Jurors have found two of the three defendants accused in the killing of Former City Councilman Ken Harris guilty on all counts.
Jerome Williams, 17, Charles McGaney, 22, and Gary Collins, 22, had been charged with more than two dozen crimes connected to the Sept. 20, 2008, robbery of the New Haven Lounge. Harris was shot as he tried to flee.
Williams and McGaney were found guilty by a jury in Harris' death. Collins was found not guilty on the murder charges.
"We are pleased with the verdict," Harris' wife, Annette, said after the proceedings. "Although two of the defendants were considered to be guilty in Kenneth's murder, we still feel that justice was served.
Above, The Sun's Kim Hairston captures Harris' wife Annette Harris as she talks about the verdict. At left are outgoing city State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and prosecutor Don Giblin.
"This will not bring him back," Harris said. "This is a message to the criminals of Baltimore City that they cannot just get away with murder."
One juror, a 33-year-old man who declined to give his name, said jurors took their time wading through complicated charging sheets and he said they were not deadlocked on the most serious counts. He said most jurors dismissed efforts by the defense that hinted at conspiracy theories or that Harris was targeted.
The juror said the panel believed the three men robbed the club and that Harris was simply caught in the wrong place and the wrong time. “It was a straight up robbery,” he said. He said jurors believed the evidence showed Collins was inside the club at the time Harris was shot in the parking lot.
“That put Williams and McGaney outside,” he said, explaining the felony murder convictions for those two suspects.
While defense attorneys tried to suggest doubt by suggesting witnesses had misidentified the color of some clothes left behind, the juror said that for him the case came down to forensic evidence. “DNA don’t lie,” he said.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued this statement:
Today, in response to the verdict in the case of the murder of former City Councilman Ken Harris, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued the following statement:
“I am deeply relieved to learn that justice was delivered today in the Baltimore City Circuit Court, and that the individuals responsible for the senseless, violent murder of Ken Harris will be held to account for their actions. I would like to thank the members of the Baltimore Police Department and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their diligent work on this difficult case. I am also grateful to the members of the jury for carefully deliberating and bringing some closure to the family of my former colleague, Ken Harris.
Ken was a gentleman and a sincere public servant who is greatly missed by many of Baltimore’s most committed citizens, and the people he represented in the 4th Council District. My thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies remain with his family and friends during this painful time.
As Mayor of Baltimore, and on behalf of its citizens, I ask for a citywide moment of prayer and silence to honor Ken’s life and contributions to our great city, commencing at 2:00pm today.”