In the early morning hours of April 15, 2022, a violent encounter in South Baltimore tragically ended the life of 30-year-old Brittany Keyser, a mother of two. The incident unfolded around 6:15 a.m. on the 800 block of Gretna Court, where Keyser and the 31-year-old father of her children, Kenneth Wills, had gone to purchase drugs. An altercation erupted between Keyser and a man named Joel Ugah.
Surveillance footage from the scene captured the dispute escalating, showing Ugah striking Keyser in the face.
As the physical struggle continued, involving an unidentified woman accompanying Ugah, Wills attempted to intervene and protect Keyser. It was then that Ugah produced a handgun. He shot Wills in the neck and head area. As both Keyser and Wills lay wounded on the ground, Ugah stood over them and fired again, shooting Keyser multiple times in the head at point-blank range. First responders arrived to find a horrific scene; Keyser was pronounced dead from her injuries, while Wills, though critically wounded, survived.
The investigation into the deadly shooting led Baltimore Police detectives to identify 36-year-old Joel Ugah as the suspect, aided by witness statements and physical evidence. Ugah was taken into custody on May 10, 2022, and subsequently charged with a litany of offenses, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and various assault and firearms charges. The case proceeded to trial, but the first attempt in July 2023 concluded with a hung jury, resulting in a mistrial.
Prosecutors retried the case in October 2023. This time, the jury found Joel Ugah guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Brittany Keyser and attempted second-degree murder for the shooting of Kenneth Wills. On January 12, 2024, family members of Keyser spoke in court about their profound loss. Ugah, who maintained his innocence, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder, with an additional 35 years for the attempted murder and a related firearm charge. The judge, in handing down the sentence, told Ugah that he fully expected him to die in prison for his actions.
