Prosecutor Says Murder Suspect, ‘Wanted to Go Beat’ the Victim

By Samira Cobon [former] - April 11, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Victims |

On April 4, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lawrence R. Daniels heard more testimony in 53-year-old murder defendant Shawn Brewton‘s murder trial.

Brewton is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime, possessing a firearm with a felony conviction, having a loaded handgun on his person and having a loaded handgun in a vehicle regarding an incident that occurred on Aug. 11, 2021, on the 1200 block of Cliftview Avenue. 

According to the prosecution, co-defendant Michael Corprew, after pleading guilty, told Baltimore Police Department (BPD) investigators that Brewton “wanted to go beat Will Smith.”

The prosecution on the third day of trial showed video evidence of Brewton in his residence wearing “all black and a bucket hat,” which allegedly corresponded to the outfit the shooter wore during incident.

The prosecution also showed video footage of Brewton leaving his residence early that evening, then driving around the area where the shooting occurred apparently passing time waiting for the victim, 38-year-old William Smith. 

The prosecution says the animosity stemmed from Brewton and Smith’s mutual lover who had a physical altercation with Smith the day of the incident. Corprew and Brewton’s text messages appear to show that Corprew kept trying to reach out to Brewton after the incident, but Brewton constantly ignored calls and messages from him. 

A text message allegedly from Brewton to his son said, “I don’t know what the future holds for me now,” an apparent reference to the murder just hours prior, the prosecution claimed.

Defense attorney Kenneth Man said it was suspect that detectives only decided to search his client’s phone, but that “they never checked Mr. Corprew’s phone.”

The defense stated that Corprew reached out to Brewton because he felt guilt for his own actions not because of anything Brewton did. The defense claimed that Brewton kept his distance from Corprew to avoid any connection.

The defense contended Brewton was simply driving around the neighborhood to find drugs, which is what he had told Corprew they were doing.

The prosecution responded that “the police did look into Corprew,” and referenced previously introduced cell site data.

The prosecution then stated that Brewton’s car was not simply circling the neighborhood to buy drugs, but “there was discussion in the vehicle about the two murders that were gonna happen that night.” The prosecutor said, “Brewton was asked to kill Will Smith” and told jurors that’s what he did.