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Charges dropped in woman’s death
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Janie Carver can’t believe it. Nearly two years after a stray bullet killed Carver’s pregnant granddaughter while she stood in a crowd, Baltimore City prosecutors dropped all charges Friday against the man accused of murder.
“We didn’t get any justice,” said Carver, 66, of East Baltimore.
“They waited all this time, and now they say they don’t have a case.”
Prosecutors dropped all charges against Oscar Adams, 20, of Baltimore City, accused of murdering Ashley Harris, 19, also of the city.
Harris was gunned down randomly during a drive-by shooting — killing her and her unborn son.
Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Margaret Burns said mistakes in the investigation led to weak evidence against Adams, forcing attorneys to drop the case.
“The investigation was affected by alibi statements among the co-defendants and premature decisions by both police and prosecutors without the benefit of a full investigation,” Burns said of the dropped charges.
Last May, prosecutors dropped all charges against suspected gunman Kevin Lomax, 20, of Baltimore City, because they “did not have sufficient evidence and witness statements,” Burns said at the time.
Harris was killed March 31, 2006, outside Club Choices on the 1800 block of North Charles Street.
At about 1 a.m., a fight spilled out into the street, and a gunman fired four or five shots from an Acura, which sped away with three males inside, including Adams and Lomax, according to police.
Harris, six months pregnant, was “merely a spectator” killed by “random gunfire,” the report states.
Lomax’s attorney, Margaret Mead, said her cleared client was driving the Acura while a passenger fired.
“He was not shooting and had no knowledge that the shooting was going to occur,” Mead said at the time of his acquittal.
Adams’ attorney, Roland Walker, said his client insists that Lomax did the shooting.
“Oscar Adams gave a 43-page statement to police saying Kevin Lomax was the perpetrator,” Walker said.
“Four guys went out to have a good time, to do some dancing, and Kevin Lomax brought a gun along with him and that’s where the problem started.”
Carver said prosecutors pledged to her that they would continue to pursue the case.
lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com
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11:38 AM MST on Fri., Feb. 15, 2008 re: "Charges dropped in woman’s death"
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Examiner Reader said:
The report states that it was three in the car and the third person was the shooter. So if Kevin and Oscar are not being charged, then where is the third person?????
38 agree | 56 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I truly feel the pain of the victims family. God has a way of working things out. Remember vengence is mine saith the lord. This young girl snd her son's death and this case could make some changes in people and the system. All thing happen for a reason. Some of the reasons we may never know or understand right away. But God's perfect will must be done. Put your trust in God not man to see you through. Put it in God's hand, nd those who are responsible will pay for their wrong doing. We put so much faith in man and his abilities, trust God. It is a shame that lives have to be taken in order for things to change. Have faith.
58 agree | 56 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
fat and overpaid pat jessamy could not make a case for putting a turkey in the oven on thanksgiving. and her mouthpiece maarty burns should stop carrying her water, get some pride and start weight watchers.
69 agree | 51 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
they convently forgot the bouncers played a big roll in this
47 agree | 53 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
It's not a lack of prosecutorial prowess on the part of the City Attorneys office. It's the lack of basic morals on the part of those who witnessed this terrible crime. The familys anger is misplaced, and should be directed at the crowd of people who were there, but tell cops they didn't see "nuttin". When you don't see "nuttin", then don't look for justice.
47 agree | 34 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
There is no justice in Maryland PERIOD. Accept that fact and move on or move out. When you continue to vote Democrate over and over, expect the same results. Now is the time for y'all to make a change and VOTE REPUBLICAN. Michael Steele could have helped this state but you threw cookies at him. Is there no Shame?
64 agree | 56 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
the only thing thaat fat and overpaid pat jessamy and her staff of clowns are good for are dismissing cases and plea bargaining cases. but the citizens of the city that bleeds, breeds but cannot reads reelected her so they got what they deserved.
82 agree | 64 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Something that many of you are forgetting...you could have the best detective or states attorney on the case, but look at your jury pool. You can't just put a case on in the city and assume justice will be done. It's not a matter of right and wrong, it's a matter of black or white or a poor up bringing or a product of some outside force. Its extreemely hard to get a conviction in the city. Defense attorneys in Baltimore have it easy. City juries are mostly comprised of people who are educated by televison, movies, and street lawyers. It's funny when you can't win a conviction with a city jury but god help the defendant if the case goes federal!
75 agree | 41 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Who was mayor when this happened? And did the force recently go through {yet another} chief when this happened?
Quick answer: Owe'Malley was mayor. And yes, he screwed up the police department during his tenure.
56 agree | 57 disagreeVote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
It's all very sad but until these people wake up and start communicating with the police and the prosecutors, nothing is going to change. "See nothing, hear nothing, know nothing," is the norm in Baltimore City.
69 agree | 57 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I feel for the family;If that was aprosecutors kid would they have drop the charges than........
84 agree | 57 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I'm so sorry that this young lady and her unborn child died,but why was she in a nite club.She should have been home.They let the thugs go because of there mistakes.Now someone else will get killed.Baltimore City's Justice System sucks.The goverment officals,cop,detectives,attorneys ect...Baltimore the City that BLEEDS.Kevin Lomax carried a firearm,used it to committ murder and get to walk our streets to committ more crime.I'll be dam.Know wonder it's called BULLETMORE MURDERLAND.
57 agree | 50 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Umm, they were all under age. Close the club that served them. No witnesses. par for Baltimore.
41 agree | 64 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
another example of the ineptness of fat pat jessamy and her band of clowns in the state's attorney's office. of course the idiots in baltimore city elected her and marty yo'malley gave her a big raise.
65 agree | 48 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I'll bet Kevin Lomax wasn't carrying the firearm legally. So why aren't they at least pursuing handgun charges against him? Oh, that's right...Maryland just wants to make sure law abiding citizens can't get carry permits for self-defense; they don't want to enforce any gun laws on the books against actual criminals.
85 agree | 52 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for a story that actually portrays black folks in Baltimore as human beings wih caring families. You rarely see such humane portrayals of blacks in the Sun or on television news.
97 agree | 92 disagree
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