BALTIMORE — Three men were found guilty in the 2019 deaths of Ayranna James and Courtney Richardson.
Kiray Walker, Malik Brooks and Devon Bynum were convicted of dozens of charges. Brooks has since been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences behind bars.
James and Richardson were killed in November 2019 in the 1900 of McHenry Street.
Walker was found guilty of second-degree murder of Ayranna James; Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder of Ayranna James; Use of firearm in crime of violence; Second-degree murder of Courtney Richardson; Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder of Courtney Richardson; Use of firearm in crime of violence; Conspiracy to commit armed carjacking; Conspiracy to use a firearm in a crime of violence; Conspiracy to commit armed robbery; Conspiracy to use a firearm in a crime of violence; Conspiracy to commit armed robbery; Conspiracy to commit first-degree assault;
conspiracy to use a firearm in a crime of violence.
Brooks was convicted of first-degree murder (2 counts); Conspiracy to murder (2 counts); Use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence (4 counts); Armed carjacking; Armed robbery (2 counts); First-degree assault (2 counts); Conspiracy to commit armed carjacking; Conspiracy to commit first-degree assault (2 counts); Conspiracy to commit armed robbery (2 counts); Conspiracy to use a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence (2 counts).
Bynum was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.
On November 14, 2019, at 2:50 a.m. about 10 rounds were fired off at the 1900 block of McHenry Street. Baltimore Police officers responded and found a male, later identified as Courtney Richardson, and a female, later identified as Aryanna James, both suffering from gunshot wounds.
James died at the scene and Richardson was transported to Shock Trauma where he died.
Ballistics evidence was found at the scene including seven 9mm casings, two .40 caliber casings, and fragments. Video surveillance was obtained that showed a small grey sedan make a left from McHenry Street onto S. Monroe Street and then quickly make a right onto Wilhelm Street, one block down. Three individuals exited the vehicle and entered the alley heading north towards the 1900 block of McHenry. Those same three people then emerged from the alley, two in black and one in a silver/blue coat.
The suspect in the silver/blue coat, and one of the suspects in black, immediately opened fire on Richardson and James, while the third suspect stood close by. Once the shooting was done, the three suspects fled back into the alley and departed in the vehicle. Throughout the entire incident, all three suspects appeared to move in concert with each other.
A ballistics analysis was performed on the weapon recovered from Walker following his arrest and it was a match to the seven 9mm cartridge casings recovered at McHenry Street. Additionally, the coat that was worn by Brooks matched the coat worn by one of the shooters in the video footage at McHenry Street.
