Victims ‘Lived Lives Plagued by Violence,’ Defense Says at Homicide Defendant’s Trial

By Andrew Michaels - April 5, 2024
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

“I won the winning layup, but I don’t get any trophies for this game.”

According to a Baltimore City prosecutor, homicide defendant Benjamin Rowland Jr. was referring to his role in a 2023 shooting when he made the remark to an unidentified inmate on a jail call one hour after he and several others shot up a car with three men inside.

Although he was allegedly identified as one of four men involved in the shooting, Rowland remains the only suspect currently facing first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, assault and weapons charges for the incident on Jan. 13, 2023. His jury trial began on April 2 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John A. Howard.

During her opening statement, the prosecutor said the three victims, including 19-year-old Joseph Kawa, were inside a silver Honda Accord at the intersection of South Caton Avenue and Lohrs Street where four men dressed in black and wearing masks pulled up in a gray Nissan Infiniti and fired at least 40 rounds at the Accord, killing Kawa and injuring the two others.

Rowland was driving the suspected Infiniti when he was arrested nearly two months later on March 2, 2023. The prosecutor told jurors that the gun found on Rowland was consistent with the recovered shell casings and that the FBI’s cellular data analysis placed the defendant in the area on the day of the shooting.

Two firearms were found in the victims’ vehicle, but neither were ever fired, she concluded.

Defense attorney Daniel Mooney countered that the victims “lived lives plagued by violence,” commenting on how Baltimore Police Department (BPD) detectives found marijuana, cocaine and packaging material inside the victims’ car. Mooney also noted that gray Infinitis are “a dime a dozen” in Baltimore, suggesting the prosecution can not accurately link Rowland to the crime.

In regards to the jail call, defense counsel said his client and the unnamed inmate were just talking about basketball.

Rowland’s trial is expected to continued on April 3.