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By
Andrew Michaels
- November 7, 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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Evidence in the murder trial of 45-year-old Levar Cooper will leave jurors with more questions than answers, according to defense counsel Michael Tomko, as the only witness who identified his client will not testify during the retrial.
Nearly 14 months after his mistrial, Cooper returned to Baltimore City Circuit Court on Nov. 7 to face the first-degree murder and weapons charges for the killing of 43-year-old Larry Alvin Randall Jr. on May 10, 2021. However, prior to jury selection on Nov. 6, the prosecution filed a motion to use the identifying witness’ testimony from Cooper’s last trial.
The prosecuting attorney informed Judge Martin P. Welch on Monday that the city’s State’s Attorney’s Office was unsuccessful in locating the witness, who has not resided in Maryland since 2009. Tomko requested an evidentiary hearing to further investigate the prosecution’s efforts, which the judge denied.
Judge Welch granted the prosecution’s motion to use the witness’ prior testimony from Cooper’s trial in September 2022.
During opening statements on Tuesday, the prosecutor told jurors that on the day of the shooting, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers were called to Bob’s Bar on the 1100 block of Washington Boulevard shortly before 7 p.m. When they arrived, police found Randall laying in the bar’s doorway with multiple gunshot wounds.
The prosecutor said video evidence will show Randall standing at the corner of Washington Boulevard and West Ostend Street earlier that evening when a man pulled up in a Mercedes convertible, got out of the vehicle and shot Randall several times. The suspect continued to shoot the victim after the victim fell to the ground.
Police later learned the vehicle belonged to the aforementioned witness, the prosecutor added, who previously testified he lent the car to the defendant.
The prosecution explained how police eventually developed a timeline before the shooting, which will show the alleged shooter “intently looking around” for someone at Bob’s Bar on two separate occasions days before the fatal shooting.
An analysis of Cooper’s cell phone records allegedly placed him near the scene of the crime.
Tomko questioned the witness’ credibility in his opening statement, saying the witness was known to lend his vehicle to others for drugs and would frequently visit Baltimore to buy drugs despite residing in Delaware.
Cooper’s trial continued with police testimony Tuesday morning and is expected to last through Nov. 9.