Judge Denies Bail For Retired Firefighter Accused Of Murder
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A judge denied bail for the man accused of murdering a Baltimore city firefighter recruit, but she called the prosecution's case "not a strong one."
The victim, Jon Hickey, was killed in his home on East Pratt Street in Upper Fells Point last November.
No valuables were taken and Hickey was shot in the head, execution style.
Earlier this week, Judge Brooke Murdock threw out the state's key piece of evidence against the suspect, Daniel Greene, who is a retired Prince George's County firefighter.
The evidence was surveillance video showing the accused killer at the crime scene. Defense attorneys argued it was grainy and an eyewitness who identified Greene had shaky testimony. The court felt the evidence was unreliable and ruled jurors should not see it.
Without that evidence, defense attorney Warren Brown told the judge he saw no reason to further detain his client.
Judge Murdock, while acknowledging the state's weakened position, felt Greene would still be a flight risk. She ordered him held.
Prosecutors are appealing the judge's decision about the video to the Court of Special Appeals. That could take four months.
Greene will remain behind bars in Jessup—where he claims he's been beaten up.
The state said the motive in the case is a love triangle: Hickey started dating a woman who had an affair with Greene and Greene didn't like it.
Greene is married with two children, but maintains his innocence and says the affair was over.
Prosecutors said, before his death, Hickey started getting strange anonymous messages telling him to stay away from the woman. Investigators could not trace them.
Prosecutors also said someone tampered with Hickey's brakes. Greene had recently started his own mechanic business after leaving the fire department for health issues.
Prosecutors added that Greene owned the same type of weapon used in the murder.
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