Prosecution Witness Won’t Cooperate in Murder Trial

By Mark McNeill - July 31, 2025
Court | Daily Stories | Data | Homicides | Shooting |

A key witness for the prosecution became uncooperative on the stand July 30 during the murder trial of 20-year-old Montay Anthony Brown before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Levi S. Zaslow.

Brown is charged with first-degree murder and firearm use in a felony violent crime in connection to the shooting death of 33-year-old Garfield Redd, who was killed in the early morning hours of Jan. 9, 2023, while sitting in his vehicle at the intersection of East 21st and Charles Streets.

Brown was arrested on a homicide warrant and taken into custody on the 2100 block of Maryland Avenue. At the time, police allegedly found a 9mm loaded handgun, 11 live cartridges strapped to his back, and 17 containers of suspected cocaine in his coat pocket. Brown, who was underage at the time and prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior juvenile adjudication, faces additional weapons and drug charges.

One of the prosecution’s witnesses, who was in the area at the time of the shooting, offered incomplete responses and claimed not to remember key details, including the time and location of events. 

The witness admitted to hearing gunshots but said he did not see the shooter. Surveillance footage shows the witness in the vicinity of the shooting, and police arrested him shortly afterward for an unrelated incident.

Under cross-examination, the witness acknowledged telling detectives “whatever they wanted to hear” during his interview so he could leave. According to the prosecution, that same interview included statements identifying Brown—known by the nickname “Murder”—as the shooter, an assertion the witness denied in court.

In addition to the witness, the state also presented testimony from the medical examiner and a detective involved in the investigation. The detective testified about another witness who allegedly identified Brown as the shooter from a photo array. The detective also stated that he did not initially know Brown was in the group of photos shown to that witness.

Prosecutors say video surveillance shows Brown approaching Redd’s vehicle, pulling a sawed-off handgun from a grey backpack, and firing a single fatal shot into Redd’s head before fleeing down a nearby side street.

Prior to trial, Brown’s defense attorney, Alex B. Leikus moved to suppress the use of the nickname “Murder”, arguing it was prejudicial. Prosecutors objected, arguing that the nickname was tied to key evidence, including surveillance footage and witness testimony.

Brown rejected a plea offer of life, suspending all but 50 years, with the first five years without parole and five years of supervised probation.

Redd, the victim, was found deceased inside his crashed vehicle, which had struck a sidewalk utility box following the shooting. Charging documents indicate the fatal gunshot entered through Redd’s left eye.