In a motion hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Judge LaZette C. Ringgold-Kirksey on April 28 parties argued whether to suppress a witness’ identification in a November 2024 murder trial.
Dakwane Cole, 31, is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and multiple firearm offenses in a double shooting that left 30-year-old Bianca Nelson dead and her boyfriend injured in East Baltimore.
Charging documents state that shortly before 11 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2024, Baltimore Police officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert on the 2300 block of E Lafayette Street, where they discovered Nelson lying unresponsive on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. Her boyfriend was also located at the scene near a 2010 Ford Fusion sedan, suffering from a graze wound to the left side of his chest.
A crime scene was located on the 1800 block of N. Montford Avenue, where investigators recovered a plastic bottle with a lid and straw, along with fingerprints that produced a likely match with Cole.
Cole was later identified as the alleged shooter through a photographic array conducted using the “folder shuffle method,” a procedure where detectives shuffle photos before randomly presenting them to eyewitnesses.
On April 28, Cole’s defense attorney Natalie Finegar maintained the identification was conducted under unfair circumstances, pointing out the witness did not provide any physical description of the suspect before viewing the photo array.
A detective who testified at the hearing said that while the witness only provided a description of the suspect’s clothing, he ultimately identified Cole among the lineup because of a distinctive teardrop‑shaped tattoo under his eye.
Meanwhile, the prosecution maintained that the identification was conducted properly and according to standard police procedures, adding that detectives also arranged for a qualified interpreter to assist the Spanish‑speaking witness throughout the process.
Judge Middleton ultimately denied the motion to suppress the identification, finding that the identification was conducted under proper circumstances. She also noted investigators were unaware who the suspect was while administering the array, eliminating the possibility that they influenced the identification in any way.
Cole will next appear in court on Aug. 17 for a pre-trial conference before Judge Melissa K. Copeland.
