During the ongoing trial of 29-year-old Dewitt Jackson, the prosecutor called expert witnesses to testify before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey M. Geller on July 2.
Jackson is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree arson, home invasion and firearm use in a felony violent crime in connection to the death of 18-year-old Bryan Stansbury on Dec. 10, 2024 on the 1100 block of Quantril Way.
Security footage revealed a white Ford Explorer parked outside the home, which officers later determined was stolen. The front passenger was seen exiting the car and standing by the front door. Another resident opened the door, and the passenger forced himself inside.
According to charging documents, officers arrived at the scene at 9:50 a.m. after receiving a shooting call. Upon arrival, they found Stansbury lying unresponsive on the second floor hallway outside his bedroom door. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers identified Jackson as a suspect through his cellphone location records, tracing him from the location where the car was stolen to the victim’s house, and finally to the spot where the car was burned. Jackson was arrested Feb. 3 in connection to another matter.
On Thursday, the state summoned a Baltimore City Fire Department captain who had responded to the scene of the burning vehicle. The court recognized the captain as an expert in fire investigation, origin, cause and determination.
The captain testified that the fire appeared to have been caused intentionally and started in the front passenger seat. Only the interior of the car was burned, she said.
The state also called the medical examiner who performed Stansbury’s autopsy.
According to the medical examiner, Stansbury exhibited severe injuries to his head, including a rapidly fatal wound. The examiner confirmed Stansbury’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and his manner of death was ruled a homicide. There was no evidence that the shot occurred in close range.
The trial is set to continue through the week.
