On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, December 31, 2022, a sense of finality befell a location near the Crain Highway and Port Tobacco Road in La Plata, Maryland. It was there that 30-year-old Donnell Henry Hawkins, a male resident of La Plata, was found with multiple gunshot wounds. The incident occurred just after 4:00 p.m., and despite the immediate response of authorities, Hawkins was pronounced deceased at the scene.
He was remembered by loved ones for his passion for sports, particularly basketball and football, and his love of dancing.
The events that unfolded that afternoon were witnessed by at least three citizens who provided statements to the police. Witnesses described the suspect, which led a La Plata Police Department officer to locate and apprehend a man on foot nearby. The individual taken into custody was 26-year-old Cordell Earl Spicer, also of La Plata. During his arrest, Spicer reportedly admitted to the officer that he had just shot someone. Authorities also recovered a 9mm handgun at the scene of the crime.
Further investigation revealed that Donnell Henry Hawkins and Cordell Earl Spicer were known to each other, although the nature of their relationship was not immediately disclosed. Spicer was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in connection with Hawkins's death. Following his arrest, he was held at the Charles County Detention Center without bond as the investigation into the homicide continued. The case is being handled by Detective R. Johnson of the Charles County Sheriff's Office.
