In a senseless act of violence over a mere $25 debt, 22-year-old Jarmale Ronald Mitchell was shot and killed on June 4, 2006, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The tragic event unfolded around 5 p.m. in the 4900 block of Wealding Way, where Mitchell was found with a gunshot wound to his upper body next to the townhouse where he lived. He was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
The investigation into the death of the young male led authorities to his
long-time friend, Ramsey Nolan Bush, then 24, also of Oxon Hill. Despite a history of friendship that saw Bush often sharing meals with Mitchell and his family, a dispute over a small amount of money escalated to a fatal confrontation. While there were no direct eyewitnesses to the shooting, diligent police work uncovered circumstantial evidence that pointed toward Bush's involvement. Investigators learned that just moments before the shooting, Mitchell had placed a call to a number saved in his phone under the name 'Ham,' a nickname for Bush. Further investigation revealed that witnesses had seen an older model white Lincoln, driven by a young woman with an infant, leaving the scene. This description matched a close female friend of Bush.
The culmination of the investigation led to the arrest of Ramsey Nolan Bush. In a subsequent trial, a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and the use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. During the trial, the prosecution highlighted the trivial nature of the motive, stating, 'On June 4, Jarmale Mitchell's life was worth $25, because that's what he shot and killed him for.' Bush did not testify in his own defense, and his attorney called no witnesses. For the murder of his former friend, Ramsey Nolan Bush was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 20 years to be served consecutively.
