On a summer morning in Randallstown, Maryland, the life of 27-year-old Derrick Laurence Towe Williams was tragically cut short. On August 4, 2019, police responded to an assault call on the 3900 block of Shenton Road around 11:19 a.m. There, they discovered Williams suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly revealed a story of a drug deal that spiraled into a fatal robbery.
Surveillance footage from a neighbor's camera captured the final moments of Williams' life. The footage showed him approaching a gold Chevrolet Suburban that had stopped near his home. A masked individual exited the passenger side of the vehicle and, following a brief interaction, shot Williams in the chest and back. The assailant then got back into the waiting vehicle, which sped away. At the time of his death, Williams had marijuana and a small amount of cash on his person.
Within two days of the shooting, Baltimore County police arrested two suspects in connection with the murder. Cory Dwayne Fennell, 21 at the time, and Markus Haggins, then 26, were taken into custody. Investigators determined that the two men had arranged to buy marijuana from Williams with the intention of robbing him. Cell phone records connected Fennell and Haggins to each other and to Williams in the moments leading up to the shooting. Police identified Fennell as the shooter and Haggins as the driver of the getaway car.
Both Fennell and Haggins were charged with first-degree murder. In June 2020, a jury convicted them of first-degree felony murder, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, and other related charges. In October 2021, both men were sentenced for their roles in the death of Derrick Towe-Williams. Markus Haggins received a life sentence, while Cory Dwayne Fennell was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 20 years.
