Two men have been meted life sentences plus an additional 60 years for their involvement in a string of violent crimes that left two individuals dead. Marcel Vines and Malique Lewis, known on the streets as "Baby Boy" or "B.Y." and "Freak" respectively, were convicted of several charges including kidnapping resulting in death, conspiracy, and unlawful firearm possession, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The heinous acts were carried out as retaliation for the death of the defendants' associate named Ronzay Green, although the victims, Armani Nico Coles and Kerrice Lewis, had no actual involvement in the slaying that provoked the defendants. According to evidence presented at trial, hours after Green's murder, Vines and Lewis embarked on their crusade for vengeance, which culminated in the fatal kidnapping of Ms. Lewis from a gas station and Mr. Coles lured through the use of the former's phone, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The victims underwent harrowing final moments, with Mr. Coles being shot and pushed out onto the highway, and Ms. Lewis, confined in the trunk of her own car, subsequently being transported to a secluded alley where she was shot multiple times and set ablaze along with her vehicle. Fingerprints and ballistic evidence played a pivotal role in tying Vines and Lewis to the gruesome slayings, leading to their ultimate conviction and sentencing, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As reported by several outlets, the FBI's Washington Field Office, MPD, and the Prince George’s County Police Department were instrumental in the investigation that eventually brought Vines and Lewis to justice. Details of the crime, including statements and boastful text messages sent by Lewis after the murders, painted a chilling picture of the depraved mindset behind the crimes. The case prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen, George Eliopoulos, and Colleen Kukowski underscores the severity of the crimes committed back in December 2017, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Justice for the victims and their families came finally, with the court's decision to impose a rigorous sentence on the individuals responsible for the senseless violence. The U.S. Attorney's Office announces the outcome of the trial as a clear message that such heinous actions will merit the full force of the law.
