A Baltimore man convicted of killing three people and injuring a fourth during a neighborhood dispute some two years ago in Northeast Baltimore was sentenced on Nov. 3 to a maximum penalty of 185 years in prison, suspending all but 40, before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer.
Marvelle Worsley, 51, was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder, two counts of manslaughter, four counts of firearm use, and three more gun violations in connection to the deaths of 49-year-old Charles Murray, 41-year-old Girard Smith, and Murray’s 69-year-old mother, Darlene Briscoe. Jurors also found Worsley guilty of attempting to murder of Murray’s daughter, who survived the shooting but suffered lasting physical and emotional trauma. Smith was her boyfriend.
During the proceeding, the prosecutor described the crime as “a multi-generational massacre.”
During the hearing, multiple family members and friends of the victims delivered emotional impact statements about the losses they suffered that day on April 1, 2023, describing the immense pain and loss caused by the shootings.
One of Murray’s sisters said she has suffered from anxiety, anger, and sleeplessness since the murders. Murray’s other sister, who helped raise him, shared that the family’s grief remains “unbearable.” His father recalled being with Murray shortly before the incident, and called to the hospital after it unfolded.
A family friend and community organizer recalled how the Murray and Smith families were active volunteers who consistently showed up to support neighborhood events. The mass shooting occurred in that very neighborhood, on the 3200 block of Woodring Road.
The only survivor – Murray’s daughter, Briscoe’s granddaughter, and Smith’s girlfriend – recalled her long and painful recovery after sustaining eight gunshot wounds to the abdomen. The injuries required her to use an ostomy bag. She spent seven months hospitalized, mostly in a medically induced coma, and continues to experience partial paralysis in her left foot and hand.
“I’m more hypervigilant and less trusting,” she said, explaining how her injuries have limited her ability to walk, work, and enjoy life as before.
Prosecutors detailed how Murray and Smith were each shot four times, while the surviving victim was struck eight times. They also noted that Worsley was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior July 27, 2004 conviction and that he had been on the run for 18 days before being apprehended.
Several of Worsley’s family took the stand to speak on the defendant’s behalf prior to sentencing. His wife asked the court for mercy, describing him as a devoted husband and father who “was trying to protect his family.” Relatives and friends echoed that sentiment, claiming Worsley acted out of fear. Defense attorney Tony Garcia urged the court to consider Worsley’s work history and family ties, suggesting a 130-year sentence with 25 years suspended.
Judge Schiffer rejected Garcia’s proposal, emphasizing the “indiscriminate violence” and “literally unfathomable” nature of the crimes.
“Nothing can take away from the indiscriminate violence that occurred that night,” Judge Schiffer said before issuing the maximum penalty. The court also imposed five years of supervised probation in the case that Worsley is ever released, and issued a no contact order between Worsley’s and the victims’ families.
