Judge Schedules Trial for Double-Homicide Defendant Previously Deemed Incompetent

By Sage Cho - February 28, 2025
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Victims |

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland scheduled a March 3 jury trial for double-homicide defendant Dandre Woods-Bethel on Feb. 28.

Woods-Bethel, 28, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted first-degree murder, five counts of firearm use in a felony or violent crime, and one count of having a handgun on his person in connection to the Sept. 12, 2020 fatal shootings of Julie Rice, 46, and Michelle Green, 23. 

It remains unclear whether the case, which is over four years old, will finally enter the trial phase in March. Woods-Bethel has been deemed incompetent to stand trial multiple times, causing numerous trial postponements.

According to charging documents, officers responded to the 2800 block of Clifton Park Terrace after Woods-Bethel called to confess to a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located Rice and Green lying on the front porch of the scene, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to their torsos. Both victims were transported to the emergency room at Johns Hopkins hospital, where Rice was pronounced dead and Green was listed in critical condition. Green eventually succumbed to her injuries. 

Officers then responded to Woods-Bethel’s residence in the same block. He surrendered himself immediately. Preliminary investigations revealed that Rice and Green had been standing where officers found them, when Woods-Bethel exited his own residence and allegedly opened fire multiple times. He then re-entered his residence and reportedly dialed officers to confess to the crime. Officers recovered four 9mm casings and one projectile from Woods-Bethel’s porch.

Detectives interviewed a witness who testified that Woods-Bethel had instructed her and her 3-year-old son to go down to their basement, from where she heard five or six gunshots ring out. He told her to call the police before allgedly confessing to her shortly after that he’d shot one person. He was said to be carrying an AR-15 rifle at the time.

Officers took Woods-Bethel to the homicide unit. Prior to detectives’ interview, he continued to make incriminating statements and, according to prosecutors, informed officers he wished to waive his rights. 

During the execution of a search and seizure warrant inside Woods-Bethel’s residence, investigators say they recovered three 9mm Luger shell casings and two magazines each of unknown amounts of live 9mm and .22-caliber rounds. They also recovered three firearms – a Ruger AR-556 rifle with the serial number #357-69334, a Hi-Point 995 9mm rifle with the serial number #F157333, and a Ruger LC9 9mm pistol with the serial number #45252797. The AR-556 contained one live round in the chamber and 21 in the magazine, while the Ruger LC9 contained one live round in the chamber and an unknown amount in the magazine. The Hi-Point 995 was empty.