911 Caller Dies Before Questioning About 2022 Murder

Thank you for reading Baltimore Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.

Donate Now

A Baltimore Police Department (BPD) detective said during a murder trial in Baltimore City Circuit Court that a 911 caller died before he could be interviewed by detectives. 

Samuel Cole, 36, is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime, having a loaded handgun in his vehicle and having a loaded handgun on his person in a Jan. 22, 2022, shooting. 

On July 1, the second day of Cole’s trial before Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer a Baltimore Police Department (BPD) detective stated the victim, 30-year-old Jonathan Miller, was found dead in his 2005 Acura TL on the 4600 block of Walther Avenue.

According to the detective, the vehicle was facing the direction of oncoming traffic and was in the wrong lane. There were no signs of skid marks or grass marks that would indicate the car being turned in the wrong direction. Miller hit another vehicle in the street when he crashed. 

During his investigation, the officer said the Ring doorbell cameras were unable to record the incident and that the 911 caller who reported it died before he could be questioned. The cause and time of his death is unknown. 

Cole is represented by Jason Silverstein

According to court documents, Miller was driving when he was shot, causing him to crash into another vehicle. A witness stated that they previously saw Miller and Cole engage in an argument over FaceTime about the care of Cole’s special needs child. Miller was the child’s stepfather.