Defendant Initially Charged With Attempted Murder Accepts Plea Following Victim’s Death

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On Sept. 6, a prosecutor offered a 31-year-old homicide defendant a plea that will run consecutively to his current sentence before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John A. Howard

Corey Jennings accepted a plea of life in prison for first-degree murder, suspending all but 30 years and probation on release. This sentence is to run concurrently with his current sentence, given to him on Oct. 9, 2012 of life in prison, suspending all but 20 years, five years without the possibility of parole, and five years of supervised probation. 

Documents from the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City state that on June 14, 2011, patrol units responded to the 2500 block of Boarman Avenue for initially a non-fatal shooting. Upon arrival, the officers found the victim, Ryan Eugene Watson, in the rear of a side alley suffering from a gunshot wound to his neck. He was transported to Sinai Hospital and was immediately taken into surgery. Watson suffered from numerous medical complications due to the shooting, which resulted in him being paralyzed for the rest of his life.

Court documents state that defendant Jennings was arrested, charged, and convicted with the help of witness identification and video surveillance.

The documents further added that on June 14, 2020, a call was made to the Baltimore Police Department regarding the need of police service on the 4000 block of Wilkens Avenue. Fire Department personnel stated that the victim, later identified as Watson, was pronounced deceased. The victim had been living with his family in hospice. It was stated by the victim’s mother that Watson had developed complications from when he was shot on the date of the incident. After review and further investigation, the death of the victim was ruled as a homicide on July 29, 2020.

According to the Maryland Judiciary website, Jennings is charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in a felony violent crime, and having a handgun on his person.