Maryland Offenders

Alexander Watson

Victims: Boontem Anderson, 34, Mary Elaine Shereika, 37, Lisa Kathleen Haenel, 14,  and Debra Cobb, 37

Age at time of murders: 17-24

Crime dates: 1986-1994

Crime locations: Gambrills, Glen Burnie, and Forestville

Crimes:  Home invasion, kidnapping, rape, and murder

Murder method: Stabbing and strangling

Sentence: Five life sentences, three without parole

Incarceration status: Incarcerated at the North Branch Correctional Institution

Alexander Wayne Watson | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Watson

Summary

Between 1986 and 1994, Watson murdered four females, two of whom he also raped. He was apprehended for the 1994 murder of 37-year-old Debra Cobb, a crime for which he was sentenced to life without parole. Between 2003 and 2004, Watson was linked through DNA evidence to the murders of Boontem Anderson, 34, Mary Elaine Shereika, 37, and Lisa Kathleen Haenel, 14. Watson admitted to these crimes and was given additional life sentences.

Timeline of the crimes

October 6, 1986. Watson raped, stabbed, strangled, and murdered his friend’s mother Boontem Anderson in her Gambrills home. After raping and killing the mother of two, Watson left her naked and bound body in her bathtub for her fiancé’s 11-year-old son to find.

May 23, 1988. Watson attacked Mary Shereika as she jogged near her Gambrills home. He dragged her into a rye field and raped, beat, stabbed, strangled, and murdered her. Her partly naked body was later found by a farmer plowing his rye field.

January 15, 1993. Watson attacked Lisa Haenel in the Glen Burnie area as the 14-year-old went to school. He stabbed and strangled her to death and left her naked body in a ravine.

June 13, 1994. Watson stabbed Debra Cobb to death at an office in Forestville.

Details

Alexander Watson

Amy Caprio’s Killers

Victim: Amy Sorrells Caprio, 29
Killers: 
Dawnta Anthony Harris, 16, Darrell Jaymar Ward, 15, Eugene Robert Genius, 17, & Derrick Eugene Matthews, 16
Crime date: 
May 21, 2018
Crime location: Perry Hall
Crimes: Murder of a police officer
Murder method: Running over
Weapon: Jeep
Sentences: Matthews and Genius– 30 years;  Ward–life in prison with all but 30 years suspended; Harris– life in prison with the possibility of parole
Incarceration status: HarrisNorth Branch Correctional InstitutionWardJessup Correctional InstitutionGeniusPatuxent InstitutionMatthewsCentral Maryland Correctional Facility

Dawnta Harris

Summary of the crime

The situation began with the assailants burglarizing houses. Amy, a police officer, responded. She approached a car that was being driven by Harris. Harris began to exit the vehicle, but then re-entered and quickly accelerated, running over and killing Amy.

From the Associated Press left to right, Darrell Jaymar Ward, Eugene Robert Genius, Derrick Eugene Matthews and Dawnta Anthony Harris

Details

Amy Caprio’s Killers

Benjamin Garris

Victim: Sharon Edwards, 28

Age at time of murder: 16

Crime date: October 8, 1995

Crime location: Towson

Murder method: Stabbing 26 times

Weapon: Knife

Murder motivation:  Escape

Sentence: Life in prison without parole (LWOP) plus 50 years.

Incarceration status: Incarcerated at the Western Correctional Institution

Summary of the crime

Garris was a resident of the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, a psychiatric facility, from which he wanted to escape. He did accomplish his goal of escaping, but at the expense of Sharon Edwards, a nurse. He stabbed her over two dozen times, ignoring her pleas for her life. He even told Sharon, “You’re dead. That’s right, and now you’re nothing but a piece of meat.” He then set a fire and escaped. He was apprehended three weeks later.

Details

Benjamin Garris

Donnell Graham

Victim: Patrick Ward, 29

Age at time of murder: 17

Crime date: August 5, 2011

Crime location: Bel Air

Crimes: Home invasion, robbery, and first-degree murder

Murder method: Stabbing

Convictions: Guilty plea to first-degree murder

Sentence: Life with parole

17-year-old charged in Bel Air murder has juvenile record - Baltimore Sun
Graham

Patrick Ward was stabbed to death in his Bel Air apartment last August by Donnell Graham. Mr. Ward, 29, who lived alone, was legally blind.

Patrick

Summary

Graham invaded the home of Patrick Ward, a 29-year-old blind man. He proceeded to stab Patrick to death. The fatal home-invasion robbery resulted in a life sentence for Graham.

Details

Donnell Graham

John Weed’s Killers

Names: Not available

Victim: John Marvin Weed, 59

Ages at time of murder: 15 & 16

Crime location: Fredrick, Maryland

Crime date: September 20, 2019

Weapon: Person

Murder method: Beating

Convictions:  15-year-old- guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter; 16-year-old- guilty plea to second-degree assault

Sentences:  15-year-old- behavior modification program; 16-year-old- probation and anger management

Summary

John Weed
John

On September 20, 2019, John Weed went to The Great Frederick Fair in Fredrick, MD, with his family. While at the fair, John was approached by two teens and their friends. A 15-year-old asked him for a dollar. After John said no to the request and began to walk away, the teens followed him. The 16-year-old sucker-punched him in the back of the head. The 15-year-old then punched John with such force that he lost consciousness. As he lay on the ground the 16-year-old spat on him. John died from his injuries a day later.

The younger assailant pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to a long-term behavior modification program. The 16-year-old pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to probation and anger management.

Details

John Weed’s Killers