Prosecution and Defense Debate Eye-Witness Testimony in Home Invasion Murder Trial 

By Amina Thiam [former] - October 17, 2022
Court | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On the 5100 block of Curtis Avenue, on Oct. 15, 2021, an intruder came up through the fire escape of an apartment building and fired multiple rounds through an open window, killing 22-year-old Tayshawn David with two fatal gunshot wounds to the chest and back. 

A year after David’s violent death, opening statements began on Oct. 24 in the trial for a defendant charged with his murder. 

Jaesiah Neal faces ten charges in relation to the Oct. 15 incident, including two counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and home invasion. The remaining charges are two counts of using a firearm to commit a felony violent crime, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit home invasion, having a handgun on his person, possessing a firearm with a felony conviction, and possession of a firearm as a minor. 

During opening statements, the prosecutor told the jury that Neal, 20, was jealous of the victim for having a relationship with a woman he had dated in the past. 

The state’s theory is that the defendant had viewed the inside of the apartment from across the street before he climbed up the fire escape and aimed his gun at David. The prosecutor also called five witnesses, including the sole surviving eye-witness, the chief medical examiner, responding officers, and a crime lab technician. The lab technician showed the jury fingerprint evidence she collected at the scene of the crime.

However, Neal’s defense attorneys, Amanda Savage and Stephanie Salter, said that the police did not thoroughly investigate all possible leads. “Police had information that there might have been others who wanted to hurt Tayshawn,” said Savage. 

Neal’s defense team told the jury that a different suspect was arrested with the murder weapon, and DNA testing on the gun did not match the defendant.  

The day ended with the testimony of the sole eye-witness to the murder, who was in the bedroom and saw the shooter fire through the window at the victim. She provided a detailed account of calling 911 in the midst of a bloody and chaotic crime scene.

The six-minute call was also played to the jury, who listened attentively as the witness could be heard saying the victim had stopped breathing. 

While defense attorneys for Neal explained that the witness had changed her statement multiple times, the prosecutor stated that she had positively identified the shooter as Neal and that his motive of jealousy was clear.

The trial is expected to last until Thursday and is set to resume at 9:00 a.m. on Oct. 25 before Judge Martin H. Schreiber of the Baltimore City Circuit Court.