Murderer Sentenced to Life Plus 65 Years

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Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer sentenced Davonte Hamlett, 21, to life imprisonment plus 65 years on July 16 after he was found guilty of all charges for the murder of Sherman Anderson, 25.

Hamlett is charged with first-degree murder and assault, attempted first- and second-degree murder, and various firearm-related violations in relation to the May 5, 2024 killing.

The victim’s mother delivered a tearful impact statement, telling Hamlett he robbed her son of his life and calling him a “thief in the night.”

The prosecution said that the facts of the case were “especially egregious” and asked Judge Schiffer to exceed sentencing guidelines for Hamlett. They noted Anderson neither showed aggression nor delivered confrontational words at the time of his murder, and emphasized that Hamlett fired continuously at Anderson instead of stopping at a few shots. As a further exacerbation, the murder occurred just 20 days after Hamlett was released on probation for a previous conviction.

Defense attorney Gregory Fischer appealed to Hamlett’s relative youth, noting his client was only 20 years old at the time of the shooting and claiming that adults between the ages of 18-and-25 act more akin to juveniles than to adults. He chronicled the difficulties in Hamlett’s life, saying he grew up in the projects as a teenager, struggled with substance issues and was shot in the foot at the age of 17. Fischer also said Hamlett’s best friend died.

Judge Schiffer countered Fischer’s appeal to Hamlett’s age, saying Hamlett had plenty to consider his actions, and pointed to his prior criminal record and infractions.