Jury Delivers Mixed Verdict in Juvenile Homicide Trial

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The jury reached a mixed verdict on June 5 in the homicide trial of 17-year-old Samijae Canada before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Althea M. Handy.

Canada was acquitted of two counts of first-degree murder. He was found guilty of second-degree murder, felony firearm use and having a handgun on his person. All other charges were dismissed.

The shooting, which claimed the life of Robert Wagner, 18, occurred at the intersection of the 600 block of Cherry Blossom Way and the 600 block of W. Saratoga Street on Aug. 17, 2023.

Surveillance video of the surrounding area was crucial to the prosecution’s argument. The jury sat through hours of footage from before and after the shooting, which allegedly showed Canada at a food market wearing distinctive clothing. An individual who appeared to be wearing the same outfit as Canada was seen running away from the scene minutes after the shooting, the prosecution claimed.

Defense attorney Megan Lewis argued that the quality of the footage made Canada’s identity indiscernible. The timestamps on the video showed Canada at two separate places just seconds apart, which Lewis claimed was highly improbable.

Canada’s sentencing date is to be determined.