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Kyle Pellegrino [former]
- February 12, 2024
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On Feb. 12, a 25-year-old murder defendant appeared before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland, with his defense attorney Leonard Gutkoska to set his new trial date.
Markis Russell stands accused of first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime and having a handgun in a vehicle in connection to the March 23, 2023, death of his roommate, 22-year-old Jeffery Brooks, Jr.
The prosecutor told Judge Copeland that both sides agreed to request a postponement Monday after just recently receiving cell phone data from the FBI.
The prosecutor went on to say that she couldn’t open the files let alone share them with the defense yet. Gutkoska said there may be exculpatory evidence in the cell phone records, particularly in the text messages.
According to documents from the District Court of Maryland, on March 23, 2023, Brooks’ father reported his son missing to the Baltimore Police Department. On March 24, investigators brought Russell in for questioning.
Russell allegedly admitted to killing Brooks and stated that Brooks ran at him with a knife after a heated dispute over money in their apartment on the 3100 block of Mary Avenue. Russell shot him in the head and put his body in Brooks’ 2009 Subaru Outback. Russell parked the car behind Carroll Motor Fuels on the 6800 block of Harford Road.
The new trial date is set for May 14 in front of Judge John A. Howard.