A 34-year-old Howard County resident accused of murdering a woman in East Baltimore last December rejected a plea offer before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland on May 8. He is set to stand trial later this year, if parties can agree on the timing.
The defendant, Emanuel Lazonti Thomas, is charged with the murder of 50-year-old Shanelle Cawthorne on Dec. 12, 2025. He also faces three gun violations in connection to the shooting, which occurred shortly after 1 a.m. on the 800 block of Chesapeake Avenue. Baltimore City detectives arrested Thomas the day after Christmas, on the 1200 block of E. Preston Street.
During the hearing, the state’s attorney informed Judge Copeland that the state offered Thomas a sentence of life without parole for the charge of first-degree murder, as well as a concurrent 20 years for using a firearm to carry out the crime.
Thomas and defense attorney Patrick Barnes declined the offer, leading the state to withdraw it.
Conflicts arose as attorneys discussed scheduling a five-day trial the week of Aug. 10 and they would most likely be unable to try Thomas before the Aug. 22 deadline.
Barnes informed the court that an expert witness necessary for trial will most likely be unavailable between Aug. 10 and Aug. 20. Judge Copeland reminded counsel that the court would not postpone the case due to delays in securing experts.
The prosecutor also advised that the forensic technician who took the DNA swabs from the defendant’s vehicle during the investigation would also be unavailable for the requested trial dates. Although stand-in defense counsel for Barnes had previously consented to the evidence being admitted, Barnes objected, arguing that there were broader issues concerning the collection of the swabs from the vehicle.
Due to the disagreements, Judge Copeland set a new pre-trial scheduling hearing for Friday, May 15. Proceedings ended with Judge Copeland strongly recommending Barnes and the state’s attorney to reach an agreement promptly.
