‘Who is the guy in the green jacket,’Defense Questions

By Massiel Morales [former] - July 28, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

During opening statements July 27, a defense attorney refuted the idea that her client was the suspect depicted in the photos of a crime.

Arthur Holt, 29, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, use of a firearm during a violent crime, and possession of a firearm with a felony conviction in April 6, 2020.

“Who is the guy in the green jacket?” Catherine Flynn, Holt’s defense attorney, asked the jury, referencing that the subject was not her client.

The defendant was allegedly wearing a green windbreaker and his co-defendant, Keith Gladden (35), was wearing a black jacket the day of the homicide, according to court documents. Gladden accepted a plea offer in March of this year and will serve a life sentence, suspending all but 50 years in prison.

Flynn told jurors that her client has waited over two years to tell the jury he is not guilty. She also asked the jury to not get influenced because there is a lot of evidence and lots of undisputed facts.

The prosecutor began opening statements by telling jurors to only bring one thing, common sense. Throughout the trial they would see photos of the victim, 20-year-old Dontrell Toliver, and still photos, taken from surveillance footage of the defendant allegedly committing the crime.  

The prosecutor told the jurors they will see evidence of Holt allegedly pistol-whipping the victim and punching him on the 400 block of North Montford Avenue. The victim was later found on the corner of North Montford Avenue and Jefferson Street with gunshot wounds to his body in April 2020. 

A Baltimore City detective, who was the first officer at the scene, testified on what he saw at the crime scene and the procedures he followed for homicides. According to the detective he responded to shots fired around 2:30 a.m. and turned on his body camera before arriving at the scene following protocol. 

A cartridge casing was recovered from a sidewalk projectile, said a crime technician.

Flynn questioned the technician’s expertise since the homicide occurred nearly a month after he had begun examining crime scenes unsupervised.

An assistant medical examiner testified that the manner of death was ruled a homicide due to nine gunshot wounds. 

The victim sustained injuries to the stomach, lungs and left kidney from a gunshot wound to the chest. As well as injuries to the bones, arteries and blood vessels from a gunshot wound to his right arm. 

According to the assistant medical examiner, the injuries caused by the gunshot wound to his arm could have been stopped and each wound individually can be saved with proper medical attention. 

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Williams is presiding over the trial that is scheduled to continue on July 28.