Double Murder Suspect Opts for Bench Trial

Thank you for reading Baltimore Witness.
Consider making a donation to help us continue our mission.

Members of victims’ families gathered in Baltimore City Circuit Court on June 6 for the double murder trial of defendant Dandre Woods-Bethel, 29.

Woods-Bethel and his attorney, Maureen O’Leary, opted for a bench trial before Judge Paul E. Alpert. This means that Judge Alpert alone, rather than a panel of jurors, will weigh the facts of the case to reach a verdict.

Woods-Bethel is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted first-degree murder, five counts of felony firearm use and one count of having a handgun on his person for allegedly shooting and killing two women on Sept. 12, 2020.

At approximately 6:36 p.m. the day of the incident, police responded to reports of a shooting near the 2800 block of Clifton Park Terrace and located Julie Rice, 46, and Michelle Green, 23, suffering from gunshot wounds on a rowhome porch. Both were transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Room, where, despite lifesaving measures, Rice was pronounced deceased. Green, who was initially deemed to be in critical condition, succumbed to her injuries later the same day.

Green and Rice were allegedly chatting on the porch when Woods-Bethel, who lived several rowhomes down the street, allegedly opened fire at them.

“He was just sweeping for no reason for about an hour or so,” a witness advised responding officers. “And then he went back inside.”

The prosecution presented several key pieces of video and audio evidence, including footage from a responding police sergeant’s body-worn camera, 911 calls made by members of the victims’ families and a 911 call made by Woods-Bethel in which he allegedly confessed his actions and expressed distress that police would shoot him if he exited his residence and surrendered himself to them. As proceedings continued, a member of one of the victims’ families exited the courtroom in tears.

Following a lengthy back-and-forth with a 911 responder, Woods-Bethel eventually surrendered without incident. Officers secured the area pending a search and seizure warrant.

Evidence recovered from Woods-Bethel’s front porch allegedly included four 9mm shell casings and one projectile. Charging documents state Woods-Bethel was holding an AR-15 rifle at the time of the incident, and that he advised it was jammed.

During the execution of the warrant, investigators said they recovered three shell casings, four magazines, two rifles of different calibers and a pistol with a live round in the chamber.

Following lunch recess, proceedings continued with further witness testimony.