A Baltimore City jury failed to reach a verdict on Sept. 21 in the Matthew Harper Jr., 30, murder case, more than a week after his trial began for the 2024 shooting and death of Damien Parker, 26. The jury was deadlocked on first-degree murder, firearm use and handgun charges, while a second first-degree murder charge was dismissed.
The case was argued before Baltimore City Court Judge Cynthia H. Harper who declared a mistrial.
Harper was charged in connection with Parker’s shooting on Oct. 7, 2024, on the 2300 block of Harford Road near the intersection of Harford Road and Normal Avenue. Parker was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A medical examiner determined that he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The prosecutor argued that throughout the trial that surveillance footage, a black Infinity, a firearm, and DNA evidence connected Harper to Parker’s death. Surveillance footage showed a black Infiniti near the scene around the time of the shooting, and investigators later identified Harper as the owner of a 2011 Infiniti. Baltimore City Police later recovered a .40-caliber handgun after Harper allegedly fled from a vehicle. The prosecutor said that the firearm was linked to the homicide through ballistic evidence, with DNA recovered from the gun consistent with Harper’s DNA profile.
Harper’s attorney, Jason Ott, argued that the prosecution had not established that Harper was the person inside the black Infiniti at the time of the shooting. Ott also urged jurors to examine the timeline and circumstantial evidence presented by the state.
The case returned to reception court on Sept. 22, 2026 and is expected to return to reception court for rescheduling a new trial on Oct. 2, 2026.
