A Brooklyn man, Jaden Crowner, has been found guilty on charges of first-degree murder, firearm use in a violent crime, and other handgun-related offenses after a four-day trial concluded in Anne Arundel County. The conviction is linked to the tragic 2020 murder of a man in an Annapolis apartment complex, masked as a smartphone sale gone wrong. State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess announced the jury's decision this Friday, as the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office reported.
According to the case details, Crowner, 20, set up a meeting with 29-year-old Walters Elangwe under the guise of selling him an Apple iPhone. The encounter swiftly turned fatal when Crowner used the opportunity to test out his newly acquired handgun on Elangwe reportedly. The confrontation and subsequent shooting took place on the 1100 block of Primrose Court in Annapolis. Crowner has previously been convicted of another murder in 2023, for which he entered a guilty plea, and is currently serving a life sentence. This latest conviction could add significantly to his time behind bars, with sentencing slated for April 30, 2025.
The State's Attorney's announcement shed light on Elangwe's final moments on July 11, 2020. The 29-year-old Cameroonian immigrant reportedly drove to the location to purchase the phone, but the transaction was swiftly overshadowed by violence. A witness described seeing an armed individual converse with Elangwe before opening fire, sending multiple shots through the windshield of the victim's car, causing it to crash. Elangwe was later pronounced dead from his injuries at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
Investigators tied Crowner to the shooting through a combination of cellphone records and surveillance footage. The prosecutorial team led by Assistant State's Attorneys Glen Neubauer and Brian Pritchard presented these findings to the jury, which returned with a guilty verdict after careful deliberation.
Presided over by the Honorable Pamela Alban, the trial now awaits the sentencing phase, where Crowner will learn the full extent of the consequences of his actions. The conviction is especially poignant as it underlines the rampant violence that can lurk behind the veneer of everyday transactions and the irreversible loss it can impart to families and communities.
