Woman Charged in Fatal Stabbing Denied Bail

By Andrew Michaels - August 31, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

A Baltimore woman who allegedly stabbed her roommate 21 times last year was denied bail on Aug. 31 at Baltimore City Circuit Court.

According to defense attorney Warren Brown, his client, 23-year-old Leah Harrison, is charged with first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon with the intent to injure in connection to her roommate’s murder on April 27, 2020.

Harrison was living at a boarding house on the 2000 block of Baker Street, where Baltimore Police were called earlier that day in response to a dispute. About an hour later, Brown said, police returned to the house when Harrison allegedly stabbed 47-year-old Veronica Freeman 21 times and cut the victim 56 times.

Brown noted that there was “a psychological component” to Harrison’s actions, specifically marijuana-induced psychosis. The diagnosis was confirmed following a medical evaluation.

The defendant has no prior criminal history, he added.

The reason Harrison has no prior criminal record is because another case was dismissed following the victim’s death, the prosecution countered. Four months before Freeman’s death, Harrison and some of her family members allegedly broke into the victim’s room and stole from her in addition to assaulting her; however, the case was dismissed after Freeman was killed.

The prosecution noted that each person had a key to their own room in the boarding house and that the murder occurred in Freeman’s room.

Following counsels’ arguments, Judge Charles H. Dorsey III denied bail.

Harrison was previously offered a plea in June of life, suspending all but 50 years, for first-degree murder as well as three years for use of a deadly weapon with the intent to injure, which Brown rejected on his client’s behalf.

The defendant’s case is scheduled for reception court on Oct. 8.