Judge Closes Courtroom for Special Circumstances Involving Homicide Defendant’s Plea

By Andrew Michaels - March 1, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

A Baltimore City Circuit Court judge closed the courtroom to the public on March 1, citing special circumstances, before proceeding with a plea agreement for homicide defendant Davon Evans.

Family and friends of both Evans and the victim, Dionte Larry Williams, sat in the gallery when Judge Robert K. Taylor Jr. informed them that he would only be accepting a plea agreement and scheduled Evans’ sentencing for July 17. Neither the judge nor counsel discussed the terms of the plea agreement in open court.

The 23-year-old defendant was present on Friday alongside his defense attorney, Deborah Warner-Dennis.

According to court documents, Evans confessed to being the getaway driver on the night of Williams’ murder on Feb. 14, 2023, outside the BP gas station on the 1900 block of Belair Road. A Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officer was in the area when he heard about seven gunshots followed by three suspects getting into a Honda Accord and driving away.

The officer found Williams with a gunshot wound to his back and the victim was pronounced dead a short time later.

During their investigation, BPD found the alleged vehicle that was at the crime scene, which was registered to the defendant. Court documents state Evans initially “gave some misleading and inconsistent statements” to police, but eventually confessed to being the getaway driver.

The identity of the other suspect remains unknown.

Evans is currently charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of having a handgun in a vehicle and single counts of firearm use in a felony or violent crime and conspiracy to firearm use in a felony or violent crime.