Mother of Murder Defendant Testifies in Homicide Case

By Cynthia Eapen [former] - November 15, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects |

The mother of a homicide defendant said she gave her son a gun to protect himself on Nov. 12 before Baltimore City Circuit Judge Barry G. Williams. 

The trial for Jimmy Gerold McRavin, who is charged with first-degree murder, felony use of a firearm in a violent crime, and firearm possession with a felony conviction, started on Friday. 

During her opening statement, the prosecutor accused the defendant of being so angry at the mother of his newborn child that the defendant shot her cousin who came to help her. 

The incident took place on Oct. 12, 2019, at 1:15 p.m. on the 200 block of Herring Court. 

During the defense attorney’s opening statement, Julie Shapiro said that McRavin and his girlfriend were having an argument because the girlfriend was angry with the defendant for holding their baby while he was smoking. Eventually, the girlfriend called her cousin to come to their house and possibly harm McRavin. 

Shortly after opening statements, the first to testify for the prosecution was the lead officer on the case. 

He said that when he arrived at the scene, he saw a man lying on the ground and the victim looked like he was shot in the face or head.

The defendant’s mother also took the stand. She of the defendant said McRavin was arguing with the mother of his child on the day of the incident because he was smoking at the time. 

On the morning of the incident, she said, she gave her son a gun because she wanted him to protect himself after she heard his girlfriend calling someone to come harm her son. She said she saw him put the gun in his pocket.

While the incident took place, the mother said that she was not outside to see what happened, but she did hear two gunshots from inside her house. When she went to see what happened, she saw the victim shooting at her son who was running away from the scene. 

On cross examination, the mother described how the girlfriend got angry with McRavin because he would not give her his cigarette that he was smoking. The girlfriend allegedly started pulling on the defendant to get the cigarette. 

The girlfriend was so infuriated, the mother said, that she threw a glass at the wall, which broke apart all across the baby. The mother said she and the girlfriend got into an argument. 

Eventually, the defendant’s mother saw the girlfriend’s cousin come to the house and pull out what appeared to be a black or silver handle of a gun and attack McRavin. 

The mother said she was afraid this man would have harmed herself and her son. 

The trial continued on Nov. 15 with more testimony from the defendant’s mother.