Police Arrest 62-Year-Old Man in Connection to Murder of East Baltimore Church Volunteer

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A 62-year-old Baltimore man has been charged with the murder of Evelyn Player whose body was found in a church last month.

The Baltimore Police Department previously reported that Player, 69, was killed at a church where she volunteered on the 1700 block of N. Chester Street on Nov. 16 when officers were called to the scene around 7:20 a.m.

On Dec. 1, police said, the Warrant Apprehension Taskforce arrested Manzie Smith Jr. on the 4900 block of Crenshaw Avenue in connection to Player’s death. Police said evidence from the scene and then processed through the crime lab helped in Smith’s identification as the alleged shooter.

The defendant is charged with first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, use of a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure, and concealing a dangerous weapon, the Maryland Judiciary website states.

He is currently being held without bail at Central Booking and scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 4, 2022, at Baltimore City District Court.

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