Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Levi S. Zaslow sentenced 21-year old shooting defendant Markia Vaughn to life, suspending all but 40 years on Dec 15.
Judge Zaslow ruled that Vaughn violated the terms of her plea agreement after prosecutors proved she committed another violent crime while awaiting sentencing, resulting in an additional conviction and a lengthy prison sentence.
The violation stemmed from a July 11 shooting in the Cherry Hill neighborhood, where Baltimore police responded to reports of gunfire and found a Hispanic man suffering from gunshot wounds to the chest. Officers recovered 11 shell casings at the scene and began searching for a woman with black hair who fled on foot toward nearby railroad tracks.
During the investigation, police recovered a firearm from Vaughn’s purse as she attempted to give it to a close friend, according to testimony from a Baltimore Police Department Southern District officer. Surveillance footage from the city’s CitiWatch camera system was played in court, showing the victim and the defendant, identified as Vaughn, walking away from a pickup truck and toward the area where the victim was later discovered.
A detective testified that the victim stated he met Vaughn through Facebook.
Defense attorney argued that Vaughn did not violate her plea agreement and questioned the strength of the firearm evidence, noting during cross-examination that the firearm was not warm and that no smoke was detected from the bag.The defense attorney suggested that shell casings and firearms can share characteristics even if they were not involved in the same shooting.
Despite those arguments, the court found the state met its burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence.
During sentencing, prosecutors outlined the facts of the underlying case tied to Vaughn’s original plea agreement. On Feb. 10, 2022, the victim—who had just turned 18 years old—was shot and left permanently paralyzed after a bullet passed through his spine. Prosecutors presented video footage showing Vaughn, who was friends with the victim, fleeing into an alley after the shooting. No 911 call was made.
The state also presented evidence of messages between Vaughn and her boyfriend conspiring to take the victim’s car, arguing Vaughn orchestrated the events that night. Prosecutors noted the Cherry Hill shooting occurred while Vaughn was still awaiting sentencing in that case.
At the hearing, the victim delivered an emotional impact statement, telling the court, “You’ve taken my will to live, the happiness of my family.”
Defense counsel asked the court for leniency, stating Vaughn hoped to rehabilitate herself and become a mother after her release. Vaughn also addressed the court, describing herself as a good mother and expressing a desire to move forward with her life.
The judge sentenced Vaughn to life, suspending all but 40 years, on one count of attempted first-degree murder. The court also ordered drug and alcohol treatment screening and a five-year supervised probationary period upon release. For the charge of robbery, Vaughn received a concurrent 10-year sentence.
The statutory sentencing range for the charges was 20 years to life.
