In the evening hours of February 7, 2024, a dispute in a 7-Eleven parking lot on Belair Road in Baltimore, Maryland, escalated into a fatal act of violence that claimed the life of 32-year-old Ricardo Brooks-Watters. The male victim and another man, 40-year-old Odell Curtis, were both shot and killed during the altercation. When police officers arrived at the 4400 block of Belair Road around 9:48 p.m., they discovered both men with life-threatening gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services transported Brooks-Watters and Curtis to a nearby hospital, but their injuries proved to be too severe, and both men were pronounced dead.
The investigation into the double homicide led Baltimore Police Department detectives to identify 21-year-old Daquan Woodard as the primary suspect. According to investigators, Woodard was involved in a dispute with the victims before he fatally shot them. On May 1, 2024, detectives arrested Woodard and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of firearm use in a felony or violent crime, and two counts of illegal possession of a regulated firearm.
The case against Daquan Woodard proceeded to trial, where the prosecution presented compelling evidence, including video footage from a mobile surveillance trailer that allegedly captured the incident. In his opening statement, the prosecutor described how the video showed Woodard among a group of people near the parking lot watching Curtis. Following a dispute, Woodard allegedly pulled out a gun, shot Curtis multiple times, and then walked around a car to do the same to Brooks-Watters. During a police interview, Woodard reportedly admitted to his involvement in the deaths of the two men.
On February 24, 2025, a jury found Daquan Woodard guilty on all charges related to the murders of Ricardo Brooks-Watters and Odell Curtis. The verdict brought an emotional response from the victims' families who were present in the courtroom. A sentencing hearing for Woodard was scheduled for July 16, where the families would have the opportunity to provide impact statements.
