A Dundalk man accused of fatally shooting 32-year-old Bianca Nelson and wounding her boyfriend outside of her home in 2024 began selecting a jury on Aug. 17 alongside counsel before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Alan C. Lazerow.
Dakwane Cole, 31, is charged with first-degree murder and attempted first- and second-degree murder as well as several weapons and assault violations for the incident on the 2300 block of E. Lafayette Street on Nov. 6, 2024. If convicted, Cole could face up to two life sentences plus additional time contingent on the judge’s sentence and any merged charges.
Defense attorney Natalie Finegar is representing the defendant at trial, with jury selection expected to continue into Monday afternoon.
Baltimore Police received a ShortSpotter alert and responded to the Broadway East neighborhood, where they found Nelson lying unresponsive on the ground. He had multiple gunshot wounds to her upper body, which was located near a 2010 Ford Fusion. Her boyfriend was also found across the street suffering from a graze wound to the left side of his chest.
According to court documents, Nelson’s boyfriend was waiting for her in the Fusion’s driver’s seat when an unknown man approached him. After a brief exchange between the two men, Nelson came outside of her home and walked toward the vehicle’s passenger side. The suspect — later identified as Cole — then pulled out a handgun and shot both victims.
Cole and an unknown group of men, who were with the defendant at the time, ran away after the shooting.
During their investigation, police learned that Cole and the group of men were on the 1800 block of N. Montford Avenue prior to the shooting. Three recently-consumed plastic bottles were found at the scene, one of which was later determined to have a fingerprint consistent with fingerprints recovered from the defendant.
Cole was determined as a person of interest on Nov. 11, 2024 and later identified by Nelson’s boyfriend during a photo array.
