Prosecutors on Tuesday dropped charges against Adnan Syed, who was convicted in 2000 for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.
Syed was previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adnan-syed-subject-of-hit-serial-podcast-released-from-prison-conviction-overturned">released from prison</a> last month after his conviction was overturned, and Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby was given 30 days to decide whether she would drop the charges against Syed or retry him for Lee’s murder. On Tuesday, her office dropped the charges against Syed.
“This case is over. There are no more appeals necessary,” Mosby said at a news conference, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/adnan-syed-crime-baltimore-8380beee8b6ab15102a5a45f2c59b839">according to the Associated Press</a>.
Mosby said she made her decision after DNA test results of Lee’s clothing and shoes were obtained using modern techniques that weren’t available at the time of Syed’s trial. Investigators were not able to recover usable DNA from Lee’s clothing, but DNA obtained from her shoes contained the DNA of multiple individuals – but not Syed’s.
Mosby also apologized to Lee’s family for the hurt they have felt for Syed’s wrongful conviction, which she maintained was not her administration’s fault. Still, she said, “as a representative of the institution, it is my responsibility to acknowledge and to apologize to the family of Hae Min Lee and Adnan Syed.”
She added that her office would “continue to utilize every available resource to prosecute whoever is responsible for the death of Hae Min Lee.”
Syed’s attorney, Erica Suter, praised Mosby’s decision.
“Today’s the day that Adnan Syed and his loved ones have been waiting for 23 long years,” Suter said on a call with reporters, according to the AP. “The results of the DNA testing excluded Adnan and confirm what Adnan and his supporters have always known: that Adnan Syed is innocent. The state of Maryland has dropped the charges. Adnan Syed is free.”
Syed spent 23 years in prison for the 1999 murder of Lee.
Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn decided to overturn Syed’s murder conviction in September after the popular “Serial” podcast raised doubts about his guilt. Prosecutors had revealed there were other suspects, as well as concerns about the evidence used against him. A yearlong investigation involving prosecutors and Suter, Syed’s attorney, discovered that authorities knew of at least one alternate suspect prior to Syed’s trial but withheld the information from his defense. This, the prosecutors and Suter argued, was known as a Brady violation.
Lee was 18 years old when she was found strangled to death and buried in Leakin Park near Baltimore, Maryland, the Sun reported. Syed, Lee’s ex-boyfriend, who was 17 at the time of her killing, was alleged to have argued with her in a car before strangling her to death. Prosecutors alleged Syed committed the murder because he couldn’t handle Lee breaking up with him.
Syed, however, has always maintained his innocence, and his attorney argued that he may not have spent 23 years in prison if prosecutors hadn’t withheld evidence.
“If that evidence had been disclosed, perhaps Adnan would not have missed his high school graduation, or his pre-med plans, or 23 years of birthdays, holidays, family gatherings, community events and everyday moments of joy,” Suter said.

