Accused driver in 2020 Hagerstown shooting enters plea to murder
The accused driver in the October 2020 shooting death of a Waynesboro, Pa., man in Hagerstown entered an Alford plea Monday to first-degree murder, attorneys in the case said.
Alexander Daniel Brooks, 27, of Hagerstown, entered the plea in the shooting death of Daynard Devere Johnson on Monday morning in Washington County Circuit Court. He is one of three remaining defendants in the murder case, including Raymond Garfield Campbell III (aka "Uno"), who remains at large.
An Alford plea does not admit guilt, but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence to obtain a conviction.
A sentencing hearing for Brooks is scheduled for May 15 in Washington County Circuit Court, said his attorney, David Harbin, after the plea hearing.
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Because Brooks entered an Alford plea to a crime whose maximum sentence could be life in prison, a pre-sentence investigation is required, Assistant State's Attorney Christopher McCormack said after the plea hearing.
Harbin said he would reserve additional comment for after the sentencing.
The third active defendant in the Johnson murder case is Brock Jerome Smith, 33, of Hagerstown. Smith and Campbell, 35, of Hagerstown, also are facing charges that include first-degree murder. Charges against two other men in the case had previously been dismissed. Smith's trial is scheduled for July.
McCormack said other charges against Brooks would be dismissed at the time of sentencing. Those charges include second-degree murder, according to court records.
McCormack had no additional comment.
When police arrived in the 300 block of Henry Avenue in Hagerstown on Oct. 14, 2020, they found Johnson, 40, face down on the sidewalk with bullet wounds to his head, chest, abdomen and hand, according to court documents. He was pronounced dead 11 minutes later.
The shooter's identity has not been released.
The Hagerstown Police Department has offered a reward for information leading to Campbell's arrest. The amount of the reward depends on the quality of the information, police have said. Tips can be emailed to Detective S. Weaver at sweaver@hagerstownpd.org.
Maryland and West Virginia homicide cases purportedly related
Johnson's murder has ties to another homicide case in West Virginia.
Family and friends of Johnson have told police that his murder was retaliation for the September 2020 murder of Vance Anthony Trotman Jr., 26, of Hagerstown. Smith, Brooks and others were family or close friends of Trotman, according to court documents.
Trotman and Devon Gordon Jr., of Martinsburg, were shot shortly after 2 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2020, at the Mountaineer Pub parking lot at 214 Mid Atlantic Parkway north of Martinsburg. Gordon was wounded. Trotman was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Video footage showed Trotman exit the club after a fight broke out, and that he had an opportunity to leave the premises, Cpl. R.L. Steerman Jr. with the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department has said. Instead, the footage appears to show Trotman going in the direction of where Gordon was in the parking lot when the shooting occurred, Steerman has said.
The Berkeley County prosector has previously said Johnson was a person of interest in the Trotman case, which can mean investigators wanted to speak with him.
Johnson tracked shortly before shooting
Charging documents in Washington County describe how various suspects were allegedly tracking Johnson's movements and communicating using cellphones shortly before his murder.
One of the previous defendants allegedly texted inside a convenience store after he talked to Johnson in the store — the same time it appeared Smith and the shooter received a text in the Mulberry Lofts area, per surveillance footage at both sites, court records state.
Brooks and the alleged shooter got into a Dodge Ram, Smith got into a Dodge Charger and another man got into a Cadillac SUV, all three leaving fast and driving to the convenience store, court records state.
Police reviewed city surveillance cameras to track the vehicles, which appeared to be "looking for someone," court records state. The Ram, Charger and Cadillac ran two red lights on North Cannon Avenue as they headed in the direction of the Audi containing Johnson.
The Ram caught up to the Audi near Henry and Murph avenues and followed closely until it returned to that area, court records state. The Audi stopped in the middle of Henry Avenue as a man approached and talked to the Audi's occupants.
The Ram and Charger were nearby and later driving around that area. The Ram was east on Bethune Avenue, turning north toward North Avenue when Brooks allegedly dropped off the shooter and the homicide occurred, court records state.
While the shooting occurred, the Ram and Charger pulled up by each other on North Avenue and Smith was observed giving the Ram driver a "thumbs up" as he drove away, court records state. The gesture occurred about 20 to 25 seconds after Johnson was shot inside the Audi.
Hagerstown Police arrested Brooks in Ocean City, Md., two days after the shooting. They were assisted by Ocean City police, U.S. Marshals and the Maryland State Police Apprehension Team.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown man enters Alford plea in 2020 murder of Waynesboro man
