In the late hours of a summer evening in 2008, the life of a young Black man, Denver Kenneth Cannedy Jr., aged 19, was tragically cut short. On Wednesday, August 13, 2008, at approximately 10:20 p.m., Cannedy was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the 6100 block of Old Central Avenue in Cheltenham, Maryland. The location of the shooting was just over the District of Columbia line in Prince George's County.
Originally from the 500 block of Capitol Heights Boulevard in Capitol Heights, Cannedy was remembered by his family, including his parents, Teresa A. Smith and Denver K. Cannedy Sr., and his siblings. His funeral services were held on August 21, 2008, at The STEWART FUNERAL HOME, followed by his interment at Harmony Memorial Park.
The investigation into Cannedy's death continued for several months. Then, on December 20, 2008, an arrest was made in connection with the homicide. Leonardo Baty, a 22-year-old resident of the 1600 block of Evarts Street, was taken into custody by authorities.
Baty was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Denver Kenneth Cannedy Jr. This development brought a sense of progress in a case that had left a family and a community searching for answers and justice for the untimely loss of a young life.
