A Baltimore murder defendant who was recently found mentally competent defied his counsel’s orders and addressed the court during an Oct. 24 pre-trial conference hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland.
Tyrone Blackwell, 30, is accused of fatally stabbing 33-year-old Devin Butler on July 5, 2024. Butler was found on the 2400 block of W. Lafayette Avenue around 11 p.m., suffering from multiple stab wounds to his upper chest. Medics pronounced Butler deceased on scene.
Blackwell was seen previously in mental health court on Aug. 13, and deemed mentally competent to stand trial by Judge Gale E. Rasin. Despite this decision, Blackwell and his defense attorney, Brandon Thornton, expressed their shared belief that Blackwell remains mentally incompetent and requested a reassessment.
During remarks to the court, Blackwell claimed Thornton failed to comply with his request to submit a not criminally responsible (NCR) plea on his behalf.
Blackwell also complained that he was not administered the medications his psychiatrist prescribed him while he was in jail. Blackwell reportedly suffers from multiple mental disorders, including attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in holding. Blackwell claimed his symptoms were worsening, complaining of hive breakouts and hallucinations.
Thornton noted he witnessed similar phenomena when he visited Blackwell in holding. Thornton stated that while he could not assess Blackwell’s capacity to understand court proceedings, he did note that Blackwell was allegedlyseeing things that Thornton could not.
Despite Blackwell’s comments to the court and Thornton’s observations, Judge Copeland stated that mental health court decisions are rarely reversed, and she proceeded with setting a trial date.
Blackwell is set to stand trial for four days before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Althea M. Handy, beginning on Feb. 2, 2026.
