Closing Arguments Focus on Google Account for Homicide Case

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Attorneys in a five-day homicide trial gave closing arguments before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yolanda A. Tanner and both parties focused on the defendant’s Google account.

Ameer Gittens, 27, is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime and firearm possession with a felony conviction in relation to an incident that occurred on Oct. 31, 2021, which resulted in the death of 20-year-old Antwan Andrews. The prosecution believed that the incident was the result of either a violent carjacking or the relationship between the victim and Gittens’ unidentified co-conspirator.

The prosecution focused its closing argument on Gittens’ phone and evidence related to tracing the account presented earlier in the trial. The prosecution showed the jury how a Google account registered to Gittens followed the same path as the victim’s car, which Gittens was allegedly driving, after the incident on the 3800 block of Leeds Street. The prosecutor also emphasized the shell casings that were found at the crime scene were consistent with the firearm the defendant allegedly had when he was arrested.

James Sweeting lll, Gittens’ defense attorney, said this case was like building a house, and if there weren’t a strong foundation the house would collapse. Sweeting said there was no DNA evidence connecting Gittens to the victim’s car or to the shell casings at the crime scene.

He also focused on the Google account and said that many devices can be logged into the same account, so the tracking could be unclear because it’s not known whose device the account was tracking.

In their rebuttal, the prosecution urged the jury to think of the trial like a puzzle and use all the pieces of evidence to come to a verdict.

The jury began deliberations Aug. 14.