After an initial trial in January that resulted in a hung jury, 33-year-old Reginald Raysor is set to be retried for the murder of Reginald Bernard Harrod, 59.
On Sept. 14, 2024, Harrod was found deceased on the block of 1100 Springfield Avenue. According to charging documents, Harrod was in his parked vehicle when two men demanded his belongings at gunpoint. A struggle ensued, and Harrod was fatally shot by one of the suspects.
In a previous trial, Raysor pleaded guilty to robbing a sex worker 17 days before the murder on the 2400 block of Guilford Avenue and was sentenced to five years for one count of robbery.
Casings found at the Springfield and Guilford scenes were eventually connected. In Oct. 2024, an eyewitness and victim from the Guilford incident were interviewed and positively identified Raysor as the alleged suspect.
The first murder trial concluded with a hung jury on Jan. 21, resulting in a postponed retrial date set to begin Aug. 31.
Prior to jury selection, defense attorney Jerry Rodriguez filed a motion to dismiss before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Hope Tipton. Rodriguez claimed that some evidence presented five months ago was prejudicial and other information could prove exculpatory.
Baltimore City Circuit Judge Hope Tipton denied the motion, stating that there was no so-called Brady violation as the defense had knowledge of the evidence for five months with ample time to review. She also specified that the motion was filed at 7 p.m, the night before. She called that a “level of disrespect” to everyone involved in the case. Judge Tipton told counsel that the motion could have been made in May, but now it was not timely.
Jury selection is underway and trial is set to continue through the week.
