Homicide Case ‘Hinges’ on Defendant’s Girlfriend, Defense Says

By Andrew Michaels - December 7, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Prosecution and defense counsel in the homicide trial of Deonte Walker focused on the defendant’s girlfriend’s history of drug abuse and police interview, during closing arguments on Dec. 6.

Walker, a 31-year-old Baltimore resident, is accused of fatally shooting Justin Johnson after a heated exchanged on Jan. 14, 2020. He is facing charges of first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime, having a handgun in a vehicle and on his person, and firearm possession with a felony conviction.

“When [the defendant] got out of the passenger side of the car, he knew exactly what he was going to do,” the prosecution said. Walker’s girlfriend was driving the couple when the victim allegedly said something to Walker about “staying away from his area.”

The prosecutor told the jury that a considerable amount of information about the incident came from Walker’s girlfriend, who is “the reason we know what happened that night.” He proceeded to replay Walker’s girlfriend’s interview with a homicide detective, reminding the jury that she did not want to testify in the trial but did so anyway and was cooperative with police.

“She wanted to get out of there,” the prosecutor said, referring to the scene of the crime where Johnson allegedly pushed the defendant to the ground. After getting back up, Walker then allegedly shot Johnson twice in the chest, once in the head, and another time in the back.

The jury was also reminded of the evidence presented throughout the trial, including two trash bags that were found in two separate dumpsters containing a bottle of bleach, the defendant’s clothes, and the fired shell casings.

A gun was never recovered.

During her closing arguments, defense attorney Catherine Flynn steered the jury toward faults in the police department’s investigation, again, referring to Walker’s girlfriend’s interview with a homicide detective.

“The detective had her mind made up as soon as she talked with her,” Flynn said, twice pointing to the detective who sat in the gallery. “[The detective] had already decided she knew what happened.”

Flynn said Walker’s girlfriend knew the victim because she bought drugs from him. Although his girlfriend told police she had smoked marijuana around the time of the shooting, Flynn said, the detective didn’t ask what other drugs she may have taken, considering her history with drug abuse.

The police also did not swab the defendant’s girlfriend’s clothes or car for possible DNA as well as blood that was found on the sidewalk at the scene, the defense attorney said, nor did they pull any video surveillance footage from the locations of the dumpsters.

“When all is said and done, this entire case hinges on [Walker’s girlfriend],” Flynn said. “There’s not a shred of physical evidence to connect my client to this crime … just a lot of inferences.”

Jury deliberation is expected to continue on Dec. 7.