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By
Carmen Gregg
- April 7, 2025
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Juveniles
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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The prosecution in a murder trial presented Instagram evidence to link Charles “Sleepy” Bowen, 20, to the Feb. 20, 2024, fatal shooting of Darcell Mitchell, 19. Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer presided over the April 4 hearing.
Bowen, 19-year-old Davon Butler, and another co-defendant who was a minor at the time of the shooting face various first-degree murder and handgun-related charges.
Defense attorney Daniel P. Mooney, who represents Bowen, objected to the prosecution’s motion to enter an Instagram story post made by Butler into evidence for trial, saying it could be prejudicial. Mooney also questioned the validity of the post, which had likely been “reposted” by multiple people.
The post allegedly depicted four tactical officers surrounding Bowen during his arrest, with the caption “#FreeSleepy” and music playing over the photo.
Judge Schiffer ultimately allowed the post to be admitted.
“The advocacy I have witnessed in this case is remarkable,” she commented.
The prosecution alleged Bowen previously owned an Instagram account with the nickname “Sleepy” in the account handle. This account and another believed to be Butler’s were in a disagreement with Mitchell shortly before the incident.
The lead Baltimore Police Department (BPD) homicide detective on the case, said that although Bowen deactivated his Instagram account shortly after the incident, BPD had already “preserved” it, allowing investigators to access all previous and future data.
The evidence presented by the prosecution included multiple messages between Bowen, Butler, and their associates calling Bowen “Sleepy.”
Further evidence allegedly captured Butler mentioning he was going to be “booked,” but couldn’t discuss the reasons through direct messages. He also allegedly shared an Instagram post of a press release with the details of the shooting.
This trial is ongoing.