Dismissed: Trial Date Set for Man Accused in Quadruple Shooting 2 Years Ago

By Connor Driscoll [former] - August 5, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Juveniles | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Editor’s note: Charges dismissed against Larry Winder in this case. 

The 24-year-old suspect of a mass shooting two years ago received a trial date on Aug. 5 at the Baltimore City Circuit Court.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore resident Keith Wilkenson is accused of shooting four people on Aug. 30, 2019, inside a home on the 1600 block of E. 29th Street. The shooting left 51-year-old Karen Lovings dead and three victims injured.

During reception court on Thursday, the prosecution offered Wilkenson life, suspending all but 65 years, with five years probation upon release, for first-degree murder. 

Additionally, Wilkenson is charged with firearm use in a violent crime, illegal possession of a firearm, carrying a handgun, and reckless endangerment. 

His defense attorney, Jerome Bivens, rejected the offer on Wilkenson’s behalf. 

Judge Melissa M. Phinn slated the case for trial on Dec. 13.

Two homicide co-defendants also received a trial date during Thursday’s hearing. Baltimore residents Terrance Belton and Rawne Gibbs, both 22, are allegedly involved in a homicide that occurred on Oct. 18, 2018.

Additionally, Belton was previously convicted on Jan. 31, 2020, of manslaughter, firearm use in a violent crime, and carrying a handgun, and sentenced to three years probation that September. The charges stem from a separate homicide in 2018.

According to the Baltimore Sun, a street brawl broke out between a friend of Belton and Edward Calloway on the 1900 block of McHenry Street on Dec. 6, 2018. At some point during the hand-to-hand fight between the two, Calloway, 32, shifted his attention to Belton and started to “walk quickly” toward him. Belton then pulled out a gun and fatally shot Calloway.

Belton and Gibbs are charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and firearm use in a violent crime. Gibbs is additionally charged with carrying a handgun and having a handgun in his vehicle.

During Thursday’s hearing, Belton and Gibbs’ defense attorneys, Linda Zeit and Bryan Mosby, respectively, informed the court that they had identified a mutually convenient trial date. No plea offer was made or mentioned during the proceeding.

Judge Phinn scheduled the trial to begin on Feb. 8, 2022. 

A separate homicide defendant is set to go to trial five months before Belton and Gibbs.

Baltimore resident Terrell Carter is allegedly involved in a homicide on Oct. 10, 2020.

On Thursday, Carter’s case was scheduled for trial on Sept. 1. His defense attorneys, Koryn High and Todd Oppenheim, mentioned previously rejecting a plea offer of life, suspending all but 50 years, with five years of supervised probation upon release, for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder; 30 years each for three charges of second-degree murder; and 20 years for firearm use in a violent crime, the first five without the possibility of parole. All of the sentences would run concurrently.

Carter, 38, also faces three additional counts of first-degree murder and 26 other assault and gun-related offenses.

The prosecution offered a harsher plea offer to a 19-year-old charged with first-degree murder defendant.

On May 12, Baltimore resident Tyron Taylor was offered life, suspending all but 60 years, with five years of supervised probation upon release, for first-degree murder. 

He also faces counts of robbery, felon in possession of a firearm, and use of a firearm in a violent crime. 

According to WBAL-TV, Taylor and a then-14-year-old boy were arrested for fatally shooting 28-year-old Joseph Betts on the 800 block of Low Street on July 17, 2020.

During Thursday’s hearing, neither Taylor nor his defense attorney, Judit Otvos, were present. Linda Zeit stood in for Otvos, who was out sick. 

Zeit told the court the Otvos and the prosecution had been “looking at” scheduling the trial for sometime in early January. 

The case is set to return to reception court on Friday, when Otvos is expected to be available. 

Another homicide defendant rejected a similar offer of 60 years.

Baltimore resident Antonio Janifer is the suspect in the non-fatal shooting of a Baltimore Police officer on May 26, 2020. 

According to ABC Baltimore, an officer tried to pull over Janifer, 29, who was driving erratically. Janifer sped away, and the officer drove after him. Janifer then got out of his car and started running away on the 900 block of Light Street, and a foot chase ensued. Janifer turned and shot the officer in the abdomen, leaving him with non-life threatening injuries.

Janifer was arrested six days later.

Janifer’s defense attorney, David Shapiro, petitioned the court for a mental health evaluation and on July 7, Judge Gale E. Rasin found the defendant competent to stand trial. 

On July 26, the prosecution offered Janifer a plea of life, suspending all but 60 years, for two counts of attempted first-degree murder; 20 years each for four counts of firearm use in a violent crime; 30 years for first-degree assault; and 25 years for home invasion. Under the deal, which Shapiro rejected, the sentences would run concurrently. 

Janifer also faces two counts of attempted second-degree murder, another two counts of first-degree assault, and one count of home invasion. He also has more than a dozen weapons and traffic-related charges.

The court was also informed last week that Shapiro is seeking to appeal Judge Rasin’s prior ruling that Janifer is competent to stand trial.

If successful, the jury could find the defendant “not criminally responsible,” in addition to guilty or not guilty.

On Thursday, Shapiro reiterated his client’s rejection of the plea deal, and Judge Phinn set the trial to begin on Feb. 1, 2022. 

Another homicide defendant was scheduled for trial a few months prior to Janifer’s date.

Baltimore resident Larry Winder is the suspect in a Nov. 18, 2015, fatal shooting. 

On Thursday, Winder, 29, was offered life, suspending all but 50 years, with five years of supervised probation, for first-degree murder. 

Additionally, Winder faces a count of firearm use in a violent crime, illegal possession of a firearm, and carrying a handgun.

An attorney standing in for Marci Johnson, who represents Winder, told the court that she was unsure if the offer had been relayed to the defendant. 

Judge Phinn tentatively scheduled the case for trial for Nov. 15, with Judge Videtta A. Brown presiding.