North Payson Street Homicide Defendant Rejects Plea Offer 

Baltimore Court Seal

Thank you for reading Baltimore Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.

Donate Now

On July 12, a 27-year-old homicide defendant rejected a plea offer in reception court before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland

Dayrel McFarland is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a deadly weapon with intent to injure in connection to an incident on Oct. 2, 2023. McFarland was represented by Jason Rodriguez

The prosecution’s plea offer to McFarland was life, suspending all but 40 years, with five years of probation for first-degree murder. Rodriguez rejected this plea deal on McFarland’s behalf. 

The seven-day trial is scheduled to begin on Nov. 7 before Judge John A. Howard

According to a Baltimore Police Department press release, on Feb. 8, detectives arrested McFarland in connection to an incident on the 500 block of North Payson Street that killed 37-year-old Jamal Barney