One of Three Co-Defendants Accepts Alford Plea in 2017 Fed-Hill Murder Retrial

By Dalen Berry [former] - October 14, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Oct. 11, a Virginia man was scheduled to be heard for retrial before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John A. Howard. 

Defendant Marquese Winston was not transported to the courthouse for his hearing. Defense attorney Julie Shapiro requested a postponement due to the defendant not being present. She also noted the defendant had another lawyer and wanted both of them present.

Judge Howard denied the motion of postponement. 

According to the statements of charges, Winston, 30, is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, use of a firearm in a felony violent crime, conspiracy to use a firearm in a felony violent crime, second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit reckless endangerment, having a handgun on his person, conspiracy to have a handgun on his person, having a handgun in a vehicle, conspiracy to having a handgun in a vehicle, and auto-theft valuing less than $100.00 in connection to a crime in November of 2017. 

According to WBAL TV, the defendant and his girlfriend Tonya Hayes allegedly fatally shot 41-year-old Alex Wroblewski as he was leaving a Royal Farm’s store located on the 1400 block of Lawrence Street. The victim was a well-known bartender in the Fed-Hill area. 

Hayes, who is a Georgia resident, is listed as a co-defendant, but Baltimore Witness could not locate anything on her case on the Maryland Judiciary website. In addition, Richmond resident Tivontre Gatling-Mouzon is listed as a co-defendant.

In 2019, Gatling-Mouzon was convicted of conspiracy to commit armed robbery in connection with the crime and was sentenced to probation after receiving credit for time served in prison.

The motives behind these crimes are still unknown.

The prosecution offered a plea of 15 years in prison, suspending all but ten years with five years supervised probation for the use of a handgun in a felony violent crime, in addition to a concurrent sentence of 40 years, suspending all but 25 years with five years supervised probation for second-degree murder.

On Oct. 13, Winston accepted a plea of 15 years in prison, suspending all but five years with five years supervised probation for the use of a handgun in a felony violent crime, in addition to a consecutive sentence of 40 years, suspending all but 15 years with five years supervised probation for second-degree murder.