Oakley Avenue Murder Suspect Receives November Trial Date

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Following a June 13 postponement in his case due to the unavailability of various key witnesses, murder defendant Zion James Clayton, 25, received a Nov. 13 trial date before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland on June 26.

Among unavailable critical witnesses are a DNA analyst, a crime scene technician, the case’s primary detective, several chain of custody witnesses, and an identifying witness set to undergo surgery in early September, followed by eight weeks of recovery. Judge Copeland ultimately found good cause to set the trial one month past Clayton’s speedy trial deadline, despite his previous reluctance to waive the date.

Clayton is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one each of firearm use in a violent crime and having a loaded handgun on his person, in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred late January in the 3000 block of Oakley Avenue. He was arrested Feb. 21 without incident.

The victim, 36-year-old Anthony McMichael, was transported to Sinai Hospital by a witness for treatment. He was pronounced deceased near noon, and a doctor from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined his cause of death to be a homicide by gunshot wounds.

According to charging documents, on Jan. 24, at approximately 11:21 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 2900 block of Oakley Avenue for a report of gunfire. Upon interviewing witnesses and gathering video surveillance footage for review, investigators determined two suspects were involved in the fatal shooting.

Area witnesses were shown a photographic array, and positively identified a person said to be Clayton as one of the shooters. Clayton’s cellphone data was obtained, and a preliminary report showed it was in the vicinity the scene of McMichael’s death.

The prosecution noted Clayton’s Nov. 13 trial is projected to last at least seven days before Judge Nicole K. Barmore.