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Andrew Michaels
- January 9, 2024
Attempted Murder
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Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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Convicted Mulberry Street murder defendant Darryon Cephas was sentenced to life plus 30 years on Jan. 5 for the killing of 33-year-old Curtis Jones in 2022.
The 24-year-old Baltimore resident was convicted of first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and firearm possession with a felony conviction as well as two counts of firearm use in a felony or violent crime last July. Maureen Rowland represented Cephas during the two-day trial before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Charles H. Dorsey III, who presided over Friday’s sentencing.
Cephas was sentenced to life for first-degree murder, a concurrent 20 years for first-degree assault and a consecutive five years for firearm possession with a felony conviction. For the first charge of firearm use in a felony violent crime, he received a consecutive 20 years and then a consecutive five years for the second count of the same charge.
“This outcome underscores our unwavering commitment to holding those who threaten the safety of our community accountable for their actions,” State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates said in a press release Friday afternoon. “The sentence reflects the severity of the crime and sends a clear message that acts of violence will not be tolerated in Baltimore.”
Jones was found in the driver’s seat of a 2007 Toyota Avalon with a gunshot wound to his neck on the 400 block of West Mulberry Street on June 15, 2022. He was pronounced dead less than 30 minutes later at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.
At trial, the prosecutor introduced video evidence showing the suspect who she said matched the defendant’s physical features, including his distinctive tattoos and a bandage on his left hand. Rowland later questioned the video, claiming it was unreliable given jurors could not see the suspect’s face.
No shell casings or bullets were recovered from the crime scene, Rowland added.
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