US-NEWS-SERIAL-SYED-BZ

Charges Dropped Against Adnan Syed, Subject Of Popular ‘Serial’ Podcast

Baltimore

Crime

Maryland

Murder

Wrongful Conviction

On January 13, 1999, 18-year-old high school student Hae Min Lee was reported missing by her parents after she didn’t come home one night. A search was started, and four weeks later, Lee’s body was found half-buried in Leakin Park outside of Baltimore, Maryland.
Within weeks of Lee’s body being found, on February 28, 1999, her ex-boyfriend <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adnan-syed-subject-of-hit-serial-podcast-released-from-prison-conviction-overturned">Adnan Syed</a> was arrested for her murder. Lee had recently broken up with Syed, and prosecutors alleged that Syed strangled Lee to death because he couldn’t accept their breakup.
The case against Syed rested primarily on the word of his friend, Jay Wilds, who told police he helped Syed bury Lee’s body. Another witness, Jennifer Pusateri, claimed at trial that Wilds told her about Syed’s alleged confession and that he was shown Lee’s body. The prosecution also presented evidence from cell towers, which backed up at least some of what Wilds said about when things occurred.
Syed always said he was innocent, but in February 2000, he was convicted of Lee’s murder and sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 30 years. He tried to appeal in 2003 but failed. In 2010, he appealed again, on the basis of “ineffective assistance of counsel,” Biography <a href="https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/adnan-syed">reported</a>. The appeal referred to his original attorney, Cristina Gutierrez, who Syed said did not look into his alibi witness, Asia McClain, who insisted she was with Syed at their high school library when Lee was supposed to have been killed.
Gutierrez in 2001 agreed to be disbarred after other complaints were made against her. She died in 2004.
During his 2010 appeal, Syed’s attorneys also pointed out that the cell tower records from the original trial were unreliable.
What seemed like a big break for Syed came in 2014, when journalist Sarah Koenig began her podcast, “Serial,” and featured Syed’s story. Koenig’s podcast did not blindly advocate for Syed, instead laying out everything the journalist found in the case, whether it pointed to Syed’s innocence in guilt. Koenig noted the unreliability of Wilds’ statement – which changed repeatedly over the years. His police interviews also appear to show he was coached by Baltimore police during the investigation. Koenig also explained on her podcast that the timeline of the crime didn’t add up.
“We knew people would come to different conclusions, of course. Barring some smoking-gun evidence, which we didn’t find (and it seems like no one else has either), there was no way for us to say definitively what happened. But what we were pointing out in our story was that the timeline of the case and the evidence in the case had serious problems. Which meant the people who convicted Adnan of murder, they didn’t know what happened either,” Koenig recently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/20/briefing/adnan-syed-freed-serial-sarah-koenig.html">told</a> The New York Times. “And so this kid goes to prison for life at 18, based on a story that wasn’t accurate. That’s what we wanted people to think about: Even setting aside the question of Adnan’s guilt or innocence, are we OK with a system that operates like that?”
Serial may have elevated Syed’s story, but it wasn’t without its issues, as Slate <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2022/09/serial-legacy-adnan-syed-sarah-koenig.html">reported</a>. Rabia Chaudhry, who is one of the hosts of the “Undisclosed” podcast, compared Serial to a burning house.
“Imagine you ask someone to help renovate your house. Instead they set fire to it. The story about the fire brings thousands to your aid that rebuild your house,” Chaudhry <a href="https://twitter.com/rabiasquared/status/1570742013250908160">tweeted</a>.
This is because, as Slate noted, “Serial” cast doubt on Syed’s “innocence using disproven evidence, and for years never posted a correction or update.”
Following the success of “Serial,” Syed’s story was also the subject of Chaudhry’s own podcast, and a book she published in 2016 called “Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial.” McClain, Syed’s alibi witness, also published her own book called “Confessions of a Serial Alibi” in 2016. Investigations Discovery and HBO also produced their own documentaries on the case.
It wasn’t until June 2016 that the legal system started to work in Syed’s favor. That year, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Martin Welch granted Syed a retrial. That ruling was upheld in March 2018 by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. A year later, however, Syed’s hopes of a retrial were dashed when Maryland’s highest court rejected the appeals court’s decision, claiming the evidence brought up in appeal wouldn’t have changed the jury’s decision had it been included during the original trial.
Syed had to wait three more years to score <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adnan-syed-subject-of-hit-serial-podcast-released-from-prison-conviction-overturned">a real court victory</a>. On September 19, 2022, Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Melissa Phinn made the decision to overturn Syed’s murder conviction, following a yearlong investigation involving prosecutors and Syed’s attorney, Erica Suter. That investigation discovered that authorities knew two alternate suspects prior to Syed’s trial but withheld the information from his defense. This, the prosecutors and Suter argued, was known as a Brady violation.
One of those alternate suspects had threatened Lee in front of another person, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/19/us/adnan-syed-murder-conviction-overturned.html">reported</a>, saying he would make her “disappear” and threatening to “kill her.” The other suspect also gave police information at the time of the investigation into Lee’s death that “can be viewed as a motive for that same suspect to harm the victim,” prosecutors said in their motion to vacate Syed’s conviction.
Suter argued that Syed may not have spent 23 years in prison if prosecutors hadn’t withheld evidence.
“If that evidence had been disclosed, perhaps Adnan would not have missed his high school graduation, or his pre-med plans, or 23 years of birthdays, holidays, family gatherings, community events and everyday moments of joy,” Suter said after Syed’s conviction was vacated.
Syed walked out of prison on September 19, with Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby saying that “justice is always worth the price paid for its pursuit,” though she wouldn’t say she was definitively dismissing the charges against Syed. Her office has 30 days to decide whether they will drop the charges or try him again. In the meantime, Syed is on home detention and ordered to wear a GPS monitor.
Not everyone is convinced that Syed is innocent or that he received an unfair trial. Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, whose office represented the state during Syed’s appeals, argued that Syed’s release was wrong and that his office wasn’t consulted about the alleged violations.
“Neither State’s Attorney Mosby nor anyone from her office bothered to consult with either the Assistant State’s Attorney who prosecuted the case or with anyone in my office regarding these alleged violations,” Frosh said in a statement. “The file in this case was made available on several occasions to the defense.”

US-NEWS-SERIAL-SYED-4-BZ

‘Serial’ Podcast’s Adnan Syed Set Free Thanks To ‘Brady Violation,’ Awaits Final Ruling

Podcast

Readers Pass

True Crime

Adnan Syed spent 23 years in prison for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, a murder he may not have committed.
Prosecutors in Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s office now have 30 days to decide whether they will drop the charges against Syed or retry him for Lee’s murder, The Baltimore Sun <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-cr-adnan-syed-hearing-to-vacate-conviction-20220919-ynxvlcuqpbch5h6h2xl5xleh7q-story.html">reported</a>. In the meantime, Syed is out of prison on home detention and required to wear a GPS monitor.
Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn made the decision to overturn Syed’s murder conviction after doubts were raised about his guilt following the popular “Serial” podcast. Prosecutors had revealed there were other suspects, as well as concerns about the evidence used against him. A yearlong investigation involving prosecutors and Syed’s attorney, Erica Suter, discovered that authorities knew of at least one alternate suspect prior to Syed’s trial but withheld the information from his defense. This, the prosecutors and Suter argued, was known as a Brady violation.
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, whose office represented the state during Syed’s appeals, argued that Syed’s release was wrong and that his office wasn’t consulted about the alleged violations.
“Neither State’s Attorney Mosby nor anyone from her office bothered to consult with either the Assistant State’s Attorney who prosecuted the case or with anyone in my office regarding these alleged violations,” Frosh said in a statement. “The file in this case was made available on several occasions to the defense.”
Lee was 18 years old when she was found strangled to death and buried in Leakin Park near Baltimore, Maryland, the Sun reported. Syed, Lee’s ex-boyfriend, who was 17 at the time of her killing, was alleged to have argued with her in a car before strangling her to death. Prosecutors alleged Syed committed the murder because he couldn’t handle Lee breaking up with him.
Syed, however, says he is innocent, and his attorney argued that he may not have spent 23 years in prison if prosecutors hadn’t withheld evidence.
“If that evidence had been disclosed, perhaps Adnan would not have missed his high school graduation, or his pre-med plans, or 23 years of birthdays, holidays, family gatherings, community events and everyday moments of joy,” said Suter, Syed’s attorney.
In 2014, the podcast “Serial” debuted, spending 12 episodes going over every detail of Syed’s case, leading many to wonder if he was, in fact, guilty. But as The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/19/us/adnan-syed-murder-conviction-overturned.html">reported</a>, it wasn’t until this month that prosecutors actually recommended vacating his conviction and granting him a new trial, arguing that “the state no longer has confidence in the integrity of the conviction.”

