Defense Questions: Police Interview of Surviving Victim at Murder Conviction

By Andrew Michaels
– September 27, 2024
Attempted Murder | court | Daily Stories | murders | Non-lethal shooting | Shoot | Suspicious | Victim |

“The tragic killing of one person should not result in the wrongful conviction of another.”

On September 5, defense attorney Judit Otvos reflected on the surviving victim's testimony while questioning how her client Marques Harris could have shot 18-year-old high school senior Carlos Carrazana Ricardo based on the location of the recovered bullet casings.

According to the indictment, Carrazana Ricardo and his friend traveled from Pennsylvania to Baltimore to look at a 2006 Honda Acura that was for sale on Facebook Marketplace. As the two men declined the purchase and drove away, shots were fired into their vehicle, killing Carrazana Ricardo.

The jury found Harris guilty on Sept. 6 of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, as well as two counts of using a firearm during a felony or violent crime, second counts of first-degree murder and carrying a handgun , while he was granted an acquittal for gun possession as a minor.

There was no verdict in the attempted second-degree murder case.

Otvos took aim at the victim's boyfriend's statement and interview with Baltimore police during her closing argument, reminding jurors that he had “forgotten details.” The victim initially claimed that no one was around at the time of the shooting on November 26, 2023 in the 2700 block of Harlem Avenue, but then stated that there were a few people in the area. The victim also told police that he never saw the shooter, but later indicated in his statement that the shooter was Harris.

Because of the location of the recovered shell casings further down the street, Otvos said Harris would have had to be traveling at the same speed as the car to get from the parked car to the area where the car crashed a few blocks away while he was firing one Gun in the side of the car.

Harris was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, she added.

The prosecutor reduced the case to “common sense,” saying the defendant used a false name when selling the car and cut off his cell phone service shortly after the murder. There was likely a second shooter, she said, because two different types of bullet casings were found.

Baltimore City District Court Judge Levi S. Zaslow presided over the trial.