‘There’s No Evidence,’ Says Defense in Frederick Avenue Attempted Murder Trial

By Racquel Bazos [former] - January 26, 2024
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

On Jan. 25, counsel gave their opening statements in the attempted murder trial of a 26-year-old man before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie J. Hong.

Anthony Ward III is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, having a loaded handgun on his person, having a handgun on his person, firing a gun within Baltimore City and having a gun within 100 yards of the public in connection to a March 2023 incident on the 4100 block of Frederick Avenue.

The prosecutor briefly recounted the events of March 31, 2023, in his opening statement. A little before 2:00 p.m, a man dressed in all black approached the victim and began punching him. The victim fought back, but the suspect “decide[d] to escalate it,” by taking out a gun and shooting the victim. 

He said that Ward was allegedly seen on surveillance footage in a nearby convenience store a few hours earlier dressed in the same outfit as the suspect. He concluded by saying the main question the jury will have to decide is whether this incident constituted first- or second-degree attempted murder. 

Defense attorney Donald Wright disagreed. He told the jury the case was overcharged and should’ve been a first-degree assault, not an attempted murder case. He instead asked the jury to focus on who committed the crime. 

“There’s no evidence,” he said. The prosecution will only present three witnesses, all police officers. No forensic scientists or civilian witnesses will testify. 

Instead, he said the prosecution’s case will depend on the surveillance footage. The suspect wore a black jacket and black and white Air Jordan sneakers. Though he disputed whether his client was the person seen in the convenience store hours earlier, Wright pointed out that Air Jordans are some of the most popular shoes in the world — wearing them in the neighborhood of a crime would not necessarily indicate guilt. 

Further, Wright told the jury that a search warrant executed on Ward’s home failed to find the weapon used in this case or any articles of clothing matching the suspect’s.

Wright said the prosecution’s attempt to prove the case against his client beyond a reasonable doubt would be “an exercise in futility.”

The trial is expected to continue Monday.