In the summer of 2020, a 21-year-old man, Kyon Thomas, became another victim of the violence plaguing the streets of Baltimore. On the night of July 16th, Thomas was fatally shot in the 500 block of Sheridan Avenue, a residential street that would become the final scene of his young life. The male victim's death was officially ruled a homicide, launching an investigation into the circumstances that led to the shooting.
More than a year after Kyon Thomas was killed, a significant
breakthrough in the case was announced. In August 2021, the Maryland Attorney General's Office unveiled a sweeping indictment against eleven alleged members of a violent street gang known as the '39 Babies.' The gang, named after the 21239 ZIP code where most of its members resided, was accused of a string of violent crimes, including murders, attempted murders, and the distribution of illegal drugs. Among the litany of violent acts detailed in the indictment was the murder of Kyon Thomas.
The indictment painted a grim picture of the '39 Babies' and their activities, alleging their involvement in several retaliatory shootings and murder-for-hire plots. The investigation, which had begun in February 2020, culminated in charges against Gregory Beadles, Pierre Briggs, Damone Cornish, Raequan Fields, Stephen Harrington, Datwain Jackson, Karon Johnson, J'Quan Powell, Donye Thompson, Ramell Wilson, and Jalen Wise. While the indictment connected the gang to Thomas's death, specific details regarding which of these individuals were directly responsible for his shooting and the precise motive behind the murder have not been publicly detailed. At the time of the indictment, all but one of the named individuals, Jalen Wise, were taken into custody.
