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By
Tyler Parkes [former]
- March 28, 2022
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A 24-year-old man accused of first-degree murder was found guilty at the conclusion of his trial on March 23 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Kendra Y. Ausby.
Danjuan McBride was found guilty of first-degree murder, use of a firearm during a violent crime, and two counts of possession of a firearm with a felony conviction.
McBride faces a sentence of life plus 35 years.
The prosecutor said that at approximately 12:40 p.m. on July 25, 2020, McBride shot and killed Tavonte Briggs around the 300 block of Franklintown Road. Briggs was initially shot during a dice game before being chased and shot repeatedly before collapsing, according to the prosecutor.
Both McBride’s mother and stepmother told detectives in interviews that McBride had confessed to the killing. Quotes they mentioned from the defendant were “I did it,” “I killed someone and need to move,” and “I caught him slippin’.” The two witnesses also provided details about a possible motive of revenge, alleging that Briggs was involved in the killing of McBride’s uncle a few years prior.
Witnesses called to testify were a crime lab technician, McBride’s mother and step-mother, the lead detective, and the first officer to arrive on scene.
The defendant opted not to testify in his trial.
During closing arguments, the prosecutor argued that McBride was acting in revenge for his uncle’s death and shot Briggs five times. He argued there was an overwhelming amount of evidence against McBride based on witness testimonies and evidence collected from both the crime scene and McBride’s girlfriend’s home.
Defense counsel James Scott argued that there was not enough evidence to prove that McBride committed the crime. He said there were questions over what evidence was both collected and processed as well as bias from the detectives who conducted interviews.
Ultimately, the defense attorney said, it was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt based on the evidence provided to conclude that the defendant was guilty.
According to the Maryland Judiciary website, McBride’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 23.