Convicted 24-Year-Old Murder Defendant Who Cut Victim 76 Times Asks for Reduced Sentence

By Neoline James [former] - May 4, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

On May 3, defense attorney Warren Brown explained to Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie Hong that a “NCR would be the best of both worlds” because his client had a history with mental illness.

Convicted murder defendant Leah Harrison and defense attorney Brown appeared before Judge Hong for a disposition hearing on Wednesday to ask for a 13-year sentence for second-degree murder. 

On Jan. 25, Harrison, 24, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon with the intent to injure 47-year-old victim Veronica Freeman in connection to an incident on April 27, 2020. Baltimore City Police were called to the 2000 block of Baker Street for a dispute earlier in the day and later returned to find Freeman stabbed 21 times with 56 other cuts.

Brown told the court that Harrison had a history of mental illness and was admitted to the University of Maryland Medical Center’s psych ward 20 days before the incident. He suggested an NCR plea as he claimed that her mental illness had a “significant role in this defense offense” and that the spiked cannabis she was on “accelerated her delusions.” 

The prosecution highlighted that the marijuana Harrison smoked April 27, 2020 was the same substance that sent her to the hospital 20 days before the incident date.

During the hearing, three members of Harrison’s family and two friends spoke on her behalf, asking for mental health leniency so she can “get the help she needs.” 

The prosecution responded to the mental health claims saying that problems between the defendant and Freeman started in Jan. 2020 when Harrison and five of her cousins broke into Freeman’s room and stole items. A social worker’s report also quoted Harrison saying, “I’m in the hospital to get out sooner. It’s all part of the plan.” 

The assistant state’s attorney asked that Harrison serve her original sentence of life, suspending all but 40 years and five years of supervised probation because the stabbing was “up close and personal.” 

The victim’s daughter supported the original sentence saying, “all in all, my mother doesn’t deserve this,” and indicated that “people smoke all the time, no one goes stabbing people.” 

Judge Hong told Harrison, “actions have consequences.” She highlighted that Harrison had 10 institutional corrections in the three years and that all recommendations from her correctional facility recommended that she serve her full sentencing consecutively. 

Judge Hong sentenced Harrison to life, suspending all 35 years and five years of probation for first-degree murder and three years for use of a deadly weapon with the intent to injure. All charges are to run concurrently with drug, trauma, and mental health-based treatments.

The defense previously filed an NCR plea, but it was denied. Clifton T Perkins reviewed Harrison’s competency and found that she “didn’t appreciate the criminality of her conduct,” but they couldn’t attribute her actions to her mental illness since she was voluntarily intoxicated.