In a somber turn of events at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court today, 64-year-old inmate Wallace Dudley Ball pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of his cellmate at Jessup Correctional Institute earlier this year, as reported by the office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County. Ball is already serving a life sentence, plus thirty years, for a prior 1994 murder, with his recent plea adding to an already lengthy prison term.
The circumstances leading to Ball's plea began on February 21, 2025, when correctional officers found 61-year-old Warren Michael Griffin dead in the cell he shared with Ball; the gruesome discovery included Griffin with a cord around his neck, and his cellmate with incriminating blood stains, routine cell checks are how the officers found the deceased. According to the State’s Attorney’s press release, a written statement by the defendant, Wallace Ball, which said, "While in the cell with Warren Griffin, I punched him in the face then tied a string around his neck until he was dead," was matched to his handwriting confirming the confession.
Anne Colt Leitess, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney, acknowledged the thorough work of Maryland State Police and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), stating, "I want to commend Maryland State Police and DPSCS for their thorough investigation, which helped secure a strong case against this defendant," Leitess articulated her hopes for the plea to bring some solace to Griffin's family, with a scheduled sentencing to conclude proceedings at a later time.
Key evidence collected included the blood-stained clothing and swabs from Ball's hands all complemented by photographs chronicling the crime scene's state which investigators with the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and DPSCS’s Intelligence and Investigative Division (IID) meticulously reviewed. Assistant State’s Attorney Shane Nolan represented the State in this chilling case, reinforcing the resolve of law enforcement to see justice served within the unforgiving walls of JCI, where such acts unfold obscured from public eyes, yet demand our system's unwavering vigilance.
