In the early morning hours of October 19, 2021, a fatal encounter unfolded in Edgewood, Maryland, ending the life of 36-year-old OBrien Butler. Deputies from the Harford County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a shooting at a residence on Dearwood Court at approximately 2:00 a.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered Butler inside the home, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body.
Emergency medical services were rendered at the scene, and deputies assisted with CPR as
Butler was transported to the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. Despite these life-saving efforts, OBrien Butler was pronounced deceased at the hospital. Investigators from the Harford County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division and the Forensic Services Unit promptly began an investigation into the circumstances of his death.
The investigation revealed that an altercation had occurred between Butler and another man, identified as 32-year-old Carl Alexander, also of Edgewood. The confrontation escalated, culminating in Alexander allegedly shooting Butler. Alexander remained at the scene and was taken into custody by detectives without incident.
Following his arrest, Carl Alexander was charged with a range of offenses, including first and second-degree murder, manslaughter, and assault, as well as several firearms-related charges. He was subsequently transported to the Harford County Detention Center. After a jury trial in the Circuit Court for Harford County, Alexander was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, first-degree assault, and multiple firearms offenses. He later appealed his convictions, which resulted in an appellate court vacating the sentence for first-degree assault but affirming the other convictions.
