Homicide Defendant ‘Has Been Waiting Day After Day’ For His Day in Court, Defense Says

By Andrew Michaels - September 14, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Baltimore resident Levar Cooper has been waiting over a year for this day because it was the day he could tell a jury that he is not guilty of 43-year-old Larry Alvin Randall Jr.’s murder, defense attorney Catherine Flynn declared before a 12-person jury on Sept. 14 in Baltimore City Circuit Court.

After two days of jury selection, Cooper began his trial before Judge Philip Jackson in connection to Randall’s death in Pigtown on May 10, 2021.

“He’s been waiting day after day after day to walk into this courtroom and say, ‘I’m not guilty of these charges,’” Flynn said to the jury, charges that included first-degree murder and four weapons charges.

During her opening statements, the defense attorney spoke little of the incident but instead deemed the jury “judges of the facts” and encouraged the jurors to be skeptical and ask questions as they listened to witness testimony throughout the trial.

“You don’t have to believe something somebody says is true,” Flynn said.

The prosecution shed more light on the incident last year on the 1100 block of Washington Boulevard at W. Ostend Street. Shortly before 7 p.m., WMAR Baltimore reported that Baltimore Police were called to the scene, where they found Randall, who had been shot.

Randall was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

On Wednesday, the prosecutor told the jury that “ultimately, this is a simple case.” Randall was standing in the street when Cooper allegedly drove up in a car, shot the victim, and then got out of the car and shot him again. The prosecutor noted that the jury would see the shooting when they watched video surveillance from businesses in the area, in addition to hearing from the man who lent Cooper the car he was driving.

The Baltimore Sun reported the vehicle as a black Mercedes with Delaware tags.

The trial proceeded with testimony from a detective who responded to the shooting and retrieved video surveillance from the nearby Bob’s Bar and New City Mart.