In the winter of 2015, a 28-year-old man named Davon Johnson was killed in a brazen daylight shooting in Northwest Baltimore. On January 28th, Johnson was confronted by another man on Walbrook Avenue and was fatally shot in the middle of the street. The killing was the result of a dispute that turned violent.
The man identified as the shooter was 22-year-old Charles Henson. Following the murder, Henson went on the run, leading to a city-wide manhunt.
In an attempt to intimidate potential witnesses, Henson set fire to Johnson's home a few days after the murder. Fortunately, detectives had already moved Johnson's family into witness protection. The Baltimore Police Department designated Henson as its 'Public Enemy No. 1.'
The search for Henson involved local and federal authorities, including the U.S. Marshals Service. He was eventually apprehended and charged with the murder of Davon Johnson. The legal proceedings against Henson were complex. His initial trial in October 2016 ended in a mistrial. However, a subsequent trial in June 2017 resulted in a guilty verdict for second-degree murder and the use of a handgun in the commission of a crime. Charles Henson was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the killing of Davon Johnson.
The murder of Davon Johnson had wider implications as he was a key witness in a separate murder trial. His testimony was crucial in the case against a man accused of a 2013 killing. Despite Johnson's death, prosecutors were able to use a recording of his testimony from the first trial, which ultimately contributed to a conviction in that case.
