In the autumn of 2020, the life of 23-year-old Juan Michael Ross was tragically cut short in a calculated act of violence. On the afternoon of Sunday, October 4th, in the 9600 block of Basket Ring Road in Columbia, Maryland, Ross was fatally shot. Howard County Police were called to the scene around 2:30 p.m. for a report of a shooting and found Ross suffering from multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was not a
random act and that Ross had been specifically targeted. Early in the investigation, detectives considered the possibility that the homicide was drug-related. As the investigation progressed, a more sinister plot of a murder-for-hire conspiracy began to unravel. The motive behind the killing was rooted in the belief by one of the suspects that Ross was cooperating with law enforcement.
The investigation led to the identification and arrest of three men in connection with Ross's death. In November 2020, Howard County Police arrested 18-year-old Daquante Donte Thomas of Gwynn Oak and 24-year-old Tyrik Michael Braxton of Baltimore. Thomas was charged with first and second-degree murder and assault, while Braxton faced charges of first and second-degree murder, assault, and conspiracy to commit murder.
A federal indictment later provided a fuller picture of the conspiracy, naming a third individual, 26-year-old Jourdain Larose, also known as 'JBlacc,' of Ellicott City. The indictment alleged that Larose, a member of the Crips street gang, had solicited others to kill Ross for money because he believed Ross was a police informant. Larose had allegedly provided a gun to another individual to carry out the murder, and when that failed, he solicited Braxton. Braxton then reportedly enlisted Thomas to help carry out the killing.
The legal process has seen significant developments. Jourdain Larose pleaded guilty to his role in the murder-for-hire conspiracy. Tyrik Braxton was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his involvement. The case against Daquante Thomas was also moving through the justice system, marking a long and complex effort to bring accountability for the death of Juan Michael Ross.
