Homicide Codefendant Won’t Cooperate with Prosecution for Plea Offer

By Shiloh Eschbach [former] - October 24, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Oct. 24, after a 48-year-old homicide defendant rejected a plea offered by a prosecutor in Baltimore City Circuit Court, counsel prepared to go to trial the following day.

Reisterstown resident Michael Corprew is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime and firearm possession with a felony conviction in connection with the death of William Smith in August 2021.

The prosecution gave Corprew a plea offer of life suspending all but 30 years for first-degree murder, or if he chose to cooperate with the prosecution and testify against his codefendant, Shawn Brewton, he could get a sentence of 50 years, suspending all but somewhere between 10 to 20 years, with four years of probation depending on the value of his testimony.

Augustine Okeke, who represented Corprew in Tuesday’s hearing, refused the offer at Corprew’s request and asked Judge Yolanda A. Tanner for a postponement to allow him more time to consult with his client.

Judge Tanner did not find reason to postpone the specially set trial, but allowed Okeke to use the courtroom to talk with his client confidentially for the remainder of the afternoon.

Judge Tanner set the trial to begin on Oct. 25 with herself presiding.

According to documents from the District Court of Maryland, on Aug. 11, 2021, Smith was shot on the 3500 block of West Belvedere Avenue. Baltimore Police Department officers interviewed a witness who identified Corprew as involved in the incident.