A Baltimore City jury found Brandon Vines, 42, guilty of first-degree murder and two firearm offenses following a four-day trial that concluded July 27 in Baltimore City Circuit Court.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Michael Anthony DiPietro on July 23.
Vines was convicted of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony or violent crime and possession of a firearm after a felony conviction in connection to the Nov. 15, 2025, homicide of Mitchell Rhone, 33.
The prosecutor argued Rhone was “executed” in cold blood and witness testimony, video footage, and physical evidence point to Vines as the assailant.
Surveillance footage was collected from three cameras in surrounding businesses and four Citiwatch security cameras. The footage confirms the entire incident lasted about six minutes between 11:35 a.m. and -11:41 a.m.
An audio recording picked up four shots. At the scene, four shell casings were found along with bullets.
Vines defense attorney, Christopher O’Meara, argued that the prosecution’s case contained inconsistencies and relied on unreliable evidence. O’Meara claimed the key witness was not credible, alleging he lied about his identity because of outstanding warrants and gave conflicting statements about being across the street during the shooting while only hearing gunshots.
A disposition hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4.
