In the summer of 2017, a dispute during a late-night dice game in East Baltimore tragically escalated, claiming the life of Greg Manuel, Jr. Manuel, a 24-year-old male, was participating in the game in the 1700 block of Rutland Avenue around midnight on June 3, 2017, when an argument erupted with another player, Derek Black.
The disagreement, reportedly over a small amount of money, led to a physical altercation where Manuel struck Black with a small stick.
In response, Black retrieved a handgun from his nearby van and shot Manuel multiple times in front of several onlookers, including Manuel's own mother. The gunshots proved fatal, striking Manuel's rib, lungs, and heart.
Following the shooting, Derek Black fled the scene in a white minivan. However, eyewitness testimony from individuals present, including Manuel's mother and a friend to both men, Elijah Strickland, led to his identification as the shooter. Both witnesses later identified Black in police photo arrays.
Derek Black was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence. After a jury trial, he was convicted on both charges. For the murder of Greg Manuel, Jr., Black was sentenced to life in prison with all but 45 years suspended. He also received a concurrent 20-year sentence for the firearm charge, with the first five years to be served without the possibility of parole.
