Jul 8, 2008 12:05 pm US/Eastern
Police Charge 2 More Suspects In Columbia Murder
COLUMBIA, Md. (AP) ―
Howard County Police have charged two additional men in the May murder of Jason Batts in Columbia.
Ronald Derrick McConnell was charged in May and police now have filed charges against Daymar Wimbish, 18, and Lamont Anthony Johnson, 24, both of Owings Mills. Police believe Johnson was the shooter at the scene.
Officers responded to the Stevens Forest Apartments in the 5800-block of Stevens Forest Rd. around 2:50 a.m. May 17, and found Batts shot in the parking lot. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Two other people with Batts at the time of the shooting were not injured.
McConnell, 21, was charged May 20 with first and second-degree murder, assault and reckless endangerment. Detectives recovered part of a shotgun at the scene of the homicide and found a fingerprint belonging to McConnell on plastic tape that was wrapped around the weapon.
After further investigation, police determined that Wimbish was in the area at the time of the murder. According to cell phone records, Wimbish tried to call one of people with Batts the night of the shooting. Police believe he was trying to lure the man to the scene and was there when Batts was shot.
Detectives believe Johnson approached Batts and his two friends with a shotgun and announced a robbery. Police believe that during the interaction, Johnson shot Batts. A witness positively identified Johnson as the shooter. Cell phone records show numerous calls between McConnell and Johnson before and after the homicide.
Wimbish and Johnson both were charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault and attempted armed robbery. Detectives believe the shooting occurred due to an ongoing dispute.
Wimbish is in the Howard County Detention Center on no bond. Johnson is in custody in Baltimore County on unrelated charges and was served with an arrest warrant for the murder.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
WJZ.COM's Most Popular Slideshows
