An argument over a child’s dirty diaper turned deadly between a father and step-father along W. Caton Avenue in June 2022. Less than a year later, homicide defendant Theodore Johnson’s jury trial for the murder of 49-year-old William Christian concluded on March 29, followed by a guilty verdict that same day.
Johnson, 41, was found guilty of second-degree murder and three weapons charges, while not guilty of first-degree murder before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie Hong.
“He took that firearm out with the intent of killing the victim,” a prosecutor said to the jury.
During her closing arguments on Wednesday, the prosecutor reviewed the details leading up to the shooting, beginning with a fight between Christian and Johnson’s wife on the 100 block of N. Monastery Avenue. As the argument continued to 3500 block of W. Caton Avenue, Johnson intervened and followed Christian with a gun for 10 seconds before pulling the trigger.
Christian was running away when he was shot in front of a nearby church.
“It’s our position that the firearm was discharged in the heart of passion,” countered defense attorney Chris Purpura, who explained how the fight only escalated when the victim hit the defendant’s wife a second time. “[The defendant’s] blood began to boil just a little bit then.”
Although the incident was “extremely tragic,” Purpura added, Johnson only committed voluntary manslaughter, not first or second-degree murder.
