Bloods’ Gang Member Begins Retrial for 2018 Murder of Fellow Gang Member

By Andrew Michaels - January 8, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

When Bloods’ street gang member Damien Woods shot and killed 34-year-old fellow gang member Tracy Whiting in November 2018, it wasn’t long before he threatened to kill again, according to allegations made by the prosecution.

On Jan. 8, Woods’ retrial began before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Charles H. Dorsey III after a hung jury resulted in a mistrial two years ago. Woods is currently charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony or violent crime and firearm possession with a felony conviction, the Maryland Judiciary website states.

During Monday morning’s opening statements, the prosecutor told jurors that Woods and Whiting were at a strip club on the 400 block of Baltimore Street—an area known as the Block—on Nov. 4, 2018. Court documents state Woods and Whiting got into an argument on their way home.

The defendant then led the victim into a back alley on the 2400 block of Francis Street, where, the prosecutor said, “she was shot many, many, many times.”

Whiting was shot 11 times, court documents state.

An arrest warrant for Woods was issued days later for the assault of his former girlfriend, who told Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers that Woods told her, “I’ll kill you like I did Tracy,” the prosecutor said. Police also learned the street gang issued a “kill order” for Woods given Whiting’s murder was “unauthorized” by a higher-ranking gang member.

“You can believe all, part or none [of the facts],” defense attorney Angela Shelton argued, but jurors would not hear any “objective facts” tying Woods to Whiting’s murder.

There were no eyewitnesses to the crime, Shelton added, and the jury will only hear testimony from the prosecution’s two key witnesses that was previously given at his last trial.

Woods’ trial proceeded with testimony and is expected to continue on Jan. 9.