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June 3, 2010

Another witness slain

The Sun's police reporter Justin Fenton reports today that another witness to a Baltimore killing has been killed.

Michael Pryor, 32, was a witness to a fatal stabbing last March at a bar on Clipper Mill Road near Hampden. He had chased the victim's attackers, Justin wrote, and was himself stabbed. The suspect is scheduled for trial June 22.

Prosecutors say they will still move foward with the trial and will try to present Pryor's testimony using a 2005 law that allows them to present "out of court" testimony if they can prove that the behavior of the defendant caused the witness to be absent.

"We will not be deterred," said Margaret T. Burns, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Confronting crime, Courts and the justice system, Northeast Baltimore, Witness intimidation

Comments

I guess it should surprise no one that "Witness Protection" is an oxymoron in the "No Snitching" Capital of America, but it also be no surprise to prosecutors that there are often no witnesses to be found to crimes occurring in crowded places in broad daylight.

Even if someone were willing to testify, why would they do so if their life were in peril as a consequence?

Point taken, but in another post, you refer to the "catch and release justice system". Many of those offenders are cut loose or get slap on the wrist sentences due to lack of witnesses. This is the challenge. -JF

Posted by: Justice For Whom? | June 3, 2010 12:51 PM

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About Peter Hermann

Peter Hermann started covering news for The Baltimore Sun in 1990, first in Anne Arundel County and, starting in 1994, reporting on the Baltimore Police Department. In 2001, he was assigned to Jerusalem as the Baltimore Sun's Middle East correspondent. He returned in 2005 as an assistant city editor overseeing crime coverage. In 2008, Peter returned to the beat as a daily reporter and blogger. A recent BBC report featured him in a segment on the harsh realities of covering crime in Baltimore.

Coverage will focus on crime trends, problems in neighborhoods in the city and elsewhere, profiles of victims and police officers and try to offer readers a fresh perspective on one of the most vexing issues facing Baltimore and its future.

Contributing to this blog is Justin Fenton, who joined The Sun in 2005 and has covered the Baltimore City Police Department and the criminal justice system since 2008. His work includes an investigation into Cal Ripken Jr.’s minor league baseball stadium deal with his hometown of Aberdeen, a three-part series chronicling a ruthless con woman, coverage of the killing of five Amish children at a schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pa., and a job swap with a British crime reporter to explore differences in crime-fighting. A special report looking into how city police handle rape cases led to sweeping reforms that changed the way sexual assaults are investigated in Baltimore. He was recognized as the best reporter in Baltimore by the City Paper in 2010 and by Baltimore Magazine in 2011.

Follow @phscoop, @justin_fenton on Twitter