Lonnie Edwards was 35 years old when he was stabbed in the 500 block of North Eutaw Street in Baltimore. The Baltimore Sun's homicide database lists his death on Friday, July 19, 2019. The Baltimore Police Department investigated, and the Sun's database lists the case as a homicide.
Police released his name a few days later. According to WMAR-2 News, officers found Edwards on July 18 after he "was stabbed while he was in the 500 block of N. Eutaw Street," and he "later died."
Police said he lived in the 800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, only a short distance from where he was attacked. The Capital Gazette carried the same brief account. Neither report described what led to the stabbing, whether there had been an argument or a robbery, or whether detectives had a suspect.
The dates in the public record differ slightly. Police said he was found on July 18, the Sun's database lists July 19, and an obituary posted by Hari P. Close Funeral Service gives his date of death as July 20, 2019. The difference may reflect the time between when he was hurt and when he was pronounced dead, but the reports do not say.
That obituary offers a few details about his life. It says Lonnie Edwards was born on July 15, 1984, which means he had turned 35 only days before he was stabbed. It says he "lives in Baltimore, Maryland" and lists a visitation and a celebration of life at Sharon Baptist Church at 1375 North Stricker Street in Baltimore. The obituary does not name family members, and no fundraiser or longer tribute could be found. Lonnie Edwards is a fairly common name, and several other men who share it appear in unrelated records online.
The 500 block of North Eutaw Street sits on the west side of downtown Baltimore, a short walk from Lexington Market and the busy corridors around it. The area sees heavy foot traffic from shoppers, commuters and people waiting for buses and light rail, which means that even a quick confrontation could have taken place in view of others. Pennsylvania Avenue, where Edwards lived, is one of the city's best known streets, the historic heart of Black business and entertainment in Baltimore.
After the unrest of 2015, Baltimore recorded more than 300 homicides a year for eight straight years, and the share of killings that ended in an arrest fell sharply.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Lonnie Edwards could be found in news archives or public records. More than seven years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was on or near North Eutaw Street in July 2019, or who knew Lonnie Edwards from the Pennsylvania Avenue area and heard talk of what happened to him, may know something that could help detectives. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a vehicle seen nearby or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can call Baltimore Police homicide detectives at 410-396-2100, or leave an anonymous tip with Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland at 1-866-7LOCKUP (1-866-756-2587).
