Hung Jury Leads to Mistrial for Defendant in 2021 Double Homicide on Flowerton Road

By Sam Parrish [former] - August 14, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

“The victims were slaughtered,” said a Baltimore City prosecutor during her closing argument for the double murder trial of Montay Shuler on Aug. 10. 

The prosecutor alleged that Shuler and his co-defendant, Raekwon Griffin, killed 26-year-old Brian Palmer and 33-year-old Darrin Stewart after a drug deal between the co-defendants and Palmer went wrong.

The 24-year-old defendant’s trial ended with a hung jury, leading to a mistrial after a jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision on Aug. 11 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer. 

The prosecutor argued that the defendant was heard bragging about the crime on a jail call. Laughing, Shuler allegedly said, “ [The victim] reached and we both had guns.” 

The prosecution added that the “Ruger-5.7 is the added benefit.”

 “They had to get rid of Darrin Stewart,”  the prosecutor said. “He was collateral damage.” 

Defense attorney James Johnston countered there was no evidence that tied his client to the crime. 

“No one on the stand said that Mr. Shuler was on the scene or did anything,” he said. 

Johnston noted that the evidence presented did not make sense. There were no fingerprints or additional evidence, excluding circumstantial evidence.

“There is no confirmation Mr. Shuler is talking on the jail calls,” Johnston continued.

“Don’t check your common sense at the door,”  the prosecutor added during her rebuttal. “The defense wants you to think that there are so many coincidences.”