In the quiet neighborhood of Upper Fells Point in Baltimore, the life of 31-year-old Jon Hickey, a dedicated white male volunteer firefighter, was abruptly cut short in a tragic act of violence. On November 30, 2017, Hickey was discovered deceased in his apartment located on East Pratt Street. His girlfriend, Jennifer McKay, had become concerned after being unable to reach him for a couple of days and noticed his car had not been moved.
This prompted her to request a welfare check from the police. Upon entering the residence, officers found Hickey on his couch with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Nothing appeared to have been stolen from his apartment.
The investigation into Hickey's death swiftly pointed towards a suspect, Daniel Greene, a 35-year-old fellow firefighter from Norrisville. Detectives utilized surveillance footage from the area which captured a man breaking into Hickey's home in the early morning hours of November 29, 2017. The intruder was seen leaving the apartment about fifteen minutes later, carrying a gun. McKay was able to identify the man in the video as her ex-boyfriend, Daniel Greene, with whom she had been in a five-year relationship that ended earlier in 2017. The motive for the murder was determined to be a love triangle, with Greene targeting Hickey for dating McKay.
Daniel Greene was arrested in December 2017 and charged with first-degree murder, home invasion, and the use of a handgun in a violent crime. Despite the murder weapon never being recovered, the prosecution built a strong circumstantial case centered on the surveillance footage. In June 2023, a jury found Greene guilty on all counts. Following his conviction, Greene's sentencing was initially postponed after he expressed a desire to seek new legal counsel. However, in February 2024, Daniel Greene was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Jon Hickey, with an additional 20 years for home invasion and firearms charges. He is currently serving his sentence at the Maryland Western Correctional Institution.
