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By
Jamarne Jones [former]
- September 14, 2022
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The fourth day in the retrial for convicted murderer Marco Holmes was due to start at 9:00 a.m. on Sept. 13 but did not begin until 11 a.m. due to the tardiness of the defendant and a juror.
Once everyone arrived, the prosecution began with video testimony from the defendant’s original 2018 trial. On the video sat his paternal aunt, who said she allegedly saw the defendant with scratches on him following the disappearance of 20-year-old Tonja Chadwick.
Holmes was convicted in April 2018 by a jury of his peers of second-degree murder, having a handgun on his person, and using a firearm during a felony violent crime.
The defendant’s aunt was subpoenaed again to appear in his retrial, but the prosecution said they exhausted all their efforts to reach her.
Defense attorney Roland Brown objected to the video testimony because he wouldn’t have the chance to cross-examine the witness, but was overruled by Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Videtta Brown.
Holmes’ defense attorney also challenged what the lead detective testified to what he thought were scratches found on Holmes, likely from an alleged altercation with the victim. The detective said “he couldn’t be absolutely sure because we heal differently,” when asked to elaborate on what he meant by “we,” he replied, “white people and black people.”
The defense cross-examined the lead detective on what he said was a lack of testing on significant evidence: a black trash bag found near the victim’s body and a bloody mask recovered from the victim’s car.
According to the lead detective, Chadwick’s body was discovered on Feb. 2, 2017, in Daisy Field in SW Baltimore, wrapped in a sheet and comforter.
During the retrial, the prosecution showed a video of Chadwick, Holmes, and her son with what he alleges to be the same bedding her body was found in.
Counsel rested their cases and are scheduled to begin closing arguments on the morning of Sept.14.