Opening statements beganJune 8 in the attempted murder trial of 45-year-old Travis Maynor before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yolanda A. Tanner.
Maynor is charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, armed robbery, firearm use in a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, and multiple related gun offenses. The charges stem from an Aug. 20, 2024 shooting at a Carroll Motor Fuels gas station on the 4100 block of Patterson Avenue.
During their opening, the prosecution told jurors the case is about “location, location, location,” arguing that the evidence will show Maynor was at the scene when the victim, who was 30-years-old at the time, was shot.
According to the prosecution, Maynor and another person arrived at the gas station in a black Acura. After exiting, they allegedly robbed the victim while also pointing firearms at three other unidentified individuals. Prosecutors said the suspects took a backpack from one victim before another unidentified individual left the area, returned with a firearm and began shooting.
Maynor, they said, returned fire from inside the Acura.
According to charging documents, officers responded to the gas station at around 10:15 p.m. and found the victim in the doorway, suffering from gunshot wounds to his chest, face, right thigh and upper back. He was transported to Sinai Hospital in critical condition, but survived.
Charging documents appear to corroborate the prosecution’s arguments, stating surveillance footage showed two Black males exiting a black Acura TL with Virginia temporary tags while armed with handguns. One individual with “bushy hair” was allegedly wearing gray jeans, a black hoodie and a Halloween mask while holding two handguns. The second individual was allegedly wearing a gray sweatsuit and black face mask while holding a handgun.
The prosecution also told jurors that Maynor later walked into a hospital claiming he was the victim of a random shooting. However, prosecutors argued detectives did not believe the shooting was random. Maynor told officers he was near a 7-Eleven on West Franklin Street when a black Honda coupe drove by and he heard gunshots. Maynor stated he later realized he was shot and walked to Grace Medical Center for treatment. Investigators also alleged one camera angle showed Maynor removing a Halloween mask, which was later recovered and submitted into evidence.
Prosecutors said jurors will hear testimony from the FBI about cell phone records that allegedly place Maynor’s phone near the gas station at the time of the shooting. Charging documents also state detectives reviewed historical cell site records and believed Maynor was in the area of the 4100 block of Patterson Avenue.
Defense attorney Andre Manigault told jurors there are “two sides to every story,” arguing the case is not only about location, but also about identification.
Manigault said the defense does not carry the burden of proof and argued that the state’s surveillance footage is too grainy to clearly identify anyone. He told jurors they may only be able to determine a person’s race from the footage, but not the person’s identity.
Manigault also challenged the cell phone evidence, saying cell tower records can provide a general area but cannot provide an exact GPS location. He argued the evidence cannot prove who was using a specific phone at the time.
The defense also questioned the DNA evidence, saying that while investigators collected DNA from Maynor, the defendant was excluded from samples found on the Halloween mask. Manigault argued the state cannot tell jurors the DNA belonged to Maynor.
Detectives later connected a 9mm Ruger handgun recovered three days after the incident to the Patterson Avenue shooting. The gun was allegedly recovered from a backpack that also contained suspected cocaine, another drug believed to be either heroin or fentanyl, a Virginia vehicle registration connected to Maynor, and Maynor’s Maryland learner’s permit.
Maynor’s trial is ongoing.
