Opening statements kicked off June 30 in the trial of 29-year-old Dewitt Jackson, who is accused of killing 18-year-old Bryan Stansbury inside an East Baltimore home last December. Prosecutors told jurors they plan to walk through cellphone records and other physical evidence they say put Jackson at the scene, while the defense countered that he is not guilty. The case has pulled in extra attention because investigators say a torched SUV and location data helped them zero in on a suspect.
Prosecutors' roadmap
Prosecutors laid out a preview of their case, telling jurors they will rely on cellphone location data and surveillance tied to a white Ford Explorer with a distinctive sticker that they say arrived at and left the 1100 block of Quantril Way on Dec. 10. About 12 hours after officers responded to the shooting, investigators found the same SUV burning on the 2800 block of Saint Lo Drive in Clifton Park, and arson detectives concluded the fire was deliberately set. Jackson is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree arson, home invasion, and use of a firearm in a felony violent crime, with the trial scheduled to continue on July 1, according to Baltimore Witness.
What investigators say happened
Police say they were called to the 1100 block of Quantrill Way around 9:50 a.m. on Dec. 10, 2024, for a reported shooting and found Stansbury unresponsive in a second-floor hallway outside his bedroom. He was later pronounced dead. That timeline appears in local tracking of December 2024 homicides, which lists Stansbury’s killing at that address, according to WMAR2 News.
Defense pushes back
Defense attorney Staci Pipkin told jurors the state cannot prove Jackson’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and stressed that the case is built largely on circumstantial evidence. According to court reporting, Pipkin maintained Jackson’s innocence and noted that he was arrested on Feb. 3 in connection with a separate matter, Baltimore Witness reported.
Legal stakes and what to watch
Jackson faces charges that carry steep penalties under Maryland law. A first-degree murder conviction can mean life in prison, second-degree arson can carry up to 20 years, and Maryland’s gun statute adds a mandatory 5-to-20-year term for using a handgun during a felony. Those potential penalties are set out in state statutes and case law, including FindLaw, the Maryland Code on arson via Justia, and coverage of firearm sentencing enhancements at LegalClarity. Testimony is expected to pick up when the trial resumes this week.
