Three Co-Defendants Return to Court for Plea Offer

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Three co-defendants in a homicide case returned to reception court, one of them for the fourth time this year, on Sept. 17 at Baltimore City Circuit Court. 

In July, Randallstown resident Martez Frye-Cuff and Baltimore residents Reubin McFadden and Dneah Smith were offered a plea of life, suspending all but 60 years, with five years of supervised probation for first-degree murder. The plea offers, at the time, were neither accepted nor rejected because of a matter affecting the defendants’ decision to go to trial.

The defendants also appeared in court last month when the plea offers were once again discussed.

All three defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, firearm use in a violent crime, conspiracy to use a firearm in a violent crime, and having a handgun on person, in connection to an incident from Dec. 3, 2019. McFadden, 22, and Smith, 21, are additionally charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

On Friday, the prosecution presented the same plea offer for McFadden and Frye-Cuff, 22, which McFadden rejected. Frye-Cuff’s defense attorney, Stephanie Salter, mentioned a counteroffer, which she said is under review.

McFadden and Smith are represented by Catherine Flynn and Natalie McKeown Finegar, respectively.

Smith did not reject or accept the offer and has another court appearance scheduled for Jan. 22, 2022, while Judge Melissa M. Phinn scheduled McFadden and Frye-Cuff to return to reception court on Sept. 20.

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