4th person charged with murder after teen found dead in Howard County, police say
A 20-year-old man is the fourth person to be charged with murder after a teen was found dead in a car in Columbia, Howard County police said Friday.
Jeremiah Robinson, 20, is being held without bond at the Howard County Detention Center in connection to the January murder, according to police.
On January 15, police found 17-year-old Lance Carrington dead in the driver's seat of a car in the 6000 block of Helen Dorsey Way.
Officers said a group conspired to rob Carrington of a gun. A loaded handgun was recovered when they found the teen dead.
In early February, officers said 18-year-old Janae Baker, 18-year-old Kendall Stagg and 19-year-old Charles Epperson Jr. were all arrested and charged with murder for the teen's death.
Police said they are still searching for 16-year-old Jemik Parker, who is believed to be the shooter. He is being charged as an adult.
An investigation revealed that Baker was in the car with Carrington when Parker, Stagg and Epperson Jr. approached.
Officers alleged that Parker shot Carrington before the group fled the scene.
Baker, Stagg and Epperson are being held on no bail, according to police. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information on Parker's whereabouts.
Crime in Howard County
According to data from Howard County Police, there were 141 weapons violations reported between January 2023 and January 2024.
In early March, two Howard County high school students were killed in a shooting outside the Mall in Columbia.
Michael Robertson, 16, was a sophomore at Wilde Lake High School. He died on the night of the shooting. 15-year-old freshman Blake McCray died at a hospital days later
Emmetson Zeah, 18, was charged with both murders. Court records show that he was on home detention and had an ankle monitor at the time of the shooting due to prior attempted murder and home invasion charges.
Zeah was found to be in violation of his pre-trial release a day before the murders outside the mall.
The murders prompted Howard County police to increase patrols and bolster their crime prevention efforts. The incident also started a conversation among county leaders and residents about how to better support young people.
