In the winter of 2017, a well-loved member of the Fells Point community, James Forrester, a 43-year-old male, tragically lost his life in a senseless act of violence. On the evening of December 18th, Forrester, a body piercer at the Baltimore Tattoo Museum and a musician, stepped outside his workplace to speak with his wife on the phone. The conversation was horrifically interrupted when two men approached him in what investigators believe was an attempted robbery.
His wife, still on the line, heard her husband's final words, 'get away from me,' followed by a commotion and the line going dead. Forrester was discovered shortly after on the sidewalk, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Baltimore Police Department launched an investigation, releasing surveillance footage of two individuals seen in the vicinity at the time of the shooting. These images, coupled with tips from the community, led to a breakthrough in the case. In January 2018, police arrested 29-year-old Michael Bailey in connection with the murder. He was subsequently charged with first and second-degree murder, assault, and various weapons offenses. The second suspect, however, was never identified and remains at large.
Michael Bailey's case went to trial, where the prosecution presented the surveillance video and other evidence. However, Bailey's defense argued that while he was present at the scene, there was no definitive proof that he was the shooter, as a weapon was not visible in the footage. After deliberation, the jury acquitted Bailey of the murder charges in November 2018. The verdict was a devastating blow to Forrester's widow and the community that had rallied for justice. The case officially remains open, with one of the individuals involved in the tragic death of James Forrester yet to be brought to justice.
