In the pre-dawn hours of a frigid January morning, 37-year-old Dewayne Robert Dunmore, Sr. found himself in a desolate parking lot in Forestville, Maryland, bleeding from four gunshot wounds. It was just before 2 a.m. on January 25, 2008, and in his final moments, Dunmore managed to make a call that would prove to be a crucial piece of evidence in the pursuit of justice for his murder. Lying facedown and gravely wounded, he dialed 911, his voice weak as he told the dispatcher he was dying.
When asked if he knew who shot him, Dunmore clearly stated the name: 'Benjamin Perry.'
Unbeknownst to the assailant, the events leading up to the shooting were being monitored by Prince George's County police who were conducting surveillance on a suspected illegal gambling operation in the office park. Investigators had video footage of several individuals, including Dunmore, leaving the building. Dunmore was reportedly acting as a police informant for the gambling probe. Shortly after the men in the video walked out of the camera's view, gunshots rang out.
Police officers involved in a nearby investigation heard the shots and saw a man, later identified as Benjamin Perry, firing into Dunmore's Mercedes. Perry, who was 36 at the time, then fled the scene in a Dodge minivan, leading police on a high-speed chase that ended when he crashed on D'Arcy Road. During the pursuit, an officer witnessed Perry throwing a handgun from his vehicle. The recovered silver-colored gun was consistent with the weapon used in the shooting, and it was later found to have Perry's DNA on it. Perry was injured in the crash and hospitalized.
While some officers pursued Perry, a detective returned to the office park and found Dunmore on his stomach, gasping for breath. Dunmore expressed his fear of dying and spoke of his children, stating, 'I have kids. They need me.' He again identified Benjamin Perry as the man who shot him before being transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Benjamin Perry, Jr., of the Hyattsville area, was arrested on the same day as the shooting and charged with first-degree murder. The dramatic 911 recording of Dunmore's last words became a key piece of evidence for the prosecution. After a trial where the jury deliberated for about four hours, Perry was convicted of second-degree murder and two weapons violations. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison. It was also reported that Perry had a prior homicide conviction in Prince George's County from 1988. Dewayne Dunmore was the beloved husband of Germaine and a father to three sons.
