In the quiet community of North Bethesda, Maryland, the morning of Sunday, September 21, 2025, was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of 29-year-old Akwalabeng Fontava. Emergency services responded to a call at an apartment in the 5900 block of Montrose Road around 7:40 a.m. and discovered Fontava inside, suffering from a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr.
Fontava, known to his loved ones as 'Asong,' was remembered as a kindhearted and faith-driven young man whose life was tragically cut short.
The investigation into Fontava's death quickly revealed a more complex and sinister series of events. Homicide detectives learned that a man and a woman who were also inside the apartment at the time of the shooting were subsequently kidnapped. The assailants forced the pair into a vehicle and fled the scene. The male victim was later released in Silver Spring, unharmed. The female victim was found later at the Westfield Montgomery Mall in the company of one of the suspects.
The initial breakthrough in the case came with the arrest of 37-year-old Sheldon Milan Boykins of Hyattsville. Boykins was taken into custody at the mall with the female kidnap victim and was subsequently charged with two counts of kidnapping and firearms-related offenses. As the investigation progressed, detectives identified two additional suspects: 18-year-old Joshua Carter and 25-year-old Justin Michael Greene Collins, both from Silver Spring. Warrants were issued for their arrests on charges of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of armed robbery.
A multi-state effort led to the apprehension of Joshua Carter on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. He was located and arrested without incident at a residence in Fayetteville, North Carolina, by the U.S. Marshals Service - Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force. Carter is awaiting extradition to Montgomery County to face his charges. At the time of the reports, Justin Michael Greene Collins remained a fugitive from justice. Authorities continue to seek information from the public regarding his whereabouts and are offering a reward for tips that lead to an arrest.
