The trial of burglars accused of attempted murder is postponed, one defendant must undergo an assessment of his sanity

By Andrew Michaels
– 21 August 2024
Attempted murder | Court | Everyday stories | Shooting | Suspects |

Two co-defendants accused of attempted murder during a burglary are scheduled for a jury trial this November, while the third co-defendant, alleged to have been involved in the burglary, will undergo a competency evaluation next month.

Phillip McCoy, Brian Strawder and Kateira Womack appeared in the receiving court of Baltimore City Circuit Court on August 21 after their respective attorneys requested a postponement. The trio was originally scheduled to begin a jury trial on Wednesday morning before Judge Kendra Y. Ausby.

Judge Melissa K. Copeland has scheduled a four-day trial for McCoy and Womack, beginning on Nov. 18 before Judge Jeffrey M. Geller. McCoy and Womack, both 32, are represented by defense attorneys Brandon Thornton and Tony Garcia, respectively.

Strawder, 33, will soon appear in Mental Health Court before Judge Gale E. Rasin for a competency hearing. Thornton represented Strawder's attorney, Josh Insley, during Wednesday's hearing.

Each defendant faces more than two dozen charges stemming from the October 19, 2023 incident, including multiple counts of attempted premeditated and gross murder, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, assault, burglary and weapons possession.

According to charging documents, a witness to the shooting was at a casino, met Womack and invited her to his home, where he lived with the victim in the 800 block of North Eutaw Street. Later that evening, as Womack was leaving the house, he turned around and saw two men – later identified as McCoy and Strawder – coming toward him from the kitchen.

The witness told Baltimore Police Department officers that one of the two men was armed and that the victim was shot twice in the thigh as the witness and victim ran up the stairs to escape.

Follow this case