A Baltimore judge has decided that three people charged in a deadly January home invasion will face a jury together, shutting down a defense attempt to give one defendant a separate trial. The defendants – 28-year-old Keishonne Moore, 18-year-old Dasean Tristen Williams and 19-year-old Derrick Williams – are charged with first-degree murder, home invasion, and armed robbery after 36-year-old Davon Johnson was found shot inside a residence in the 1700 block of East 25th Street.
Prosecutors Describe Chaotic Entry as Defense Pushes to Split Case
At a May 15 hearing, a prosecutor told Judge Jeffrey M. Geller that the trio burst into the home “guns ablazing” and said video from inside shows the encounter ramping up almost immediately. Prosecutors alleged that Dasean Williams fired the fatal shot and said another victim was pistol-whipped, according to Baltimore Witness.
Moore’s attorney, Deborah Warner-Dennis, argued that her client was “a minor player” who “did not have a weapon” and warned that keeping the cases joined could unfairly smear Moore by association. Prosecutors countered that all three acknowledged involvement when questioned by police and that one trial would be more efficient for the court system. Judge Geller sided with the state, denied the motion to sever, and sent the case to the reception court to receive a trial date before Judge Melissa K. Copeland.
Arrests, Charges and the Victim
Police arrested Moore, Dasean Williams, and Derrick Williams in early February and charged them in the Jan. 14 killing. Coverage at the time reported that the three were being held without bail, according to three arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Johnson is listed among Baltimore’s January homicide victims, and his death is placed in the 1700 block of East 25th Street in a victims gallery compiled by WMAR-2 News…