In response to a murder case dismissal, the victims’ family members reacted with anger tears of sorrow in the courtoom.
The murder case against Gregory Barnes, 51, for the June 13, 2024 homicide of Dennis Edmonds, 39, was dismissed on Oct. 15, in Baltimore City Circuit Court before Judge Jeannie Hong, after the prosecution admitted a key witness was inadvertently released from custody.
Asking for a postponement, the prosecuting attorney notified Judge Hong that their witness had been initially held by Central Booking, but incorrectly released pre-trial. Attempts to find the witness by Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers proved ineffectual, as they learned that the witness was aware he was being sought, and was hiding.
The prosecutor argued that the witness was necessary for the case and that the state would require another postponement in order to prove their case.
Defense counsel William Porter argued that his client had been imprisoned awaiting trial since 2024 and requested that the postponement be denied as the trial date had been set and jury set to go.
Judge Hong was sympathetic, but denied the postponement on the grounds that the defendant had been incarcerated since June of 2024, and that she had already permitted three previous motions for postponement in this case.
Given the ruling, the prosecution moved to dismiss the case and all charges against the defendant. Upon hearing the announcement, members of the victim’s family present in the courtroom left the courtroom, crying and devastated.
