Jury Finds Baltimore Man Guilty of W. Saratoga Street Murder

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A jury in the trial of homicide defendant Donte Brown announced a guilty verdict on Jan. 31.

The week-long trial concluded on Jan. 27 with closing arguments from the prosecution and defense attorneys Natalie Finegar and Roland Brown before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Videtta Brown. The jury found the defendant guilty of first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime, having a handgun on his person; and firearm possession with a felony conviction.

The 40-year-old man is currently scheduled for sentencing on May 10 pending a pre-sentencing investigation.

“Tavon Hutton should be here today,” the prosecutor said in closing arguments, adding that no one has the right to take someone else’s life.

She then detailed the defendant’s movements on the day of the incident and days after, specifically, citing how video surveillance footage placed Donte at a car wash a day or so after the shooting. This was likely because Baltimore Police were looking for his vehicle, which the defendant took through the car wash multiple times, she said.

However, Roland Brown argued that “the most critical point of this trial is when you begin to collect evidence.”

For example, while his client’s fingerprints were found in the vehicle, fingerprints from three other individuals were also found but eliminated based on their age and height. Furthermore, a witness questioned by the police said she had no idea why she was being questioned, he continued, and that she was randomly shown a photo array of the defendant and others without any explanation.

“We know the defendant executed the victim when he couldn’t give him the information he wanted,” the prosecutor responded during her rebuttal.

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