Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Williams found 49-year-old Lorenzo Thomas not guilty on all charges related to the 2019 fatal shooting of Tyree Lee on Penhurst Avenue, concluding that the state failed to present direct evidence tying Thomas to the homicide.
The case was decided after two days of testimony. During proceedings, Judge Williams commented that the prosecution’s case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and witness accounts that could not be corroborated by forensic or physical proof.
The state presented testimony from a neighborhood resident who said he observed a chaotic altercation outside an apartment building, during which multiple individuals chased the victim before shots were fired. The witness described seeing suspects pass a gun between them and recalled hearing several gunshots, though he acknowledged uncertainty due to the passage of time.
Another key witness who had been romantically involved with the victim at the time testified about ongoing disputes over housing payments and described hearing gunfire shortly after seeing Thomas in the area. She admitted that she withheld identifying information from police out of fear and only later named Thomas during a follow-up interview. Defense attorney Brandon Taylor challenged her credibility, noting her absence from the immediate crime scene and pointing out she did not directly witness the shooting occur.
Additional testimony came from a friend of the victim who heard multiple gunshots but acknowledged being intoxicated when later interviewed by police. No DNA, firearm, or surveillance footage directly linked Thomas to the shooting, and the physical description of the suspect provided by witnesses conflicted with Thomas’ appearance at the time.
In his ruling, Judge Williams emphasized that while the victim’s death was undisputed, the evidence presented did not meet the burden required for a conviction. Thomas was acquitted of all charges stemming from the homicide.
