Jurors are considering the fate of one of three men accused of killing a teenage girl during a 2024 Federal Hill shooting after attorneys painted two very different pictures during closing arguments on Nov. 10.
29-year-old Devontaye Richardson, also known as Taye Money, is facing first- and second-degree murder charges and multiple other violations for his alleged involvement in an Oct. 27, 2024 shooting in Federal Hill that resulted in the death of 19-year-old Cameran Holt. Daeshaun Clark, 28, and Alexis Cancel-Soto, 21, were also accused of the crime. Cancel-Soto was found guilty of first-degree murder and seven other charges on Sept. 16.
Cancel-Soto later admitted to shooting five of the rounds exchanged, which exceeded 40. He told prosecutors he was unsure who fired first.
Holt was in her vehicle close to a purple Dodge Challenger near the intersection of Biddle Street and a 7-Eleven when she was shot. Cancel-Soto reportedly intended to shoot at the Challenger, which belonged to a man he argued with earlier that night, but shot Holt in the process.
During closing statements, Richardson’s defense attorney, Daniel Mooney, claimed that Richardson never fired a gun that night. Cartridge casings recovered from the scene suggest that four firearms were involved. Baltimore City Police were able to link the four sets of casings to four individuals, none of whom was Richardson.
Regardless, the prosecution reminded the jury of the substantial evidence that placed Richardson at the scene of the crime, including security footage that allegedly showed Richardson producing a firearm, hiding it behind his back, and then handing it off to another individual, as well as an eyewitness who identified Richardson from both the video footage and her memory.
Defense attorney Mooney pointed out that eyewitness testimony placing Richardson at the scene may not be reliable. He explained that the witness had not identified Richardson in her police interviews last year. In fact, she initially told detectives that she didn’t know who he was.
Mooney alleged that her recent “recollection” of Richardson being at the scene was motivated by her fear of retaliation by Holt’s family. The eyewitness had reportedly received a threatening text message that resulted in criminal charges against a member of Holt’s family.
Mooney further noted that a larger number of Holt’s family members were present at trial that day than usual, and that the witness’s eyes kept darting nervously toward them. With this in mind, Mooney asked the jury to take her testimony with a grain of salt.
Closing statements were heard before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lynn Stewart Mays.
