Prosecution Builds Attempted Murder Case on Matching Clothes

By Jordan Fine - March 31, 2024
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Victims |

“We all know he did this that night,” said the prosecutor in his closing argument during an attempted murder trial before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Alan C. Lazerow.  “No one saw this coming but him, because it was his decision.”

Obadiah Malone, 32, is facing charges 14 in connection to a non-fatal shooting that took place on Oct. 10, 2022 on the 1900 block of Braddish Avenue. Malone faces attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, firearm possession with a felony conviction, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, possession of firearms in a controlled dangerous substance offense, illegal possession of ammunition, having a loaded handgun in a vehicle and on his person and discharging firearms.

Closing her arguments on March 29, the prosecution replayed surveillance video footage and showed shell casings and clothing from evidence. 

“There’s a lot of video in this case,” the prosecutor said. On surveillance footage, there were multiple shots of the suspect wearing items that matched a pair of shoes and a sweatshirt found at the defendant’s girlfriend’s house, where prosecution claims she was allegedly hiding them.

“She hid those shoes because she knows what he did,” the prosecutor argued. The prosecutor also stated that Malone had fled to California, got a new phone and essentially went off the map, indicating his guilt. 

Defense attorney Bradley Macfee argued that this was a case of mistaken identity, and that no one could truly identify the suspect on the surveillance footage. “A good amount of the [prosecution’s] information is just assumptions, not real evidence,” he said. Macfee also claimed that the only witnesses that possibly could identify the suspect were police officers with the Baltimore Police Department because they were the only ones on scene. 

The jury, presented with all the evidence, will deliberate a verdict for Malone.