After ‘Serial’ podcast, prosecutors tested DNA evidence in Adnan Syed case. Here’s what they found

Adnan Syed, Subject Of Hit ‘Serial’ Podcast, Released From Prison, Conviction Overturned

Adnan Syed, Subject Of Hit 'Serial' Podcast, Released From Prison, Conviction Overturned

Experts say a national wave of progressive prosecutors have been pursuing law enforcement officers with little probable cause which may be a violation of their civil rights.
In 2015, Baltimore State’s Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-refuses-to-dismiss-charges-against-baltimore-states-attorney-marilyn-mosby-rejects-claims-of-racism">Marilyn Mosby</a> charged six members of the Baltimore City Police Department in the death of Freddie Gray, a suspect who died in custody after fleeing on foot from police who were on bicycles.
Amid riots throughout the city, Mosby charged the officers with specific intent crimes, without the requisite probable cause to support these charges. The next year, all the charges were predictably acquitted or dropped &#8211; and Mosby went from the role of prosecutor to defendant when five of the officers she hastily charged <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/27/us/baltimore-marilyn-mosby-officer-lawsuits-freddie-gray/index.html">filed federal lawsuits</a> against her for false arrest, false imprisonment, defamation or false light, and other assertions.
In 2016, attorneys for the officers claimed there were ulterior motives in charging the officers. “Marilyn Mosby’s comments in her press conference today confirm that the charges brought against my clients, Sgt. Alicia White and Officer William Porter, as well as the other four officers, were politically motivated and not supported by evidence to establish probable cause,” Michael E. Glass said.
The lawsuit accused Mosby of realizing the case would draw widespread media attention and of speaking “in a divisive and inciting manner”, and broke Maryland’s code of professional conduct, forbidding lawyers from making “an extrajudicial statement” they know will prejudice a court proceeding.
The Mosby case demonstrates how hard it is to hold rogue district attorneys accountable for malicious prosecution, as they enjoy the widespread legal protections of both “prosecutorial discretion” and “absolute immunity.”
U.S. District Court judge Marvin J. Garbis rejected Mosby’s initial immunity claims against the multimillion-dollar lawsuit, allowing it to go to trial in 2017. Regardless, a Richmond, VA, US Court of Appeals ruled in Mosby’s favor, and <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-scotus-denial-20181113-story.html">dismissed the lawsuit</a> – not on the facts of the case &#8211; but citing Mosby’s “Absolute Immunity” as the elected State’s Attorney.
Since then, Mosby has been indicted on federal fraud and tax charges, and has lost her reelection bid.
However, the repercussions from her case continue as a myriad of politically-charged prosecutions against law enforcement officers have been pressed since, by several progressive prosecutors elected with help from billionaire George Soros and other national political action committees.
Noteworthy examples include Attorney General Rob Bonta’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-attorney-generals-office-targets-chp-in-weaponized-prosecution">felony charges of fifty-four California Highway Patrol officers</a> and District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/where-lawlessness-reigns-how-a-weak-on-crime-d-a-has-left-a-city-at-the-mercy-of-criminals">Larry Krasner</a>’s recent excoriation by the <a href="https://broadandliberty.com/2022/07/20/pa-supreme-court-justice-excoriates-krasner-alleges-abuse-of-grand-jury-process/">Pennsylvania Supreme Court</a> for manipulating the grand jury process to charge police officers for shooting an armed felon. Then there is the Biden administration’s federal civil rights <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/04/breonna-taylor-death-louisville-police-officers-charged">charges</a> against the Louisville-Metro police officers who killed Breonna Taylor after her boyfriend shot an officer through a closed door at her apartment.
As anti-law enforcement sentiments increased following the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police Officer, prosecutions of police officers became a political talking point, gaining favor in the Soros-funded progressive prosecutor movement.
This led to instances where specific-intent murder charges were filed. In many of those cases, if probable cause existed, appropriate charges would have been general-intent manslaughter or accidental/wrongful death. Most of these circumstances, however, led to acquittals and/or dismissals.
Prosecutorial discretion &#8211; or immunity &#8211; doesn’t negate the fact that some prosecutors have stepped out of their role in law enforcement, and acted as elected politicians.
While prosecutors enjoy absolute immunity and law enforcement officers abide by qualified immunity, plaintiffs argue that rogue prosecutors are not acting as impartial law enforcement investigators. This is especially true when police officers are overcharged when accused of perpetrating institutional racism or inequality. 
“With absolute immunity for prosecutors, police officers are in a very difficult position if they are wrongfully charged by a politically motivated district attorney,” said former Chester County District Attorney and Manhattan Institute Fellow <a href="https://www.manhattan-institute.org/expert/thomas-hogan">Thomas Hogan</a>. “There is an interesting theory that prosecutors might be subject to a pattern-and-practice action by the U.S. Department of Justice, but that standard is high and the legal question is unsettled.”
It&#8217;s clear, in pursuing criminal prosecutions solely based on political motive, regardless of the evidence, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/2021/06/10/zappala-under-fire-da-orders-no-plea-deals-to-black-attorney-or-his-clients-community-in-an-uproar/">rogue prosecutors</a> may be violating the civil rights of defendants.
So what changed between the 2018 dismissal in Mosby’s case and now? In April of 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/04/supreme-court-police-civil-rights">Thompson v. Clark</a> that former criminal defendants can sue law enforcement for a wrongful arrest without needing to prove that they were innocent of the charges, only that their underlying cases ended without a conviction.
As prosecutors are law enforcement officers as well as elected officials, the 6-3 decision makes it easier to pursue lawsuits under the Fourth Amendment, which protects citizens (including law enforcement officers) from unreasonable seizures.
The need for greater oversight and transparency for our nation’s prosecutors is clear.
It must be addressed, whether it’s through <a href="https://whyy.org/articles/philly-woman-accused-of-road-rage-by-city-prosecutor-sues-over-unjustified-police-arrest/">civil suits</a>, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/desantis-removes-hillsborough-county-state-attorney-andrew-warren/ar-AA10j0c8">state oversight</a>, or corruption <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/14/us/baltimore-marilyn-mosby-indicted-perjury/index.html">indictments</a>.
A. Benjamin <a href="https://abmannes.com/">Mannes</a>, MA, CPP served in both municipal and federal law enforcement, leading to his designation as a nationally recognized subject matter expert in security, public integrity, and criminal justice reform. He has served as a consultant and expert witness and as the Director, Office of Investigations for the American Board of Internal Medicine from 2008-2017.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Police station entrance

