On a Saturday morning, November 7, 2015, Trevor Joyner was fatally shot in the back of the head in front of a convenience store in the 5400 block of Belair Road in Baltimore. Police responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 11:33 a.m. and found Joyner face down. He was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later confirmed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the back of the head from a.
38 caliber bullet.
The investigation into the death of Trevor Joyner led police to review surveillance footage from the convenience store. The video showed a man wearing a red and white jacket, white pants, and a striped belt walking behind Joyner just before the shooting and then fleeing the scene immediately after. This footage proved to be a critical piece of evidence in identifying a suspect.
Five days later, on November 12, police located and arrested Derrick Rucker. At the time of his arrest, Rucker was wearing the exact same clothing as the man seen in the surveillance video. He was taken to the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide unit for questioning. While left alone in an interview room, Rucker attempted to destroy the evidence by taking off his clothes and setting them on fire.
Derrick Rucker was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a handgun. He also faced an additional charge of arson for his actions while in custody. Following a search of his home, police found two boxes of. 38 caliber ammunition. In October 2018, Rucker was convicted of first-degree murder for the death of Trevor Joyner and was later sentenced to life in prison plus 35 years.
