Defense Calls Prosecution’s Key Witness a ‘Trojan Horse’ in Murder Trial Closing

By Sophia Amoroso - April 21, 2024
Court | Homicides | Shooting | Victims |

Counsel delivered closing arguments before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Charles H. Dorsey III in a murder case where the suspect allegedly revealed his intent.

Damien Woods, 35, stands accused of the murder of 34-year-old Tracy Whiting on Nov. 4, 2018. Woods is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony or violent crime and firearm possession with a felony conviction.

According to the prosecution, around 5 am Baltimore Police Department (BDP) officers got a ShotSpotter alert of a shooting incident on the 2400 block of Francis Street, where they found Whiting deceased, shot 14 times. 

In their closing arguments on Jan. 9, the prosecution described how Woods had been out that night with Whiting and other gang members at a strip club on the 400 block of Baltimore Street. According to the prosecution’s key witness, Woods kept repeating that, “Tracy has to go,” before leaving the house on Francis Street with Whiting.

When the witness asked Woods why Whiting did not return with him later, he said, “You’ll see it on Murder, Inc.” 

The prosecution emphasized that all three accounts from the separate witnesses, including Woods’ former girlfriend, corroborated each other. However, Woods’ defense attorney claimed that there was no independent corroboration. 

“It’s a Trojan horse,” defense attorney Angela Shelton said about the prosecution’s key witness, who had been on federal probation at the time of the incident. According to Shelton, investigators were misled by false statements from witnesses in an attempt to frame Woods, citing the long delay in the case.

Shelton pointed to the fact that there were no eyewitnesses or CCTV footage capturing the incident. 

However, the prosecution maintained that Woods had given himself away. His former girlfriend reported to detectives that he had threatened her, saying, “I’ll kill you like I killed Tracy.”

The case was presented to the jury.