Prosecuting The Police: How Rogue District Attorneys Enjoy Both ‘Discretion’ And ‘Immunity’

Court

Police

prosecution

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/apple">Apple TV+</a> series “Lady in the Lake” abruptly stopped filming in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baltimore">Baltimore</a> after crew members were approached by alleged drug dealers and threatened with guns, Deadline <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/08/lady-in-the-lake-apple-plus-series-forced-to-halt-production-after-extortion-threats-from-baltimore-locals-1235101762/">reported</a>.
A spokesperson for the Baltimore Police Department said the crew was filming around 4 PM in the downtown area Friday afternoon when several people approached producers. These individuals threatened to come back and shoot someone if the production crew kept filming there. The only way to avoid violence, they said, was by paying a sum of $50,000.
Local news outlet The Baltimore Banner identified the individuals as &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drugs">drug dealers</a>&#8221; threatening extortion from the crew. Producers refused to pay the money, which led to the entire production being shut down until they could find a safer location. Other outlets did not speculate on who the individuals making threats were.
The production company Endeavor Content released a statement about the incident. 
“Friday afternoon, on the Baltimore set of our production ‘Lady in the Lake,’ prior to the arrival of the cast and crew, per their call time, a driver on our production crew was confronted by two men, one of whom brandished a gun directed at our driver, and then they fled the location. We are working with the Baltimore Police Department as the investigation is ongoing.” 
“The safety and security of our crew, cast and all who work across our productions is our highest priority, and we are thankful no one was injured,” they continued. “Production will resume with increased security measures going forward.”
“It has been a privilege filming ‘Lady in the Lake’ in Baltimore, working with its vibrant community across many areas,” it said. “Our thanks and appreciation to the City of Baltimore, Mayor Brandon M. Scott, the Baltimore Film Office, Maryland Film Office and the Baltimore Police Department for their incredible support as we continue production in the great City of Baltimore and surrounding communities.”
“Lady in the Lake” is based on the book of the same name. The Apple TV+ series stars Academy Award winner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/natalie-portman">Natalie Portman</a> and has been filming in Baltimore for several months.
Per the website <a href="https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2021/03/apple-tv-lands-lady-in-the-lake-starring-academy-award-winners-natalie-portman-and-lupita-nyongo-and-co-written-and-directed-by-alma-harel/">description</a>, the series takes place in 1960s Baltimore. 
There, “an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz (Portman) to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood (Lupita Nyong’o), a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.”

