Girlfriend Says Suspect Was Driver in Double Killing

By Nina Wilson - June 18, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

A jury heard opening statements before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lynn S. Mays in a fatal drive-by shooting case in a June 18 proceeding.

Datuan Blanchard, 24, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and two counts of firearm use in a felony violent crime in relation to the murders of 26-year-old William Ferebee and 25-year-old Leion Davis Jr on Aug. 12, 2022. 

According to the prosecution, Blanchard allegedly drove his two older cousins to the 4000 block of Wabash Avenue in a red Acura TL, where his two cousins got out of the car and allegedly shot the two victims. The suspects then drove away and burned the car a couple hours later. Ferebee was shot 23 times and Davis was shot eight times in the head at close range while sitting in their car. 

According to both parties, the witness, who was Blanchard’s girlfriend, told Baltimore Police Department investigators that Blanchard told her to report the car as stolen. She allegedly confessed after having a jail call with Blanchard. 

The assistant state’s attorney claimed that the murder was an “execution style” job, where the defendant and two other suspects were getting paid to murder the two victims. 

Blanchard allegedly admitted to his girlfriend that he was the driver in the shooting. “Never tell a soul,” the prosecutor repeated twice to say that the defendant “broke this rule,” because he told his girlfriend, who later reported the murders to the police. 

The defense attorney, Judit Otvos, claimed that her client was driving for his cousins, who planned the murders. The plans were unknown to Blanchard.