BALTIMORE — A man was given a life sentence for a 2019 murder in West Baltimore.
Marvin Frye and Dneah Smith pleaded guilty to several charges relating to the deadly shooting of Marvin Mason in the Shipley Hill neighborhood.
Another accomplice, Reuben McFadden, is still awaiting trial.
Frye pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Smith pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
"I want to thank the detectives at the Baltimore Police Department and ASA Shaundria Hanna for holding these individuals accountable for their participation in the murder of Mr. Mason. With this guilty plea, it is my hope the defendants will use their sentence to come to terms with what they have done to their fellow man," said State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
On December 3, 2019, Baltimore Police officers responded to a shooting in the 2400 block of W. Baltimore Street. Officers found a car at the bottom of the hill in an alley behind 7 N. Catherine Street.
Inside the care, Marvin Mason was found in the driver’s seat suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest. He was taken to the hospital where he died.
The investigation revealed that Dneah Smith managed and utilized her home for a prostitution business, which included underage women.
Witnesses said that one of the women working in the home corresponded with the victim via text message.
Officers then learned that Martez Frye and Reuben McFadden planned to rob the victim upon his arrival and Smith was aware of their plan and gave consent to use her property.
Upon Mason’s arrival, a sex worker met the victim at his car and exchanged funds with the victim.
According to police, McFadden ran outside to rob Mason.
While committing the robbery, McFadden fired a single gunshot at the victim's chest before he and Frye pushed the victim into his car, which subsequently rolled down the hill to the bottom of the alley where it was later found by detectives.
After the shooting, Frye and McFadden came back to the N. Catherine Street home, placed the murder weapon in Smith's purse, and took off.
