In the quiet community of Clinton, Maryland, a tragic discovery was made on the evening of April 13, 2021. Responding to a welfare check call, Prince George's County police officers arrived at the 12200 block of Gallahan Road. Inside a car, they found 26-year-old Randy Thompson, a Black male from Washington, D.C., suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thompson had been reported missing in the District earlier that same day.
The Prince George's County Police Department's Homicide Unit immediately launched an investigation into the fatal shooting. Detectives began working to piece together the events that led to Thompson's death, seeking to identify a motive and any potential suspects. Their efforts soon pointed to a domestic-related incident.
The investigation led to a significant development in May 2021. Authorities arrested 25-year-old Brandon Smothers of Accokeek, Maryland, in connection with the homicide. The investigation revealed that Smothers and Thompson had been in a relationship prior to the fatal shooting. Smothers was subsequently charged with first and second-degree murder, among other related charges. Following his arrest, he was taken into the custody of the Department of Corrections and a commissioner ordered him held without bond.
