BALTIMORE — A Baltimore man was convicted of second-degree murder for beating a man to death with a brick in West Baltimore, the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office announced.
In the early morning hours of Aug. 7, 2018, police responded to the 3700 block of Oakmont Avenue, on the boarder between the city’s Langston Hughes and Central Park Heights neighborhoods, for a reported assault. There officers around the 68-year-old victim, Randolph Cockrell, lying in the alley with severe head trauma. Responding medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Large amounts of blood were found at the scene, particularly on a piece of concrete and on a blue chair, police said. Witnesses told investigating detectives that a person known as “Po” was seen in the alley around the time when the victim was killed, between 3:30 a.m and 5 a.m. Detectives learned Po’s real name, Dion Dixon, as well as his home address, later confirming the address was accurate.
Detectives also learned that Dixon had gone to his girlfriend’s house. Witnesses there said they saw him on the front poach wearing clothing covered in blood, including tan pants, a black tank top, and tennis shoes. Police said Dixon told witnesses that he hit a man with a brick, then showered and changed his clothing, later discarding his bloody clothes in front of a vacant home.
Dixon was arrested at his girlfriend’s house later that afternoon. Police canvassed the area and found the bloodied pants. Upon interrogation, Dixon waived his Miranda rights and confessed to the killing and later destruction of evidence as he showered and discarded the bloody clothing.
The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Noelle W. Newman and Raiven Taylor.
