Aug 31, 2008 2:51 pm US/Eastern
Grimes Is Found Guilty Of Murdering Officer
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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Brandon Grimes was accused of gunning down an off-duty Baltimore City police detective.
CBS
After months of delays and a two-week long trial, it took a Baltimore jury several hours to return a guilty verdict in the case of slain city Detective Troy Chesley.
Gigi Barnett reports the defendant's attorney says it's a verdict he'll appeal.
A guilty verdict was handed down to 23-year-old Brandon Grimes.
Jurors believed Grimes gunned down city Detective Troy Chesley back in 2007.
The victim's family celebrated the verdict minutes after hearing it.
"I feel terrific now 'cause it's over, and it will put him to rest and put Troy to rest, and that's the bottom line," said Robert Howard, Detective Chesley's uncle.
Detective Chesley was found shot to death outside his apartment in January 2007. He was off-duty at the time and had just arrived home from his shift.
Prosecutors argued that Grimes gunned him down during a botched robbery, and jurors heard two witnesses place Grimes at the scene.
Grimes faced a first-degree murder charge. Now he's looking at a maximum of life behind bars without parole, and prosecutors say they'll ask for it.
"We're confident, but we'll leave that in the capable hands of Judge Dory," said Joe Sviatko, city state's attorney spokesperson.
"This is round one of a 10-rounder. There will be an appeal," said Roland Walker, Grimes' attorney.
That's the next step for the defense.
Walker says several problems plagued the prosecution's case. One of them was tainted DNA evidence from the city's crime lab.
Walker says he told Grimes' family that he won't remain guilty for long.
"I don't think they're overjoyed about it, but they do understand that this is just the beginning. It is not the end," said Walker. "There is some substantial issues here which I have confidence that down the line this will be reversed."
Grimes' sentencing is Oct. 21.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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