A Baltimore teenager accepted a plea deal yesterday in the killing of a 28-year-old woman who was shot during a hotel party near Johns Hopkins, closing out a case that has hung over the city for more than a year. The guilty plea, entered in Baltimore City Circuit Court, brings a courtroom resolution even as the broader impact on the victim’s family and the community lingers.
Plea agreement and sentence
Davion Foreman, 19, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and using a firearm. According to Baltimore Witness, Foreman accepted a plea deal of 60 years, with all but 25 years suspended. The agreement requires that the first five years be served without the possibility of parole, followed by five years of supervised probation, and that Foreman register as a gun offender.
Shooting and arrest
Police say the victim, identified as 28-year-old Kierra Tripp, was shot on Nov. 17, 2024, on the 12th floor of the Residence Inn by Marriott in the 800 block of North Wolfe Street. Officers found her unresponsive around 1:30 a.m., according to CBS Baltimore. The Baltimore Police Department said Foreman was arrested on Jan. 9, 2025, at a home in Middle River, according to a department press release.
Evidence and investigation
Investigators released surveillance footage that shows people leaving an elevator and heading toward a party on the 12th floor. Detectives have said that the video, along with eyewitness accounts, helped identify a suspect. Local outlets reported the earlier video release and investigators’ appeals for tips, and Baltimore Witness reports that eyewitnesses and video evidence were central to the prosecution’s case.
Legal consequences
The plea spares Baltimore a jury trial and locks in a multi-decade prison term under the negotiated agreement. On top of the prison time and probation, the gun offender registration requirement will carry ongoing collateral consequences for Foreman after his eventual release.
Victim's family and community context
Tripp’s family has repeatedly pleaded for justice since the killing. “Our family is torn apart,” an aunt told CBS Baltimore in earlier reporting. The case also highlighted how surveillance footage and community tips can advance investigations, according to police and local reporters.
