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By
Ethan Russo
- July 7, 2025
Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Attorneys delivered closing arguments before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Paul E. Alpert in the case of 29-year-old Maurice Jones, who is charged with committing a homicide on the 1200 block of McCulloh Street on April 4, 2024. The victim, 23-year-old Montez Barrett, was shot twice in the back of the head while in the passenger seat of a black SUV.
The driver of the vehicle, a close friend of Barrett, came forward three weeks after the incident and underwent a detective interview. They also testified as a witness during the trial on July 7.
The prosecution emphasized that the case, above all, is about the execution of Montez Barrett. Based on the positioning and angles of the gunshot wounds to Barrett’s head, the prosecution concluded that he could not have been shot from the left side. Additionally, the passenger’s seat window was intact, excluding the possibility that Barrett was shot from outside the vehicle.
Barrett, according to the prosecution, was shot from the rear passenger’s seat as the vehicle made a right turn.
The prosecution underlined the trauma the driver sustained following the incident, indicating their hesitation to step forward and testify.
In his closing statement, defense attorney James Sweeting III heavily emphasized the contradictions between the driver’s testimony in court and their interview with detectives. In the former, he claimed not to know precisely what occurred during the incident and who fired the gun.
However, in the recorded interview with detectives that was later admitted as evidence, he identified that Jones, under the nickname “Man-Man,” was the third individual in the vehicle. The contradictory nature of the two statements, according to Sweeting, suggests a lack of credibility
Sweeting reminded the jury that the driver waited three weeks to come forward. The person didn’t contact law enforcement immediately following the incident, even though a close friend was murdered.
Sweeting also noted that no evidence outside of the driver’s police interview affirms that Jones uses the alias “Man-Man.” Moreover, there is little to no corroboration of the driver’s story. Neither Jones’ fingerprints nor DNA were recovered from the crime scene. A single witness, said Sweeting, simply isn’t enough evidence to convict Jones of murder.
The prosecution responded by reemphasizing the trauma that the driver experienced, justifying why they hesitated to step forward, and requested that the jury find Jones guilty on all charges.
The jury is currently deliberating.