The first-degree murder trial of Patrick Byers was postponed yesterday, as police investigate a possible link between that city case and the shooting death of its main witness last week in Rosedale.
Byers, 22, is accused in the March 2006 shooting death of Larry Haynes, 30, in East Baltimore. He has been held without bail. Carl Stanley Lackl, 38, witnessed the Haynes shooting and was prepared to testify, city prosecutors said. He was killed July 2 in a drive-by shooting in front of his home in the 8000 block of Philadelphia Road, Baltimore County police said.
On Byers' postponement form, city prosecutors checked "state witness unavailable" and wrote in "murdered 7/2/07." The new trial date is Sept. 13. No arrests have been made in Lackl's killing.