Suspect Pleads Guilty to Drug-Related Murder

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On Sept. 25, a second-degree murder defendant previously convicted in the death of 21-year-old Johniece Sheppard accepted a plea offer.

Laser Womack, 36, appeared in Baltimore City Circuit Court for a plea hearing in front of Judge LaZette C. Ringgold-Kirksey.

The prosecutor offered Womack a plea of 25 years, suspending all but 10 years, and 18 months of supervised probation for second-degree murder, with credit for time served that started on March 28, 2014. Womack is also ordered to stay away from the surviving victims and the victims’ families upon release.

After accepting the plea, the judge sentenced Womack according to the terms.

Documents from the Appellate Court of Maryland state that Womack was found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for shooting two additional victims in February 2016. Womack and his defense attorney, Deborah Warner-Dennis, were granted an appeal because the court failed to advise the defendant of the nature of his charges.

According to documents from the District Court of Maryland, on March 25, 2014, Womack and two men, one of whom was his codefendant Deshawn Richardson, entered a residence on the 3800 block of 8th Street and held the three victims at gunpoint to search the house for drugs. When the victims informed them that they did not know where any drugs were, Womack, Richardson and another man shot them multiple times. A witness identified the defendant to Baltimore Police Department (BPD)officers from photographic display

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