Retired Detective Recalls Finding ‘A Puddle of Blood’ Under Seat During Homicide Investigation

By Andrew Michaels - March 24, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

A since-retired detective with the Baltimore Police Department described to a jury how he found a “puddle of blood” under the back passenger’s seat of the vehicle where 26-year-old Roderick Odom was allegedly stabbed, leading to his death in April 2020.

The jury trial of 25-year-old Norman Lawson continued before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Charles J. Peters on March 24 with testimony from the former detective. Lawson is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and an additional count of use of a deadly weapon with the intent to injure in connection to Odom’s death nearly two years ago.

Isaiah Eaddy, the second alleged suspect, is facing the same charges and is currently scheduled for trial in October.

According to the former detective, officers were called around 7:45 p.m. to the 3900 block of Maine Avenue where they found Odom up against a privacy fence in a back alleyway. He was pronounced dead shortly after their arrival.

The detective told the jury he arrived at the scene around 8:30 p.m. when he and other officers searched the area for possible surveillance video. Footage was later retrieved from two out of three nearby gas stations, including a Crown gas station along Liberty Heights Avenue and a BP gas station along Garrison Boulevard.

The Crown gas station footage was played before the jury on Thursday, showing three individuals—two of which were later identified as Lawson and Eaddy—getting out of a gray 2006 Ford Escape in the parking lot. The trio soon left the gas station with Odom in tow in the rear passenger’s seat.

The third suspect was not identified, the detective said.

The same Ford Escape was seen a second time in footage from the BP gas station, which showed the vehicle driving down the alleyway where Odom was later found.

Eaddy and Lawson were arrested on April 20, 2020 and April 22, 2020, respectively, the detective said. Police arrested Eaddy after finding him driving the same vehicle allegedly involved in the crime, and Lawson was arrested at a house where he lived with his siblings.

The detective noted that it was during his search of the Ford Escape when he found “a puddle of blood” under the rear passenger’s seat.

During questioning from defense attorney Natalie McKeown Finegar, the detective confirmed that two handguns were found in the vehicle during Eaddy’s arrest. Finegar also questioned the detective’s filmed interview with Lawson at the police station when he told Lawson that Eaddy “told me everything.”

The detective said this was his attempt to get Lawson to tell the truth.

A forensic science technician and a DNA analyst testified earlier Thursday morning and informed the jury that Odom’s blood was found on both the rear passenger’s seat and foam from the seat.

The forensic science technician told Finegar and the jury that no other items or parts of the Ford Escape were swabbed for testing and no DNA was found on Lawson’s clothing.

Testimony continued into Thursday afternoon.