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Edgewood slaying suspect has charges dropped
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The case against the man charged with a New Year’s Eve homicide in Edgewood has been dropped, after forensic evidence did not turn out as strong as prosecutors had hoped.
Lewis L. Cochran, 23, had been arrested and charged with the Dec. 31 homicide of Tyree Eugene Brown in the basement of an Edgewood town house. Cochran’s trial was scheduled to begin Monday, but the charges were dismissed July 17, and police say they no longer consider him a suspect.
After reviewing the results of forensic tests with investigators from the Sheriff’s Office and Assistant State’s Attorney Salvatore Fili, Deputy State’s Attorney H. Scott Lewis decided the case would have to be dropped while the investigation continued, rather than risk trying an innocent man or acquitting a guilty one on weak evidence.
“When the test results come in, sometimes it’s what you wanted and sometimes it’s not,” Lewis said. “When we have only one opportunity to try a case in front of a jury, we want to have the best case we can.”
Lewis could not say what kind of forensic evidence the state had because the investigation was ongoing. If further investigation revives the case against Cochran, other charges can be brought, he said.
“At this point, he’s not considered a suspect,” said Sgt. David Betz, Sheriff’s Office spokesman. “As of [Tuesday], investigators have not yet developed any other specific suspects.”
According to charging documents, the owner of the house where Brown was shot said she saw a man holding a gun at the bottom of her stairs and described him with a height, weight and hairstyle similar to Cochran’s. When sheriff’s deputies spotted Cochran leaving the area of the shooting that night, he allegedly fled on foot and was caught.
But a car had been stolen from the house on Grempler Way that same night, leaving open the possibility of either an accomplice or another suspect. Betz said he was uncertain whether the car had been recovered.
msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com