ITALY-CINEMA-VENICE-FILM-FESTIVAL-MOSTRA

Apple TV+ Series ‘Lady In The Lake’ Halts Production In Baltimore After Alleged Drug Dealers Threaten Crew With Gun Violence

Apple TV+ Series 'Lady In The Lake' Halts Production In Baltimore After Alleged Drug Dealers Threaten Crew

Apple

Drugs

Gun Violence

Natalie Portman

Television

A 9-year-old boy was playing with a loaded handgun when he accidentally shot a 15-year-old girl who died of her injuries, homicide detectives say.
The boy and girl were with some other children on a porch in Baltimore’s Edmonson Village Saturday evening when the gun allegedly went off, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/baltimore-police-say-9-year-old-allegedly-shot-killed-15-year-old-girl/?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=news_tab">reported</a>. Witnesses told detectives that the boy dropped the gun and ran after it struck 15-year-old Nykayia Strawder in the head.
&#8220;We will never be the same without her,&#8221; Dontay Jones, Strawder’s father, told CBS.
Jones told the outlet that he had been at home with his wife and children when he heard a “loud muffling sound” from the front porch. At the time, he wasn’t sure it was a gunshot, but went downstairs to see what was going on and found his daughter bleeding &#8220;from her head, from the back of her head, on the side.&#8221;
&#8220;I couldn&#8217;t really tell because there was so much blood everywhere,&#8221; he told CBS.
Strawder was taken to a local hospital but pronounced dead.
Police Chief Michael Harrison said Saturday night that investigators were &#8220;working with multiple minor witnesses who all have parents and/or guardians we&#8217;re working to contact.&#8221;
The gun used to kill Strawder was registered to a woman who works as a security guard and is related to the 9-year-old boy who fired the weapon, police said. Maryland law prohibits the boy from being charged with a crime due to his age, but it is unclear if the woman will be charged with anything. Newsweek <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/nine-year-old-boy-playing-gun-fatally-shoots-teen-girl-police-1731618">reported</a> that investigators are working with the state’s attorney’s office on potential charges for the adults relating to the incident.
Strawder’s great aunt Donyette McCray told CBS that the teenager had some issues with the 9-year-old boy before the shooting and that they had been fighting before the young boy brought the gun to Strawder’s home.
&#8220;Her brother had been in a fight with him two times before, prior to this,&#8221; McCray told the outlet.
&#8220;He needs to be accountable for his actions,&#8221; she added. &#8220;I don&#8217;t have my baby . . . she will never, ever be back.&#8221;

Crime scene porch

9-Year-Old Shoots, Kills 15-Year-Old While Playing With Loaded Gun: Police

9-Year-Old Shoots, Kills 15-Year-Old While Playing With Loaded Gun

Children

Shooting

A former gang-member-turned-community-activist known for spray-painting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gun-violence">&#8220;No Shoot Zone&#8221;</a> graffiti around the city of Baltimore was shot Wednesday in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baltimore?utm_term=&amp;utm_campaign=dw_conversions_subscriptions_performancemax_na&amp;utm_source=adwords&amp;utm_medium=ppc&amp;hsa_acc=6411461344&amp;hsa_cam=16590646933&amp;hsa_grp=&amp;hsa_ad=&amp;hsa_src=x&amp;hsa_tgt=&amp;hsa_kw=&amp;hsa_mt=&amp;hsa_net=adwords&amp;hsa_ver=3&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjworiXBhDJARIsAMuzAuzbLWtdHhvqdQKJpbSL_bVq_2Nuf-OIUS5hMJM3V9-smr7UHSQWkIUaAh5vEALw_wcB">East Baltimore</a>.
Tyree Moorehead told media that he was shot three times in the neck, jaw, and back on Wednesday morning. He then left the scene and reportedly went to a hospital for treatment. However, Moorehead allegedly left the hospital without being discharged later that day and was later seen standing outside his home in a hospital gown while police — for reasons unknown — were searching his house.
&#8220;You&#8217;d think I&#8217;d shot someone, right? All this activity,&#8221; Moorehead <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/city-in-crisis/no-shoot-zone-activist-is-citys-latest-gunshot-victim">remarked</a> to the press outside of his home as police came in and out of his residence. It is unclear who shot Moorehead or why.
According to CBS&#8217; Annie Rose Ramos, police <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnieRoseNews/status/1554961360907374593?s=20&amp;t=GnnLELgIR1IVSXDYon-xLw">took</a> several bags of evidence from his house, though it is unclear for what purposes. According to Ramos, Moorehead&#8217;s neighbors aren&#8217;t his biggest fans. The man is accused of being aggressive toward his neighbors, though it is unclear in what manner.
&#8220;Neighbors say Tyree isn’t a good man, the entire street wants him out b/c he attracts trouble,&#8221; she tweeted without elaborating. He was taken back to the hospital Wednesday evening.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HAPPENINGNOW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HAPPENINGNOW</a>: Paramedics take Tyree Moorehead back to the hospital. 
The anti-violence No Spray Zone creator who was painted 200+ zones was shot this morning.
Neighbors say Tyree isn’t a good man, the entire street wants him out b/c he attracts trouble<a href="https://twitter.com/wjz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wjz</a> <a href="https://t.co/qWJgyeXmdA">pic.twitter.com/qWJgyeXmdA</a>
&mdash; Annie Rose Ramos (@AnnieRoseNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnieRoseNews/status/1554958935056125954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Moorehead has claimed he was once a prolific criminal who was involved in an estimated 20 shootings. At age 15, he was locked away for 11 years in prison after getting into a shootout with police.
Now, he spraypaints &#8220;No Shoot Zone&#8221; above places where victims are shot in Baltimore in an effort to raise awareness about gun violence. He also speaks to anybody who will listen about the negative effects of gun violence.
&#8220;See, I go straight to the shooters. That&#8217;s who my rapport is with. My rapport is with the shooters,&#8221; Moorehead <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/no-shoot-zone-activist-shot-in-east-baltimore-on-wednesday/">told</a> Baltimore outlet WJZ in 2019. &#8220;I can look them in the eyes and say, &#8216;Homie, I was shooting, too.&#8217; But, what I didn&#8217;t have was a me back then.&#8221;
In 2017, Moorehead was arrested for spraypainting his message above the location where a 13-year-old girl was shot and killed.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not that we don&#8217;t agree with the message,&#8221; one female officer <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-tyree-colion-arrested-20170803-story.html">said</a> in a video at the time. &#8220;It&#8217;s just that it&#8217;s still private property,&#8221; she explained.
Throughout his activism, Moorehead has spraypainted more than 200 &#8220;No Shoot Zones&#8221; in various locations.
Baltimore has experienced 190 reported homicides from shootings in 2022 so far, <a href="https://homicides.news.baltimoresun.com/?range=2022&amp;cause=shooting">according</a> to The Baltimore Sun. One prominent trauma doctor recently claimed that the number of overall homicides in Baltimore should be much higher, but thanks to skilled medical professionals are kept low.
&#8220;Based on current projections we’re likely to see 375 homicides and well over 800 shootings but that equates to more people living than ever before per shooting incident so the likelihood that you will live to tell your tale after being shot in Baltimore is ever increasing because of what’s going on at these trauma centers,&#8221; shock trauma surgeon Dr. Thomas Scalea told the media.
As of press time, no arrests have been made in connection to Moorehead.

