An Annapolis inmate has been ordered to spend the rest of his life in state custody after a jury found he brutally killed his cellmate inside the segregation unit at Eastern Correctional Institution. Prosecutors say 27-year-old Leslie Broadway was convicted after a three-day jury trial in the death of Virgil Robinson Jr., who was discovered unresponsive in a locked cell in September 2024 and later died from severe injuries.
Case and Sentencing
According to Baltimore Sun, Broadway and Robinson were sharing a segregation cell at ECI on September 20, 2024, when a corrections officer spotted Robinson lying unresponsive on the floor with a liquid on his back. After hearing testimony over three days, jurors convicted Broadway on March 5 of first-degree murder and related charges. A presentence investigation followed, and on June 24, he was sentenced to life in the Division of Corrections.
State Police Investigation
The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit said the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services called in investigators after staff found Robinson unresponsive in the cell. Detectives identified a person of interest and then turned the case over to the Somerset County State’s Attorney’s Office for review, according to Maryland State Police. At the time, the agency said the investigation was still active and would be formally presented to prosecutors when it was complete.
Evidence Shown at Trial
At trial, prosecutors presented an autopsy report listing asphyxia, a fractured hyoid bone and blunt-force injuries to the head, neck and torso as causes of Robinson’s death. Witnesses testified that Broadway behaved erratically after Robinson was discovered and allegedly said he had urinated on the victim, while also objecting to being housed with rival gang members, according to WMDT. The outlet also noted that Broadway’s conviction comes on the heels of another ECI inmate murder case that led to a life sentence last year.
Appeal Filed
The Somerset County State’s Attorney’s Office says the case is now listed as under appeal, and court records show an appeal was filed just days after the life sentence was handed down, according to Baltimore Sun. The paper reported that the Office of the Public Defender was contacted for comment.
Local Impact
This killing adds to a series of in-custody deaths at ECI that have triggered repeated investigations and prosecutions by state authorities, a trend that has drawn renewed attention to how inmates are housed and how staff supervise segregation units. Multiple recent cases are documented in Maryland State Police releases and local reporting, and advocates argue that the number of fatal incidents should be closely reviewed as officials examine inmate safety protocols, according to Maryland State Police. Local prosecutors say that when state police finish their work, those investigative files are forwarded to county offices for charging decisions.
