Washington County prison inmate Brandon Morris committed several crimes when he escaped from a Hagerstown hospital, but the question is whether he intended to do so, the defense lawyers said.
“The easy part is, we know who committed the crimes, the question is what crimes,” said Morris? lawyer Arcangelo Tuminelli during opening statements Friday in Howard Circuit Court.
Morris, 22, of Baltimore City, is charged with disarming and killing Officer Jeffrey Wroten, 44, who was guarding his hospital room Jan. 26, 2006. Morris took a woman hostage before forcing a taxi driver at gunpoint to drive him from Washington County Hospital.
Morris has pleaded not guilty to more than 30 charges stemming from the incident, but his lawyers said they won?t contest the kidnapping, carjacking and escape allegations.
Tuminelli admits Morris committed the crimes, but he is disputing three charges of premeditated and felony murder that could lead to Morris? execution.
Tuminelli said Morris stabbed himself with a needle to get a “day vacation” from 24-hour lockup ? not to ultimately escape from the hospital.
He said the murder was not premeditated, because Morris hadn?t planned to rob Wroten and escape.
But prosecutors said nurse Rachael Yeagy will testify she saw Morris holding the gun to Wroten?s temple and saying “I?m going to kill you.”
The jury received glimpses of evidence, including photographs of Morris escaping from the hospital with a pistol in his hand and the bloody hospital room floor.
Morris was shackled underneath the table and guarded by about 11 county sheriffs and correctional officers throughout the proceedings.
He was serving an eight-year sentence for assault and robbery at Roxbury Correctional Institution.
The trial was moved to Howard County because state law allows the defendant in a death-penalty case to request a venue outside of the county where the crime occurred.
