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By
Massiel Morales [former]
- June 17, 2022
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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After a four-day jury trial, homicide defendant Jaqwuan Owens was found guilty of first-degree murder on May 27 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Dana Middleton.
Owens, 26, was charged with and found guilty of first-degree murder, use of a firearm during a violent crime, and two counts of possession of a firearm with a felony conviction in connection to an incident on the 5100 block of Queensbury Avenue on Feb. 18, 2021.
Owens was represented by defense attorney Matthew Connell.
According to court documents, Owens met with 40-year-old Justin Bucalo for an alleged drug transaction around 11:25 a.m. on Feb. 18, 2021. He then walked away and retrieved something from his pocket, returning to the victim with what police believed was a pill of heroin.
Owens then pulled out a handgun and demanded the victim’s money. When the victim attempted to drive away, the defendant shot him in the head.
The victim remained in the car until 12:05 p.m., according to court documents, when Owen returned wearing different clothes. He stole money from the victim’s car, and a neighbor called the police.
Owens sentencing is currently scheduled for Aug. 23, according to the Maryland Judiciary website.