Payson Street Shooter Found Guilty of Murder, Firearm Charges

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Tracy Jeter, 42, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Sylvester B. Cox on July 31.

Jeter was originally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of felony firearm use, and one count of firearm possession with a prior felony conviction in connection to the fatal shooting of Travon Benson, 29, that occurred Dec. 14, 2024, on the 200 block of N. Payson Street.

Charging documents state Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers responded to a five round ShotSpotter alert from the 2000 block of Penrose Avenue and one two round alert from behind the 200 block of N. Payson Street.

Surveillance footage showed a blue Hyundai Kona approaching the crime scene approximately one minute before shots were fired. The shooter was then seen fleeing the scene. Aviation units tracked the vehicle back to the driver, who was found to be Jeter.

Further investigation revealed that the Baltimore Task Force put a GPS tracker on the Hyundai Kona after finding it was involved in a carjacking on Dec. 11, 2024.

The prosecution presented footage of Jeter telling police, “I don’t know what’s going on, I’m walking home to my girl’s house and I came to pee in this alley when I saw guys running with guns.”

They implied Jeter’s statement weren’t logical given the factww and consequently indicated his guilt. The keys to the blue Hyundai Kona were later found in Jeter’s pockets.

Defense attorney Creston P. Smith argued there was no clear motive as to why Benson was shot.

“Who shot any of these shell casings is up for debate,” Smith said. “One gun, two guns, three guns — all up for debate.”

During closing arguments, the prosecution focused on the conspiracy aspect of the crime, noting the Hyundai was tracked by GPS driving near Benson’s residence prior to the murder, and that police found Jeter wearing a black face mask around his neck. The state argued there were too many connections in the facts to rule the evidence coincidental.

Smith argued the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence to connect Jeter to the crime, indicating the absence of DNA, fingerprints, or forensic or ballistic analyses.

“There’s little to no cameras near the actual crime scene,” Smith said. “That’s why the state spent so much time focused on what happened after the fact.”

Smith is slated for sentencing on Sept. 22.