Since his first hearing on May 26, Craig Parker has cycled through three attorneys as his murder case faces delays moving toward trial which is slated to occur in 2027.
Parker, 42, is charged with first-degree murder and several firearms charges in connection with a Feb. 25 shooting on the 3500 block of 5th Street. The victim, who was later identified as Kyree Plummer, 21, was unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper torso. He was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma where he was later pronounced dead.
During Parker’s hearing Aug. 14, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Copeland and counsel discussed possible trial dates, Parker’s attorney, William Porter, said he wouldn’t have availability until 2027, acknowledging that he was new to the case and still has a lot of evidence to review. He told Judge Copeland that he has a lot of work to do.
Judge Copeland said she did not have access to the 2027 calendar due to a large number of retiring judges.
Instead of choosing a trial date, the parties are scheduled to return to reception court on Nov. 13.
During the hearing, the state also offered Parker a plea deal for life suspending all but 60 years for first-degree murder, which is concurrent with a firearm charge, carrying a sentence of 20 years, the first five years without parole, and five years of supervised probation.
According to Porter, the plea has not been reviewed, but, at this point, the defense would probably be rejecting it. Porter did request additional time to review the plea with his client.
The prosecution gave the defense until Aug. 31 to make a decision.
According to court documents, surveillance footage in the area of the crime scene showed a single suspect approach the victim and shoot him. Baltimore Police Department officers located a black handgun in a trash can outside of the 500 block of Maude Avenue.
During the investigation, a witness can be heard saying, “Craig just cracked Kyree” in a phone call. In another call, the same witness informed the person on the line that they saw Craig shoot Kyree. Following the shooting, the witness sent a screenshot of a male from a social media profile to Kyree’s girlfriend.
A second witness to the shooting was shown this screenshot by the first witness. The man in the photo was later identified as Parker.
