The murder trial for the teenager accused of killing 15-year-old Giovanna “Gigi” Myrie and her 9-year-old brother, Steve Allen, has been pushed back to August 9, 2027, after a hearing at Baltimore County Circuit Court. Keith Maurice James Jr., who was 16 when he was charged, faces five criminal counts, including two charges of first-degree murder, in connection with the siblings' deaths inside their Gwynn Oak home.
The trial had previously been scheduled for January 2027, but defense attorney Brian Thompson asked the judge for more time to prepare, according to WBFF. James appeared at the hearing on Friday as the new date was set. Each of the two first-degree murder charges he faces carries a possible life sentence.
Maryland law places some cases involving children in adult court from the outset: juvenile court does not have jurisdiction over a child who is at least 14 and accused of an act that would be punishable by life if committed by an adult, unless the case is transferred under the law’s process. That rule provides the jurisdictional backdrop for James, who was 16 when charged with first-degree murder. Maryland’s juvenile-court jurisdiction statute sets out the age and offense threshold.
Gigi and Steve were found fatally shot inside their home on July 7, and investigators said both victims had been shot multiple times and were pronounced dead at the scene. James was arrested and charged with the murders on July 22, roughly two weeks after the siblings were found, and was later indicted by a grand jury on two counts of first-degree murder along with three weapons-related offenses.
How Investigators Say They Built the Case
Court documents say investigators linked James to the killings through witness statements, cell-phone data, surveillance footage, ballistic evidence and his own statement to police. Charging documents allege that a witness saw James holding a handgun while in bed with Gigi Myrie, according to a report from CBS Baltimore. Police also allegedly obtained surveillance video showing a man matching James's description boarding a bus headed toward the crime scene and later leaving the area in different clothes about an hour afterward, the same report states.
Phone records allegedly placed James in the area at the time of the crime, per the CBS Baltimore account. Investigators believe James was in a relationship with Gigi Myrie, though authorities have not confirmed a specific motive for the killings.
Defense Urges Public to Reserve Judgment
Thompson has said the public should reserve judgment and respect his client's presumption of innocence until evidence is presented in court, telling reporters it is important to “reserve judgment until the actual evidence is presented in a courtroom where it can be challenged.” A judge previously denied a request to transfer James to a secure juvenile facility, citing the allegations against him as well as safety concerns for other juveniles housed there.
James remains in custody as he awaits trial. Because he was 16 at the time of his arrest, Maryland's Juvenile Restoration Act bars a court from imposing life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or release on a juvenile defendant, attorney Jeremy Eldridge has said.
The Juvenile Restoration Act bars a court from sentencing someone who was under 18 at the time of an offense to life without the possibility of parole or release. It does not rule out a life sentence that allows the possibility of release, so the law limits the sentence James could receive if convicted without removing life imprisonment as a potential sentence. Maryland’s sentencing statute for minors convicted as adults states that restriction.
Community Mourns Siblings at Funeral
Hundreds of people attended Gigi and Steve's funeral, where mourners wore black and yellow, the siblings' favorite colors, to honor them. The family later wrote that “your kindness has brought us comfort beyond words,” thanking the community for its support in the aftermath of the deaths.
