Police seek suspect in a strangulation

Baltimore police were seeking a suspect in the strangulation of a 22-year-old woman whose body was found Tuesday in her Walbrook apartment, a police spokesman said.

The man's identity was being withheld pending his arrest.

Shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday, police received a 911 call from an unidentified source that a woman's body was in an apartment in the 3200 block of Walbrook Ave., said Officer Troy Harris, the spokesman.

Harris said that when Southwestern District officers entered the apartment, they found the body of Lezli Williams. An autopsy revealed that death was caused by strangulation.

Harris said the woman was last seen alive Sunday.

As of yesterday evening, the city had recorded 276 killings in 2007, matching the figure for all of last year.

Metro Crime Stoppers, at 410-276-8888, is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the suspect's arrest and indictment.

Richard Irwin

City man gets 85-year sentence

A Baltimore man was sentenced yesterday to 85 years in prison for robbing an off-duty police officer and her then-5-year-old daughter at gunpoint in January in the 700 block of N. Carrollton Ave.

After a three-day jury trial, Circuit Judge Charles G. Bernstein sentenced Edward Williams to 20 years for robbing Officer Amanda Linthicum as she walked her daughter to her mother's house. Williams, 41, lived near where the attack occurred.

Williams also was sentenced to 20 years - five without parole - for using a handgun in the robbery; 25 years for assaulting Linthicum's daughter; and another 20 years - five without parole - for using a handgun in the assault.

The judge made the sentences consecutive.

According to prosecutors, Williams grabbed the girl by her coat, put the handgun to her head and demanded money from Linthicum.

Linthicum gave him $150, and Williams released the child and walked away. Linthicum was wearing a winter coat over her uniform at the time.

Melissa Harris