In the spring of 2024, a tragic event unfolded in a Baltimore apartment that ended one man's life and forever altered another's. On the morning of April 21st, police received a chilling call from a man who claimed to have cut someone and believed they were deceased. When officers arrived at the apartment building in the 900 block of West University Parkway, they found a man outside with recent cuts on his hands and face. This man was identified as 59-year-old Patrick Cromwell.
Inside the first-floor apartment, a grim scene awaited the officers. Joseph Barranco, a 77-year-old man and Cromwell's roommate, was found unresponsive on the floor just inside the front door. He had sustained life-threatening lacerations, and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene at approximately 8:08 a.m. The initial investigation suggested a violent confrontation had taken place. Cromwell was taken into custody at the scene and later charged with first-degree murder and possession of a deadly weapon with intent to injure.
During an interview with investigators, Cromwell alleged that his roommate, who was unarmed, had attacked him. He claimed that in response, he picked up a meat cleaver and struck Barranco in the head and neck. Cromwell also stated that he used his hands and feet to strangle his roommate. He explained that the lacerations on his own body were caused by the meat cleaver as he tried to restrain Barranco. The case took a turn as Cromwell's mental state became a central issue in the legal proceedings that followed.
Court hearings revealed a history of mental health challenges for Cromwell. It was disclosed that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was taking antipsychotic medication. His defense attorney expressed concerns that Cromwell was a danger to himself and others and required treatment. In October 2024, a judge ruled that Patrick Cromwell was mentally incompetent to stand trial for the murder of his roommate. As a result, legal proceedings were postponed, and his next hearing was scheduled for April of 2025.
