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By
Andrew Michaels
- October 3, 2023
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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A Baltimore jury found defendant Lamarr Candia guilty of the murders of 33-year-old Robert Carter and 27-year-old Kennard Wilds on Oct. 3, one day after deliberating.
Candia is currently scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 15 for two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to first-degree murder and firearm use in a felony or violent crime. Verdicts were not rendered for his first and second-degree assault charges and two additional conspiracy to first-degree murder charges were dismissed.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Christopher L. Panos presided over the three-day trial.
Through testimony, the prosecutor detailed the initial fight between Candia, Carter and Wilds—a fight that ended in a double homicide outside the Carroll Motor Fuels gas station on the 3300 block of Garrison Boulevard on April 29, 2022. After the defendant and victims’ first brawl, he said, the former went to his car and called the shooter who arrived minutes later.
The shooter was never identified, according to both the prosecution and defense attorney Lawrence Rosenberg.
Among the prosecution’s evidence was video surveillance footage showing Candia fight with the victims, call the shooter, interact with the shooter and then tell him to “whoop all three of them.” The prosecutor specified Candia was referring to an unidentified person known as “Mookie” as well as “Rob and Nardy,” also known as Carter and Wilds.
Although the defendant didn’t pull the trigger, the prosecutor argued, he “set the wheels in motion” that led to the fatal shooting.
Rosenberg disputed his client’s involvement, questioning why the Baltimore Police Department didn’t interview the other witnesses who were present during the trio’s first fight. Rosenberg said Candia also wasn’t aware that Carter was shot when the defendant smacked the victim who was on the ground.