A jury found homicide defendant Reginald Whitaker guilty of murdering 33-year-old Traquarn Lewis and shooting another man minutes later in Fells Point last July.
On May 16, the jury’s foreperson announced the verdict before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer, finding the 29-year-old defendant guilty of first-degree murder, firearm possession with a felony conviction, having a handgun on his person, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and armed robbery as well as two counts of firearm use in a felony or violent crime. Whitaker was also found not guilty of attempted first-degree murder and a verdict was not rendered for an additional robbery charge.
No sentencing date is currently scheduled, according to the Maryland Judiciary website.
During the trial, the prosecution relied heavily on video evidence that showed Whitaker in distinct clothing, specifically, a black sweatshirt and yellow T-shirt, as he shot Lewis near a Royal Farms on the 2000 block of Fleet Street on July 3, 2023. Less than 15 minutes later, Whitaker had made his way to the intersection of South Wolfe and Gough streets, where he robbed and shot a second victim in his leg and abdomen.
James Sweeting III, Whitaker’s defense counsel, focused on the absence of certain evidence, including a gun, DNA and fingerprint evidence and cell phone location data connecting his client to the shootings.
