Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland agreed to honor a joinder motion for two co-defendants in a murder case on Oct. 24 and ultimately set a hearing date for late November.
Chaz Laray Branch and Tyrell Branch, both 36, have been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of firearm use in a felony violent crime, and several other gun and conspiracy violations in connection to a May 25 fatal shooting that occurred on the 400 block of N. Paca Street. Chaz was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition at the time of the shooting, due to a felony conviction for robbery that he incurred on Sept.16, 2009.
Tyrell was absent from the hearing after voluntarily refusing to appear, according to court deputies, but Judge Copeland decided to continue the matter in his absence.
According to charging documents, at approximately 2:02 a.m. on Memorial day, detectives were searching for a gray 2023 Nissan Rogue after camera footage revealed two suspected shooters, identified as the Branches, exiting the vehicle prior to the shooting. Their gunfire fatally injured 50-year-old man Tobias Cunningham.
Cunningham was sitting in the driver’s seat of a black 2009 Audi A5 when one of the suspects allegedly began firing bullets into the driver seat window. Court records state that he was parked in the 400 block of N. Paca Street for approximately one minute before the suspects approached and shot him without an apparent reason or warning.
Officers tracked down and stopped the gray Nissan Rogue on the 3800 block of Crestlyn Road around 9:45 p.m. on Memorial Day. Chaz was identified as the registered owner of the vehicle, according to the charging documents. The tactical stop was for an unrelated handgun violation, said the detectives.
During the stop, detectives allegedly found a 9mm Spring Armory Hellcat handgun loaded with seven rounds in Chaz’s waistband. The gun was reported stolen. Investigators also found a .38-caliber revolver loaded with five rounds in his pocket.
Both defendants were offered a plea on counts one and three, that consisted of a life sentence, suspending all but 50 years, and five years of supervised probation to follow. Both defendants rejected the offer.The Branches’ motion hearing is currently scheduled to begin Nov. 24 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lynn Stewart Mays.
