In the summer of 2008, a wave of violence rippled through the streets of Baltimore, forever changing the lives of a group of friends who called themselves 'D-Block.' This downward spiral of retaliation and bloodshed began with the killing of Brian Goodwin in June. In the aftermath, James Berry III, a member of the crew, allegedly spread a rumor that another member, 21-year-old Romie Ziegler, was responsible for Goodwin's death.
This accusation set in motion a tragic chain of events.
Days after the rumor began to circulate, Romie Ziegler was killed in the same block where the group operated their drug trade, near the corner of Division and Bloom streets in the Druid Heights neighborhood. His murder, which occurred on June 22, 2008, fractured the 'D-Block' crew. Members were forced to choose sides, with some remaining loyal to Berry and others blaming him for Ziegler's demise. The division ignited a years-long war of retaliation, leading to more violence and death.
In the years that followed, James Berry III, a once-promising boxer, was charged with four murders and several attempted killings connected to the ongoing feud. Three of his associates, Tyrone Carter, Travian Taylor, and Quinzell Covington, were also charged in the alleged murder conspiracy. While authorities publicly linked the rumor Berry spread to Ziegler's subsequent murder, it is not clear if Berry was ever formally charged with his death. A man named James Wesley Spriggs was eventually sentenced to a life term for the initial murder of Brian Goodwin. However, the case for Romie Ziegler's killing remains officially unresolved, listed by the Baltimore Police Department as a cold case.
