Mental Eval Ordered For Paroled Defendant in 1996 Murder

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Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gale E. Rasin ordered a follow-up mental health evaluation and observation hearing for Gary Baynor on March 19, after parties observed discrepancies in Baynor’s mental status.

According to a transcript from a 1999 Maryland Court of Appeals hearing, Baynor, who is currently 48 but was 19 at the time of the offense, was convicted for the Feb. 1, 1996 murder of Dion Williams and the non-fatal shooting of another man in the 3300 block of Edgewood Street.

In the widely publicized case Baynor was sentenced to 100 years of incarceration by former Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Robert I. H. Hammerman.

However, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey M. Geller granted Baynor’s release in 2022 after concluding his sentence was excessive.

In the latest development, Baynor was picked up for an alleged parole violation last year..
Defense attorney Joseph P. Kavanagh previously expressed concern about Baynor’s current cognitive state, citing confusion, odd speech patterns, and memory lapses about the details of his case.

Stand-in defense attorney Sharon Bogins told the court that the results of the psychological evaluation should confirm whether Baynor is mentally competent to stand trial.

Baynor’s next hearing will be before Judge Jeffrey M. Geller on April 10.