U.S. marshals want the public’s help in tracking down a Prince George’s County man suspected of gunning down an acquaintance in an ongoing fight over a girl.
James Cornell Ford, 20, is wanted by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for the Aug. 11 death of 21-year-old Joseph Ray Burgess, 21, of Waldorf. Police said Ford, of Oxon Hill, approached Burgess and a group of friends, pulled out a handgun and pistol-whipped one man before shooting Burgess in the chest.
The dispute stemmed from an earlier “event” involving a girl, police said.
Police also have charged Ford in an earlier shooting in Hughesville. In that case, police said Ford fired a handgun inside a restaurant on July 20 and at least four more times in the parking lot. No one was injured.
U.S. marshals are asking for the public’s assistance because Ford is considered a continued threat to the public, said Matthew Burke, supervisory inspector with the marshals’ Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
“Let’s pick up Ford before his temper causes more harm,” Burke said.
Investigators have obtained an arrest warrant charging Ford with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault.
Ford has a distinctive, two-teardrop tattoo under his left eye. He is 5-foot-7 and weighs 155 pounds.
Ford has been seen in Southern Maryland, Southeast Washington and Baltimore.
Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at 301-489-1717 or 800-336-0102. Law enforcement authorities are offering a reward for information leading to his arrest.
The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, run by the U.S. Marshals Service, is composed of 28 federal, state and local agencies from Baltimore to Norfolk, Va. The unit has captured more than 19,000 wanted fugitives since its creation in 2004.
