Walters Mpang Halle Elangwe, a 29-year-old man, was killed on July 11, 2020, in Annapolis, Maryland, in what appeared to be a pre-arranged sale of a smartphone gone tragically wrong. Originally from Cameroon, Elangwe earned extra income by buying and selling used cellphones. On that Saturday afternoon, he drove his gray Honda to the 1100 block of Primrose Court to purchase an iPhone.
It was a transaction that would prove to be a fatal trap.
Shortly before 4 p.m., as Elangwe sat in his vehicle, two men approached. An eyewitness reported seeing a conversation take place before one of the men brandished a handgun and fired multiple shots through the windshield. In a desperate attempt to escape, Elangwe put his car in reverse, colliding with another vehicle before coming to a final stop. The two assailants, joined by a third individual, were seen fleeing into a nearby wooded area. Emergency services arrived to find Elangwe with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Elangwe's homicide led Annapolis Police Department detectives to identify Jaden Kemeatrius Crowner, an 18-year-old from Brooklyn, as the primary suspect. Using evidence from cellphone records and surveillance footage, authorities were able to piece together the events of that day. Prosecutors stated that Crowner and two accomplices had orchestrated the meeting with the intention of robbing Elangwe.
In June 2022, Crowner was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and weapons violations in connection with Elangwe's death. At the time of his arrest, Crowner was already incarcerated and awaiting trial for another murder. His trial for the murder of Walters Elangwe took place, and a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and other handgun offenses. Subsequently, he was sentenced to life in prison. This sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to the life sentence he had already received for a 2023 murder conviction. The State's Attorney remarked that Elangwe was a hardworking man who fell victim to a senseless act of violence.
