A man found stabbed to death this month in Northeast Baltimore was set to be a witness in a murder trial, and police say his 23-year-old attacker had accused him of being a "rat" who was cooperating with law enforcement.
Michael Pryor, 32, was found unresponsive on a porch in the 2800 block of Harford Road in the early morning of May 15. Witnesses said that after confronting Pryor, 23-year-old David Caldwell snatched a knife from Pryor and stabbed him in the chest, according to charging documents.
Though it was not immediately clear what cooperation Caldwell might have been referring to, records show that Pryor 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, suffering stab wounds of his own in the process, records show.
The suspect in that stabbing, Lewis Brock, is set to go to trial June 22.
Prosecutors say witness intimidation incidents tend to flare up as trial dates approach. Officials have pursued several initiatives to curb witness intimidation and encourage cooperation with law enforcement, by increasing penalties for witness intimidation and seeking protective orders to suppress key information about witnesses.
Margaret T. Burns, a spokeswoman for Baltimore State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy, said prosecutors believe such efforts may be contributing to a decrease in the number of witness intimidation cases charged.
"We've been trying to put processes in place to underscore how important the community's cooperation is in order for us to successfully prosecute these cases," Burns said. "They want their communities to be safe, but in order for us to help them, we need them to embrace law enforcement."
Still, witness protection services are limited and the prospect of retaliation looms large for many city residents. In April, a young girl was attacked at a downtown bus stop by alleged gang members who she said were attempting to get her to change her testimony in a murder case.
Prosecutors intend to move forward with the case against Brock and may even be able to present Pryor's testimony despite his death. A law went into effect in 2005 that allows prosecutors to present "out of court" testimony if they can prove that the behavior of the defendant caused witnesses to be absent.
"We will not be deterred," Burns said. "We know we're engaged in a battle with witness intimidation in our community, and we will use every tool in our toolbox to proceed on these cases."
Pryor was a witness in the killing of Nelson Gause, but he was also a victim. According to court records, he saw one of two men grab Gause on March 1 and stab him during an argument inside Kolper's Tavern, in the 1500 block of Clipper Mill Road.
Pryor followed the men outside and was stabbed in the head and body, but he was able to grab the knife and the suspect fled, records show.
Despite his apparent heroics, Pryor recanted his testimony in February, according to court records. In meeting with police and prosecutors, he denied that he told police he had seen Brock stab Gause.
After Pryor's death, Brock's attorney promptly filed a request for a new bail review hearing, noting that "the state's witness to the murder … is now deceased. There is no other evidence that incriminates the defendant."
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