‘Where’s the Tension? Where’s the Fight?’ Defense Questions Evidence in Brother Homicide Case

By Eleni Christou [former] - October 25, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Oct. 25, prosecutors and defense attorney, Roland Brown, presented closing arguments in the Singleton Duppins‘ murder case before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Althea M. Handy

Duppins, 22, is charged with the second-degree murder of his brother, the use of a firearm in a felony violent crime and second-degree assault in connection with an incident that took place on Feb. 28, 2020. 

According to Baltimore Witness, Duppins was previously charged with first-degree murder for the same incident, and the jury found him not guilty. The new trial is on the lesser charge. However, he was found guilty of possessing a firearm as a minor. 

The prosecution said Duppins’ actions in the killing were intentional and purposeful. Duppins’ brother, Graham Blake, 26, was a security guard and possessed a registered firearm. According to the prosecutor, there was a previous, unsettled family issue regarding Blake’s missing gun. When Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers located Duppins after the incident, he was half a mile away from the scene of the crime allegedly with his brother’s firearm. 

The prosecutor reiterated Blake’s autopsy found he died from a shot to the back of his head from at least two feet away.  Given that the shooter had to be in relatively close proximity to the victim and that he had his brother’s handgun, the prosecutor says there is sufficient evidence that Duppins committed murder.

Brown countered saying the evidence was largely circumstantial and not reliable. He said there was no evidence connecting the recovered firearm to the weapon used to kill Blake, claiming that, “Not one person said this was a murder weapon.” 

Brown described the relationship Duppins had with Blake as caring and loving, saying that Duppins postponed joining the military in order to take care of his brother who had sustained an injury.

Brown asked, “Where’s the tension? Where’s the fight?” He then explained to the jury that, “When the facts don’t agree, you must set the person free for mis-allegations.”

Brown said although the medical examiner collected fingernail clippings from Blake, he failed to test them for Duppins’ DNA, which could have shed light on a possible fight between the brothers.

According to documents from the District Court of Maryland, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers arrived at the 2500 block of Gibbons Avenue in response to reports of shots fired and found found Blake lying face down with a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

He was transported to John Hopkins Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police said Duppins attempting to flee, while his sister and mother were trying to restrain him. He got away but was located on the 5000 block of Harford Road with the help of his mother. 

When Duppins was initially questioned, he allegedly stated that he and Blake got into an argument and won the fight, leaving his brother on the basement floor of the family home. He denied shooting Blake.