Maryland News

All Suspects In Balt. Co. Ofc. Amy Caprio's Murder Charged As Adults

May 23, 2018 / 11:09 PM EDT / CBS Baltimore

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PERRY HALL, Md. (WJZ) -- Baltimore County Police have charged all four suspects in Officer Amy Caprio's murder as adults, and they are being held without bail.

Darrell Ward, 15, Derrick Matthews, 16, and Eugene Genius, 17, are charged with burglary and first-degree murder. Police also charged 16-year-old Dawnta Anthony Harris Tuesday as an adult with first-degree murder.

Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby addressed the previous cases involving Harris Wednesday afternoon.

State's Attorney's Presser
LATEST ON ACCUSED COP KILLER: Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby is set to address the previous cases involving 16-year-old Dawnta Anthony Harris, who is accused of killing Officer Amy Caprio. READ MORE: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2018/05/23/suspect-named-3-others-in-amy-caprio-death/
Posted by WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Outside Baltimore County District Court, a state prosecutor promised the list of charged will likely grow.

"There's probably going to be more charges once we go to the grand jury," said William Bickel of the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office.

Investigators say Ward, Matthews and Genius were absent accomplices to the deadly crime.

Court documents provide a timeline of what led up to Caprio's death Monday afternoon.

Police said the teens were burglarizing a home when Caprio responded to the neighborhood.

They had thrown a rock into a window to get inside the home on Linwen Way, stealing jewelry, cash and "anything they could get their hands on."

Harris, who was arrested near where the Jeep was found abandoned, told a detective he had been waiting in the driver's seat of the vehicle as other associates of his were in the process of committing a burglary, according to the probable cause statement.

Harris also told the detective that he "drove at the officer," the statement said.

Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said even though Harris was alone in the car, all four teenagers are facing possible life sentences.

"They are in for everything that occurs -- and killing her," Shellenberger said.

Harris already faced a judge Tuesday afternoon on his own charge of first-degree murder.

The 16-year-old has lawyered up for his next court appearance with defense attorney Warren Brown.

But prosecutors say with a lengthy criminal history of stealing cars, Harris has been in and out of juvenile programs more than he has classrooms.

A judge has decided that for now, he will stay in an adult detention center, describing Harris as "A one-man crime wave, and I think he's dangerous."

Court documents say Harris gave up the three other teenagers who then admitted to investigators that they were robbing a house during the murder.

Genius is due back in court tomorrow.

Caprio will be laid to rest Friday, May 25 with a funeral at Mountain Christian Church in Fallston, Maryland. Her viewing will be Thursday, May 24 at Schimunek Funeral Home, 9705 Belair Rd. in Perry Hall.

Caprio is the first female officer to die in the line of duty in the department's 144-year history.

The Department of Juvenile Services released the following statement regarding Mosby's comments:

"We are surprised by the defensiveness in Ms. Mosby's recent comments. Secretary Abed has made no accusations about the Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City doing or not doing anything in the Harris matter. We have always maintained and continue to maintain that the State's Attorney's Office serves an important role in the juvenile justice system.

The department takes juvenile confidentiality very seriously. However, details about Mr. Harris' juvenile matters have already been publicly released and confidentiality is no longer applicable.

If the juvenile justice system is going to improve, all of the partners must work together."

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