No Shoot Zone

‘No Shoot Zone’ Graffiti Activist Shot In Baltimore

'No Shoot Zone' Graffiti Activist Shot In Baltimore

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maryland">Maryland</a> woman told police that she shot her husband at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/washington-d-c">Washington D.C.</a> Thursday because she heard that he had allegedly molested children at the daycare she runs near Baltimore, according to an arrest affidavit filed in a D.C. court.
Police were called to a domestic dispute that ended in a shooting at the hotel Thursday night finding a woman barricading herself in a hotel room with her wounded husband, ABC7 <a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/man-shot-woman-arrested-mandarin-oriental-hotel-southwest-dc-shooting-barricade-situation-incident-metropolitan-police-department-investigating-suspect-gun-recovered">reported</a>.
Shanteari Weems, 50, admitted to police that she shot her husband, telling them when they arrived on the scene, “f*** him, he&#8217;s a child molester,” according to court documents. The documents further detailed that Weems stated to police that some of the children at her daycare center told her that her husband was molesting them.
Weems remained barricaded in the room for nearly an hour, prompting evacuations of the hotel. A tactical team of police officers finally forced their way into her room and found Weems and her wounded husband, along with a firearm in her purse and another gun in an unlocked safe, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/07/22/hotel-mandarin-shooting-dc/">reported</a>. Weems was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department and charged with assault with intent to kill, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm without a license, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Weems’ husband reportedly sustained wounds to his head and leg, but they appeared to be non-life threatening. He has yet to be charged with any crime relating to his wife’s allegations, the Post reported. The couple have been married for five years and live together in Baltimore County.
Baltimore County Police Sgt. Gladys Brown said detectives were monitoring the developments in the shooting and that the Maryland Daycare center would be closed during the investigation.
“I can tell you that Baltimore County detectives are currently monitoring the recent developments in Washington D.C. Due to the sensitive circumstances leading up to this incident, the Baltimore County Police Department continues to support the families impacted. As this investigation moves forward, the daycare facility located in Owings Mills remains closed,” Baltimore County Police said in a statement.

Woman Holding Gun

Woman Says She Shot Husband Because She Heard He Allegedly Molested Children At Her Daycare

Child Sex Abuse

Sexual Misconduct

Washington D.C.

Jared Beck may not make it to The Show, but if the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baltimore">Baltimore</a> Orioles 13th-round draft pick ever takes the mound in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baseball">big league game</a>, he’ll set a record before he evn throws a pitch.
Beck is 7 feet tall, which would make him the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. Two former pitchers, Sean Hjelle and Jon Rauch, checked in at 6-feet, 11-inches, and of course Hall of Famer Randy Johnson was 6-feet, 10-inches tall. But Beck is no mere novelty, with a fastball clocked at 95 miles per hour.
&#8220;Jared&#8217;s a really interesting case,&#8221; Baltimore draft director Brad Ciolek told <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34269519/baltimore-orioles-take-7-foot-left-hander-jared-beck-day-3-mlb-draft-mlb-tallest-player-ever">The Associated Press</a>.
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With the 377 pick the Baltimore Orioles select Jared Beck LHP. In ‘22 Beck had a 3.95 ERA in 13 starts with an impressive 13.8 K/9. Beck is the largest player in the draft standing at 7 ft tall 
 <a href="https://t.co/6WBmmC91S3">pic.twitter.com/6WBmmC91S3</a>
&mdash; Orioles Prospect Report (@OriolesProspect) <a href="https://twitter.com/OriolesProspect/status/1549465144333303814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Beck pitched for <a href="https://saintleolions.com/sports/baseball/roster/jared-beck/6415">Saint Leo University</a> in Florida, where in the season that just ended he struck out 105 batters in 68 1/3 innings with a middling 3.95 ERA. Hitters batted a mere .217 off of the lefty, but at times he struggled with control. Since finishing school, he has pitched for the <a href="https://thesavannahbananas.com/about_us/">Savannah Bananas</a>, a Georgia-based independent team made up of college players that is akin to baseball’s answer to the Harlem Globetrotters. He was the 377th overall pick in the recently concluded draft.
Height is seen as a major advantage for pitchers for several reasons. Long arms can result in higher velocity, and the closer the point at which the pitcher releases the ball is to the batter, the tougher it is for a hitter to react. But extremely tall pitchers often have trouble refining the smooth movements needed to excel.
Johnson, nicknamed “The Big Unit,” was 26 years old before he began to realize his potential, and even then led the American League in walks for the next three years. But once the left-hander harnessed his talent, he became a dominant pitcher, winning five Cy Young awards, 303 games and ending up second only to Nolan Ryan in career strikeouts, with 4,875.
&#8220;Obviously, he&#8217;s a little bit of a bigger guy, and that might take a little bit more, I guess, in terms of delivery, refining his mechanics,” Ciolek acknowledged. “But we have faith in our player-development staff, our pitching coaches, that they&#8217;ll be able to get the most out of his ability.&#8221;
Rauch had a solid, 11-year career as a right-handed reliever before retiring in 2013. Hjelle, 25, is in his rookie year with the San Francisco Giants.
There have been at least two minor league baseball players taller than Beck. Dutch pitcher Loek van Mil played 10 seasons in the minor leagues and Ryan Doherty pitched parts of three. Both were 7-feet, one-inch tall.

