Federal agents are trying to track down a 74-year-old Baltimore man convicted in a Halloween-night killing who has now dropped off the radar while on supervised release. Authorities say Vincent Leroy Gilliam stopped checking in as required in June 2025 and is now the focus of a coordinated fugitive search involving federal and local partners. The renewed manhunt has stirred up memories of the 2000 case in north Baltimore and prompted investigators to again ask the public for help.
How investigators say the 2000 killing unfolded
On October 31, 2000, officers responded to Willow Avenue off York Road after reports of gunfire. They found an 18-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the chest; he later died. Investigators eventually identified Gilliam as a suspect, and within days he was picked up more than 2,600 miles away in Culver City, California, during what officials described as a routine traffic stop. That sequence, from the Halloween shooting to the out-of-state arrest and Gilliam’s current fugitive status, was laid out by FOX Baltimore.
Court records and supervision history
Online court records show Gilliam pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a handgun offense and received a total sentence of nearly 25 years, followed by five years of probation. The records also list prior arrests, including felony burglary charges in both Baltimore and Howard counties.
According to those records, Gilliam was placed on supervised release in 2022. Investigators say he stopped following the conditions of that release in June 2025, which triggered a warrant for a supervised-release violation. "Anytime you have a fugitive who has a history of repeat offense conduct there’s always the worry of recidivism," U.S. Marshals Senior Inspector Al Maresca stated, as reported by FOX Baltimore.
Marshals join the search and how to report tips
The U.S. Marshals Service’s Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, which routinely handles cross-jurisdiction fugitive cases, has been brought in to help find Gilliam, according to the agency’s description of its Baltimore-area work. Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the U.S. Marshals tip line at 202-819-5058, and local reporting notes that number is being used to gather leads specific to this case.
The task force says its Baltimore operations center on tracking violent fugitives and often rely on cooperation among multiple agencies, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Legal implications of a supervised-release violation
A federal supervised-release violation can carry heavy consequences. Courts may revoke supervised release and impose additional prison time, depending on how serious the violation is and the nature of the original conviction. Guidance from the U.S. Sentencing Commission explains that revocation can lead to a new term of imprisonment and other sanctions, with judges granted discretion within statutory limits when deciding what penalty to impose.
People facing revocation typically receive a hearing, where the government must show a violation occurred by a preponderance of the evidence, according to federal guidance.
