Two Witnesses May Have Alibi for Convicted Shooter, Defense Says

By Andrew Michaels - March 24, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Defense counsel for a man convicted of a non-fatal shooting in 2018 requested the court postpone her client’s post-conviction hearing on March 20 as she tries to find three witnesses, including two who may possibly provide the defendant with an alibi.

On Sept. 7, 2018, Maurice Wilkerson, 33, was convicted of assault, reckless endangerment, and four weapons charges and sentenced to a total of 35 years in prison. His appeal was denied in May 2021; however, his defense attorney, Nancy Forster, filed for post-conviction two months later.

During Monday’s proceedings, the prosecutor told Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gregory Sampson that this marks the second postponement for the post-conviction hearing, the first of which was in September 2022 and also involved defense counsel’s attempts to find a witness.

Forster responded that one of her witnesses is currently incarcerated, while she received phone numbers for the remaining two witnesses from the defendant’s mother.

Judge Sampson agreed to one final postponement. His next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10.

According to WMAR 2 News, the shooting occurred on April 8, 2017, when Baltimore Police went to the 800 block of E. North Avenue for reports of a shooting and found two victims with gunshot wounds. Another victim was later found with multiple gunshot wounds at a nearby hospital.

Further investigation revealed that Wilkerson was driving, stopped at E. North Avenue, and got out of the car to talk to people on the corner. A short time later, the news report states, one of the victims got out of a black car on the 1900 block of Kennedy Avenue where the defendant opened fire and shot the victim multiple times.

The two other victims were injured from gunshots fired by Wilkerson’s intended victim.