Screen Shot 2022-07-20 at 8.05.23 AM

Why This Orioles’ Draft Pick Could Set MLB Record Before He Even Throws A Pitch

Orioles' Draft Pick Could Set MLB Record Before He Ever Throws A Pitch

Major League Baseball

Sports

Beloved former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nfl">NFL</a> great and longtime Fox Sports sideline reporter Tony Siragusa has died, according to a report that shocked Baltimore Ravens fans already reeling from the announcement earlier in the day of the death of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/26-year-old-nfl-player-jaylon-ferguson-dead">current team member</a>.
Siragusa, the garrulous former defensive tackle who weighed 340 pounds in his playing days, helped the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baltimore">Ravens</a> to a Super Bowl victory in 2001. No cause of death was released, and word that he had died came first from longtime teammate and pal Jamal Lewis.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a sad day to be a Raven I must say,&#8221; Lewis, the ex-running back said on Wednesday.
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NFL legend Tony Siragusa has died at 55 years old, his former Baltimore Ravens teammate, Jamal Lewis, confirmed to TMZ Sports. <a href="https://t.co/JRGbzZRfKs">https://t.co/JRGbzZRfKs</a>
&mdash; TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1539695762455633921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Siragusa, 55, who was known affectionately as “Goose,” also hosted a television show on the DIY network called “Man Caves.” His death came on the same day the Ravens announced the unexpected <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/26-year-old-nfl-player-jaylon-ferguson-dead">passing of linebacker Jaylon Ferguson</a>.
Siragusa, who played college ball at University of Pittsburgh, began his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 1990 and became a starter two years later. He signed with Baltimore in 1997, just after the team had moved from Cleveland.
The tackle was a cornerstone in formidable Ravens defense that also included future Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Rod Woodson.
Siragusa retired following the 2001 season and had a second act in the game as a funny and informative sideline reporter for Fox.
Ravens fans took to Twitter to share their affection for Siragusa.
&#8220;RIP Tony Siragusa,&#8221; wrote Stavros Halkias. &#8220;I was in 6th grade when the Ravens won their first Super Bowl and I can’t tell you how much he meant to me as a fat loudmouthed Mediterranean child growing up in Baltimore. Rest easy, Goose&#8221;
&#8220;This is one of the saddest days in Ravens history,&#8221; wrote Ravens broadcaster Gerry Sandusky. &#8220;The deaths of Jaylen Ferguson and Tony Siragusa on the same day leaves every Ravens fan stunned. A player so young with potential, and a legend who brought so joy and impact to the field. Gone. Tough to wrap your head around.&#8221;
Earlier in the day, the team announced the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/26-year-old-nfl-player-jaylon-ferguson-dead">death of Ferguson</a>, who had been expected to play a key role on the team in the upcoming season.
“We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson,” the team’s Twitter account announced. “He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality.
“We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon’s family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon,” the statement added.

Super Bowl XXXV – Baltimore Ravens v New York Giants

Ex-NFL Great, Fox Reporter Tony Siragusa Dead In Double Tragedy For Baltimore Ravens

