2 Homicide Defendants Reject Plea and Head to Trial

By Baltimore Witness Staff - April 29, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On April 29, the prosecution detailed one plea offer delivered to one of two co-defendants charged with homicides. Details of the other plea offer were not mentioned in court. Regardless, both defendants decided to reject the deals before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn.

Christopher Brown, 21, and Daran Horton, 22 are charged with first and second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, manslaughter, first and second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, use of a firearm during a felony violent crime, loaded handgun on person, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, and wearing/carrying a handgun on their person in connection to an incident on Jan. 14, 2020. 

Brown is also charged with possession of a firearm as a minor. 

Horton is also charged with possession of a firearm. 

During reception court on Friday, Judge Phinn listened as the prosecutor presented Horton with a plea of life suspending all but 40 years with the first five years without parole for first-degree murder, use of a firearm during a felony conviction, and possession of a firearm with a felony conviction.

Brown was also offered a plea, but the specifics were not mentioned 

Horton and his defense attorney, Josh Insely, and Brown and his defense attorney, Linda Zeti, rejected the offers. 

According to Baltimore Fox, Brown and Horton were at the Alameda Shopping Center with Cordelle and Cornelius Bruce. During that time, an argument broke out between Cordelle, Brown, Horton, and their associates about a botched marijuana sale. Soon after leaving the shopping center, Brown, Horton, and another individual hunted Cordelle down, locating him on the 1100 block of Belvedere Avenue and shot and killed him.

In the days after Cordelle’s murder, investigators learned that Cornelius, Jimmy Murphy, and an unknown individual seeking to avenge Cordelle’s murder, conducted a retaliatory shooting that resulted in Cornelius Bruce being shot and killed by Murphy.

Brown and Horton’s trial is scheduled for Sept. 2.