A mistrial was declared Nov. 4 in the trial of a Baltimore murder defendant after a member of the victim’s family erupted into an outburst during witness testimony.
Sean Karim Lloyd, 33, is charged with first-degree murder and three gun violations in connection to the fatal shooting of Troy Kavanaugh, 37, on Feb. 2 earlier this year. Officers responded shortly after 4 p.m. to the 2500 block of E. Biddle Street, where they located Kavanaugh suffering from a gunshot wound while seated inside his black 2015 Nissan Altima. Medics transported Kavanaugh to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:14 p.m.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Timothy J. Doory declared the mistrial ruling just minutes after defense attorney Chris Purpura and the prosecutor delivered opening statements before the jury, with Purpura critically questioning investigators’ failure to follow up on an unnamed person of interest who named Lloyd as the shooter.
Area surveillance cameras and eyewitness testimony from neighbors revealed Lloyd and Kavanaugh allegedly engaged in a verbal altercation on the vehicle’s passenger side. Lloyd then reportedly shot through Kavanaugh’s front windshield, fatally striking him. He then fled eastbound toward Luzerne Avenue.
While investigating, homicide detectives spoke with an eyewitness whose recollection of the events corroborated their findings. The witness was able to positively identify Lloyd as the shooter via a double-blind photographic array, and also provided a brief handwritten statement to officers.
Lloyd was arrested on March 5 at his home on the 4500 block of Shamrock Avenue. Purpura claimed police arrested Lloyd due to the person of interest’s claim that “Mr. Lloyd did it.” He cited a lack of fingerprint, firearm, or ballistic evidence recovered from the scene, and noted that no search warrant was executed on any residence associated with Lloyd.
“We have the statement of one individual saying my client did it,” Purpura told jurors.
Though Lloyd denied being on Biddle Street that day or knowing Kavanaugh, detectives later obtained a photo from Kavanaugh’s family that depicted the defendant and victim together when they were younger, disproving his claim.
Following the mistrial declaration, Lloyd’s case was sent to postponement court. The day after, on Nov. 5, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland reset his trial to begin in late January.
Lloyd is now slated to return to court for trial on Jan. 26, 2026 before Judge Hope Tipton.
