Reisterstown Road Homicide Case Ends in a Second Mistrial

By Amna Syed [former] - September 28, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lawrence R. Daniels declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to make a unanimous decision in a murder trial on Sept. 28.  

According to the Maryland Judiciary website, Byron Erin Lewis is charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in a felony violent crime, having a handgun on his person and two counts of firearm possession with a felony conviction in connection to an incident on June 6, 2021. 

The assistant state’s attorney stated that she had video footage and physical evidence showing that the defendant shot 32-year-old victim Shammarh Jenkins six times with no remorse.

The prosecution further argued that the defendant committed first- and second-degree murder, while the defense attorney representing Lewis, James Sweeting III, argued that his client acted in self-defense.

“I beg you to pay attention to the evidence of this case,” Sweeting told the jury on Sept. 25, the last day of trial. 

Documents from the District Court of Maryland state that on June 6, 2021, Baltimore Police Department officers were dispatched to Reisterstown Road and Elgin Avenue for reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found Jenkins on the 2200 block of Reisterstown Road, unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. 

Video evidence allegedly showed Lewis walking across the street to Jenkins, who was selling products on a table. Approximately five minutes after Lewis’ arrival, he withdrew and allegedly fired a gun, striking the victim before fleeing the scene in a blue minivan. 

On April 17, Judge Jeffrey M. Geller declared a mistrial because the jury was unable to make a unanimous decision in Lewis’ last trial. 

The 41-year-old defendant is next expected to appear in court on March 18, 2024.