A Baltimore man accused of double murder accepted a plea deal of life, suspending all but 60 months, before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer, admitting his involvement in the deaths of 24-year-old Jarmal Harrid and 32-year-old Terrell Johnson-Smith.
Munir Dawan Matin, 37, faces multiple charges arising from two incidents, both of which occurred on June 2, 2024. His charges include two counts of first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony or violent crime, as well as multiple firearm and conspiracy violations.
According to charging documents, at approximately 3:47 a.m. the day of the incident, surveillance cameras captured Harrid pulling into the Marathon gas station near the 500 block of W. Mulberry Street and parking his red 2016 Lexus ES at a gas pump. Harrid exited his vehicle and went into the nearby Tiger Mart, where he was seen engaging in a verbal altercation with Matin. Matin was then seen shooting Harrid and carjacking his vehicle.
Later that evening, at approximately 5:09 p.m., a homicide officer with the Baltimore police was notified about a shooting incident on the 900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. The victim, later identified as Johnson-Smith, was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead at the University of Maryland Hospital.
During the investigation, video footage showed Matin exiting the red 2016 Lexus ES that he previously carjacked and shooting Johnson-Smith multiple times. After taking Johnson-Smith’s black backpack, Matin ran back toward the vehicle, firing one more shot at Johnson-Smith before entering the car.
Both families filled the courtroom, with many members giving deeply emotional testimonies. They shared how much they loved the victims and expressed their grief over how Matin has impacted their lives. Harrid’s family stated, “This is so hard for us.” Other family members mentioned they had lost three different relatives within just eight days.
Matin claimed that he struggles with mental health issues, has met with a psychologist and is currently on medication. Defense attorney Roya Hanna responded to the victim’s statements by saying, “There’s no excuse for this, but Mr. Matin was struggling with mental health and substance abuse.”
Matin declined to speak in court. Following the completion of his sentence, he will be required to serve five years of supervised probation.
Judge Schiffer concluded the case by saying, “God help you,” and reminding Matin he could return to court if he violates his probation.
