Donnetta Roberson was 49 years old when she was found dead on Friday, September 1, 2023, inside a home in the 1800 block of North Collington Avenue in East Baltimore. The Baltimore Sun's homicide database lists the cause of her death as blunt force injuries. The Baltimore Police Department investigated, and the Sun's database lists the death as a homicide.
She did not die alone. Police said that at about 8:38 p.m.
that Friday, officers were sent to the home for a call to check on the well-being of the people inside. According to Baltimore Witness, officers "gained entry into the residence with the assistance of the Baltimore City Fire Department" and found two people dead: Roberson and 50-year-old Carlyle Saunders. Officers "observed signs of trauma to both victim's bodies," and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner took both bodies for autopsy. Homicide detectives took over the investigation. Police have not said publicly how the two were connected to each other or to the home.
Her full name was Donnetta Lavonne Roberson. Her obituary was handled by the Joseph H. Brown Funeral Home on North Fulton Avenue, which held a viewing on September 14, 2023, and a wake and funeral service the next morning. The obituary page invited friends and family to share memories of her, though it gives few details about her life beyond her dates.
The case did not fade from view. Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland announced a reward of up to $8,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges in the double killing. Two years later, in September 2025, Baltimore police asked the public for help finding a 64-year-old man they wanted to locate "in connection to the deaths," FOX45 reported. Police have not said that this man was charged, and no arrest has been reported since. More recently, the department posted a video appeal saying, "Homicide detectives need your help locating the person responsible for the deaths of 50-year-old Carlyle Saunders and 49-year-old Donnetta" Roberson.
North Collington Avenue runs through East Baltimore in the area patrolled by the police department's Eastern District, a part of the city made up largely of blocks of brick rowhouses. A home on a residential block like this one is a place where neighbors often notice who comes and goes, which may matter to detectives in a case where both victims were found indoors during a well-being check.
Homicides in Baltimore began falling steeply in 2023 and 2024, reaching the lowest totals in decades, yet many killings from those years remain unsolved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Donnetta Roberson could be found in news archives or public records. More than three years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who knew Roberson or Saunders, who visited the home on North Collington Avenue, or who saw anything unusual on that block in late August or early September 2023 may hold information that matters. Anyone who knows where the man police are seeking may be is also asked to come forward. 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).
