In the early hours of February 27, 2022, the quiet behind a Brooklyn, Maryland funeral home was shattered by a grim discovery. The body of 19-year-old Devin Scott Freeman was found in the parking lot of the Gonce Funeral Home on Ritchie Highway. Responding Anne Arundel County police officers noted that the young man had suffered apparent trauma. He was missing his jacket, shirt, and shoes, and his wallet was discovered empty.
A subsequent autopsy would confirm the tragic reality: Devin Freeman's life had been cut short by multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was officially ruled a homicide.
Investigators began to piece together the final moments of the young man's life. They learned he had arranged to meet someone at a 7-Eleven, conveniently located just across the street from the funeral home, for the purpose of selling marijuana. Security camera footage became a crucial element in the investigation, capturing Freeman being dropped off at the convenience store. The video then showed him meeting with another individual who gestured across the highway. The two were seen crossing the street together, heading towards the funeral home. Shortly after, the cameras recorded a violent struggle, culminating in Freeman collapsing onto the pavement. The investigation uncovered further evidence in a nearby alley, where the charred remnants of Freeman's backpack were found.
Through their investigation, homicide detectives zeroed in on 18-year-old Jaden Kemetrius Crowner of Brooklyn as a primary suspect. A search of Crowner's residence, which was only a block away from the crime scene, yielded a critical piece of evidence: a black hoodie stained with what was later confirmed to be Devin Freeman's blood. In March 2022, Crowner was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and various handgun offenses. The investigation continued, and in June of the same year, a second suspect was apprehended. Eighteen-year-old Devin Garrett Twigg of Nottingham was also charged with murder in connection with Freeman's death.
In April 2023, Jaden Crowner entered an Alford plea to charges of first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony for the killing of Devin Scott Freeman. The State's Attorney described the crime as a calculated and senseless act where Freeman was lured to the location with the sole intent of being robbed and murdered. For his role in the death of Devin Scott Freeman, Crowner was sentenced to life in prison. This was not his only murder conviction; he was also sentenced for a separate 2020 homicide, ensuring he would remain behind bars.
