In the early morning hours of November 4, 2023, the life of 46-year-old Scott Marvin Bernich, a male resident of Great Mills, Maryland, was tragically cut short. The incident unfolded around 12:30 a.m. in the rear parking lot of St. Mary's Fine Wine & Spirits on Point Lookout Road. Bernich was discovered suffering from a gunshot wound and was initially rushed to MedStar St. Mary's Hospital.
Due to the severity of his injuries, he was then airlifted to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the shooting, which authorities stated was not a random act, was led by the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigations Division. Within a couple of days, on November 6, 2023, detectives arrested two individuals in connection with Bernich's death. The suspects were identified as 48-year-old Leroy Christopher Neal of Mechanicsville, MD, and 33-year-old Britny Lee Blankenship, who had no fixed address. