In the late hours of a December night in Pocomoke City, Maryland, the life of 26-year-old James Allen Jr. was tragically cut short. On December 1, 2016, a motorist driving near the intersection of Market and 4th streets placed a 9-1-1 call after witnessing a man stagger and collapse in the middle of the road. When emergency personnel arrived, they found Allen suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators believe the shooting occurred near Oxford Street and 4th Street, about an eighth of a mile from where Allen was found. It appeared he had managed to walk a short distance before succumbing to his injuries. The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit took the lead in the investigation, working alongside local law enforcement agencies to piece together the events of that fatal night. Authorities assured the public that the shooting was not a random act of violence, but rather a targeted incident.
Within days, the investigation led to a suspect. On December 11, 2016, 36-year-old Anthony M. Tunnell of Mappsville, Virginia, was arrested without incident at a hotel in Salisbury. He was charged with first and second-degree murder, manslaughter, and other drug-related offenses. Law enforcement officials described the killing as a 'calculated, cold-blooded drug cartel-style assassination,' stating that Tunnell targeted Allen because he believed Allen had stolen his marijuana supply.
In August 2017, a jury found Anthony Tunnell guilty of first-degree murder. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence, including spent shell casings and a ski mask, to argue that the murder was premeditated. In December 2017, Tunnell was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The judge, in his sentencing, noted that Tunnell had entered Worcester County with the intent to assassinate James Allen and that the sentence was meant to protect the community from further harm.
