A warrant was obtained and $22,245.00 in cash, of which $15,580.00 was counterfeit, was seized along with 7 Ziplock bags of heroin and a 1/2 oz of raw heroin.

It gets better

Union officials believe convicted sex offender Dennis McLaughlin was dipping into sick leave reserved for employees with lengthy illnesses so he could keep getting paid while in prison.

Have you seen...

Eighteen-year-old Logan Krywucki, last seen in the area of Windsor Mill Road and Lord Baltimore Drive.

Two murders connected by a car

A man posing as a maintenance worker tried to rob a guest at the Harbor Marriott

"Maryland State Police say the Baltimore police department is the first agency in the state to make more than 100 arrests using the statewide DNA database"

Dropped

Prosecutors drop charges against union square community activist Chris Taylor, the result of a controversial arrest. More from the Sun

Creepin and peepin

"Md. bill would outlaw keeping a corpse in freezer"

Aieee! County police are ISO a man who's been breaking into women's homes to watch them sleep at night. Wonder if there's any relation to this peeper from last August? Or if he's friends with this guy? Or swaps notes with Clinton Gardner or Brian Eui Hong?

The slow, slow wheels of justice...

Trial began for "Skinny Suge" and a co-defendant in federal court today. It's been two years since "Suge" was indicted, and three years since he immortalized the chestnut, "I hope you [snitches] catch AIDS in your mouth and your lips the first thing that die."

Two murderers

From the SAO, links added:

At a hearing today before his scheduled trial was to begin, Quadir Butcher, 20, of the 2200 block of E. Mount Holly Street pled guilty to first-degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence.

Judge Sylvester Cox sentenced Butcher to life in prison suspend all but 40 years for the murder count and a concurrent 20 years in prison, first five years without the possibility of parole for the handgun count and five years probation.

On June 2, 2008, witness(es) identified Quadir Butcher as the person responsible for a double shooting in the 3100 block of Clifton Avenue. The two victims were on the porch of their residence at approximately 8:30PM that day when Butcher approached them, produced a handgun and shot the first victim, Derrell Smith in the neck. The other victim was shot in the abdomen and leg and survived. Derrell Smith died later at University of Maryland Shock Trauma.

...so, mathletes, how many years will Mr. Butcher actually serve? Also ....

A Baltimore jury convicted Demetrius Smith, 26, of the 400 block of Parrish Street, yesterday of first-degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. The trial lasted one week and jurors deliberated approximately two-and-a-half hours before reaching its verdict.

Judge Timothy J. Doory scheduled sentencing for February 22, 2010 at which time Smith faces a maximum possible prison term of life plus 20 years.

On March 24, 2008 at approximately 8:50 a.m. officers responded to the 400 block of Stricker Street were they found the victim, Robert Long, lying on the ground shot twice in the head. The victim died from his injuries and an autopsy determined that the cause of death was homicide. Witnesses were located who identified the Smith as the person who shot and killed Long. Additionally, witnesses were able to provide information regarding the motive of the murder; Smith was a drug dealer and Long found Smith’s heroine {sic} stash while rehabbing an abandoned house on Parrish Street. Long took the drugs and shortly thereafter Smith located him and walked him out to a secluded area in a local park and killed him.

On July 12, 2008 Smith posted $350,000 bail following a bail review hearing in which the State argued that Smith should be held without bail. On August 27, 2008 Smith allegedly shot a victim in the leg during a street robbery in the 400 block of S. Parrish Street. The victim survived and Smith’s attempted murder trial is also scheduled to begin February 22, 2010.

And don't miss this week's CP cover feature: "Rising Tide: Baltimore's 2009 homicide toll goes against national trends by going up"

9

Raymond Gibson, 21, shot to death at 2:45 in the afternoon on N. Caroline Street (reported as the 1400 block by police and the 1700 block by the Sun.)