Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams heard arguments about suppressing DNA evidence in the June 25, 2020, murder of Eric Jones, 49, also known as the “Cookieman”. The defendant, Darius Williams, 37, allegedly stabbed Jones more than 20 times after chasing him down.
Williams is being charged with first-degree murder, deadly weapon with the intent to injure, and second-degree murder. His first conviction in 2023 was successfully appealed after a witness testified falsely that he was at the location where the crime occurred.
During a pre-trial motions hearing on Sept. 30, Judge Williams heard the defense’s claim that the DNA evidence from the victim’s left fingernail clipping was not appropriately tested at the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) lab. The defense argued that the lab, while accredited, lacks the ability and technology to do the job properly.
However, the prosecution argued that the DNA sample is not as complex as the defense claimed and that the validation for genetic variations by the BPD lab was accurate and followed standard procedures. The prosecution also claimed that not all the technical specifications used to generate a reliable result have to be present to confirm the sample.
Judge Williams will considder the matter for the next hearing.
