The day after attorneys delivered closing arguments in the murder trial of 28-year-old Christopher Lee, jurors acquitted him of murdering his girlfriend, 30-year-old Jazmyn Reed, on Nov. 18.
Lee was initially charged with first-degree murder and firearm use in a felony crime of violence in connection to Reed’s death, which occurred Jan. 14, 2024, near Exit 3 of I-83.
Parties debated the nature of Reed’s death, with defense attorneys Lawrence and Ethan Greenberg calling the tragedy the result of an accidental discharge, and prosecutors labeling it anything but.
Officers responding to the scene located Reed suffering from a gunshot wound to the left side of her face inside Lee’s black Lexus coupe. Lee claimed the pair had been arguing when Reed reached for a Glock 43X 9mm pistol he kept stowed under a seat inside the vehicle, and that he briefly struggled to take it from her before it accidentally discharged into her left cheek.
“That woman is dead,” officers could be heard saying in body-worn camera footage that was later played in court. They reportedly failed to check for Reed’s pulse, claiming at trial that her blood-filled open mouth and fixed stare suggested she had already died.
Further footage from responding officers’ body-worn cameras captured one officer bragging about solving the first homicide case of the year.
Medics, however, were able to locate a pulse on Reed. They transported her to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where she was ultimately pronounced deceased at 1:40 a.m.
Later, prosecutors questioned why Lee, whose mother was reportedly in nursing school, did not check for Reed’s pulse.
Defense counsel emphasized that Lee “begged” 911 operators to guide him through lifesaving measures when he reported the shooting, and accused investigators and prosecutors of approaching the case with “tunnel vision.” They also noted Lee was handgun-qualified and did not flee from the scene.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer presided over the case.
