Accused North Ellwood Avenue Shooter Wants New Lawyer, Rejects Plea Offer

By Racquel Bazos - October 23, 2023
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

On Oct. 23, a 40-year-old attempted murder defendant’s reception court hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn was continued due a change in counsel.

Kenneth Oakley is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, firearm possession with a felony conviction, possession of a firearm in a controlled dangerous substance offense, having a handgun on his person, having a loaded handgun on his person, illegal possession of ammunition and discharging firearms in connection to a Sept. 24, 2022, incident. 

Another public defender stood in for Oakley’s assigned attorney, Matthew Connell, and informed the court that Connell would be resigning from the case due to a “breakdown in communication.” 

The prosecution offered Oakley life, suspending all but 60 years, with five years of supervised probation for attempted first-degree murder and a concurrent five years without parole for firearm use in a felony violent crime. Oakley also would have been required to register as a gun offender and stay away from the victim. He rejected this offer. However, he rejected the offer.

Judge Phinn continued the hearing to resume on Nov. 30 to schedule Oakley’s trial with his new attorney. 

Documents from the District Court of Maryland state that on the date of the incident, a Baltimore Police Department officer responded to the 1300 block of North Ellwood Avenue for a ShotSpotter alert. The victim approached the officer saying someone shot at him. Ring and Vivint camera footage from neighbors captured the incident. Later an officer outside the Eastern District police station observed a person matching the shooter seen on video. Though Oakley gave an alias to police, he was identified via a previous mugshot.