On the evening of January 2, 2026, what began as a simple transaction for a jacket tragically ended the life of 18-year-old Taeyon Malachi Prather in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The young man, remembered by his family as remarkable and full of love, charisma, and kindness, had recently graduated from high school and was working two jobs with dreams for his future.
He had arranged to meet someone in a parking lot in the 23600 block of Rolling Fork Way to sell a jacket.
At approximately 7:21 p.m., Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a call about a person down in the parking lot. Upon arrival, they discovered Prather suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later conducted an autopsy and officially ruled his death a homicide. Investigators from the Montgomery County Department of Police's Major Crimes Division determined that during the transaction for the jacket, Prather was shot, and the jacket, along with other personal items, were stolen.
Initially, police had no suspects and requested the public's help for any information. A significant breakthrough in the case came on January 5, when a tip to Crime Solvers of Montgomery County led detectives to a 16-year-old suspect. Further investigation also implicated a second individual in the murder. On January 11, arrest warrants were issued for both suspects.
The following day, January 12, police arrested 16-year-old Wisdom Da-Silva Baptista of Gaithersburg and 20-year-old Kevin Jesus Perez Fierro of Montgomery Village at their respective homes. Both have been charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery. Due to the severity of the charges, the 16-year-old is being charged as an adult. Following their arrests, both suspects were held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit awaiting bond hearings.