Death

The NFL&#8217;s Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday announced the death of 26-year-old linebacker Jaylon Ferguson.
Ferguson has been at least the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sudden-death-the-surge-of-nfl-tragedies-and-whats-behind-it">fourth</a> NFL player under 40 years old to die this year.
&#8220;We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson,&#8221; the team&#8217;s Twitter account announced. &#8220;He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality.
&#8220;We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon’s family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon,&#8221; the statement added.
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We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson. <a href="https://t.co/ylBvLEzjer">pic.twitter.com/ylBvLEzjer</a>
&mdash; Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/1539577853502754817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The athlete&#8217;s agent, Safarrah Lawson, asked for prayers and privacy for Ferguson&#8217;s family at this time. Lawson also did not provide any details on Ferguson&#8217;s cause of death. 
“It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of Baltimore Ravens LB Jaylon Ferguson. The family asks for your prayers and privacy during this trying time,&#8221; Lawson said in a statement, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday. 
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Terrible news: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ravens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ravens</a> LB Jaylon Ferguson has died at just 26 years old. 
 Statement from agent Safarrah Lawson:
“It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of Baltimore Ravens LB Jaylon Ferguson. The family asks for your prayers and privacy during this trying time.”
&mdash; Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1539578100740153344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Earlier this month, 38-year-old Marion Barber, who played for the Dallas Cowboys, was found dead at his apartment in Frisco, Texas.
 His cause of death has yet to be determined.
Former Cowboys teammate Terence Newman recalled this week that Barber was in distress during their last encounter three years ago.
“He wasn’t doing too well … he looked bad … like a different person, like he couldn’t function,” Newman said, <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/06/14/marion-barbers-ex-teammate-terence-newman-scared-by-last-encounter">according</a> to Sports Illustrated. “When I tell you I was scared, I thought he might swing on me.”
While speculation has stirred about Barber suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly known as CTE, the late player&#8217;s father, Marion Barber II, <a href="https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article262097117.html">said</a> in a recent interview that his son did not want his brain donated for CTE research.
Before his death, Barber was <a href="https://thelandryhat.com/2022/06/13/cowboys-marion-barber-death-details-cte-research/">reportedly</a> hospitalized for mental health concerns on two occasions.
In April, 24-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/withhold-any-judgement-widow-of-nfls-dwayne-haskins-releases-statement-following-autopsy-report">Dwayne Haskins</a> died after he was struck by a dump truck while attempting to cross the westbound lanes of I-595 in Broward County, Florida.
A recent medical report showed that Haskins had a .20 blood alcohol content level at the time of his death and tested positive for the drugs ketamine and norketamine. Haskins also reportedly had a “female companion” in the vehicle he exited just before the accident occurred.
And in May, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Jeff Gladney, 25, tragically <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/first-round-nfl-draft-pick-dead-at-25">died</a> in a car accident last month. Details of the crash remain unknown.
The Daily Wire will update this post as more information is provided 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sudden-death-the-surge-of-nfl-tragedies-and-whats-behind-it">Sudden Death: The Surge Of NFL Tragedies, And What’s Behind It</a>

Baltimore Ravens v Las Vegas Raiders

26-Year-Old NFL Player Jaylon Ferguson Dead

A federal judge has denied Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s request to have the charges against her dismissed and further rejected her claims to be targeted because of her race.
Mosby was federally indicted in January 2022 on charges of perjury and making a false statement on a loan application. Her attorney, A. Scott Bolden, argued in court last Thursday that the charges against Mosby came from Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Wise’s personal – and racial – animosity toward Baltimore’s top prosecutor. Bolden argued that the charges should be dismissed for that reason, or that Wise should be removed from prosecuting the case, WTOP <a href="https://wtop.com/maryland/2022/04/federal-judge-rejects-mosbys-motion-to-dismiss-charges-against-her/">reported</a>.
But U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby refused to dismiss the case, saying Mosby failed to meet the legal standard for dismissing the case outright or to have the prosecuting attorney removed. Griggsby also rejected Mosby’s claims of “animus” and “selective and vindictive prosecution,” WTOP reported.
“Bolden argued that Wise has a ‘penchant’ for prosecuting Black politicians and that he displayed animosity toward Mosby when he contributed $200 to her political opponents in 2018. He also alleged that Wise was belligerent in a meeting and that prosecutors failed to present potentially exculpatory evidence to a grand jury,” the outlet reported.
“We think these are powerful facts,” Bolden said. “We think you gotta do something about this. This is not a clean indictment.”
Wise, in turn, accused Bolden and Mosby of creating “a victim fantasy… to deflect from the defendant’s conduct,” claiming their allegations are “a jumble of baseless and poorly reasoned personal attacks… divorced from the law on selective and vindictive prosecutions.”
“This is a play that politicians do,” he added, according to WTOP.
Wise further argued that public corruption cases must go through a rigorous process and get approval from an internal “indictment review committee,” saying that he “could no more decide whether to indict someone than I could authorize air strikes into Russia.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Delaney, Wise’s co-counsel, told Griggsby that the prosecution brought a case against Mosby “because a federal grand jury found probable cause.”
Griggsby rejected Mosby’s claims of racial animus, writing in her ruling that the objections “amount to objections or differences of opinions.” The judge also ruled that Wise’s prior donations to Mosby’s campaign opponents were not evidence of unfair targeting.
Following the ruling, Mosby said she was innocent, telling reporters “I’m going to fight and I’m going to prevail, like I always do.”
Bolden also asserted his client’s innocence.
“This fight continues,” he said. “This is one step in the ongoing fight and the struggle for her freedom and her liberty and for her success — politically, personally and family-wise.”
Mosby is accused of lying about being negatively impacted by COVID-19 and using the excuse to withdraw $40,000 from her Baltimore City retirement account, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-baltimore-city-state-attorney-marilyn-mosby-indicted-on-federal-perjury-mortgage-charges">reported</a>. Prosecutors allege she did not face any financial hardship due to COVID-19 and that she allegedly used the money to purchase two properties in Florida. She is also charged with making false statements on mortgage applications, failing to note that she had unpaid federal taxes and that the IRS had placed a $45,000 lien against properties she and her husband owned.
Despite the indictment, Mosby is on the ballot for re-election in November.

Race & Justice: Marilyn Mosby Interview

Federal Judge Refuses To Dismiss Charges Against Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, Rejects Claims Of Racism

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