City Camera Footage Places Homicide Defendant at Crime Scene on West Lexington Street

Thank you for reading Baltimore Witness. Help us continue our mission into 2024.

Keonteze Montgomery did run away from a courtyard along W. Lexington Street on July 18, 2021, when gunshots rang out that morning. But, “that doesn’t make him a murderer,” defense attorney Martin Cohen said before a hand-picked jury on March 9 at the start of the defendant’s trial.

The 23-year-old Baltimore man faces charges of first-degree murder and two weapons charges for the fatal shooting of 46-year-old Donta Sampson on the 800 block of W. Lexington Street.

“Anyone would run away from a scene where shots were fired …,” Cohen continued. “Why would you try to find justice by convicting the wrong person?”

According to court documents, Sampson approached the courtyard, stopped, and had a conversation with the suspect, which turned into an argument. Although a brick wall blocked the suspect from city surveillance footage, Baltimore Police spoke with witnesses who heard the argument, followed by several gunshots.

The suspect, later identified as Montgomery via a photo array, ran from the courtyard after the shooting.

Sampson was shot in both arms, his right leg, and torso and died from his injuries at a hospital less than 30 minutes later.

Cohen argued that two witnesses talked to police, one of whom gave a description of the alleged shooter, only to claim she wasn’t really looking at the suspect. However, during her opening statement, the prosecutor said witnesses immediately surrounded Sampson after the shooting, trying to render aid and speaking to him.

Video surveillance will place the defendant at the crime scene, the prosecutor told jurors.

“We won’t learn why [Montgomery] shot [Sampson],” she said. “Video evidence shows [Sampson] died that day and that [Montgomery] shot him.”

Testimony began on Thursday and is expected to continue before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yolanda Tanner.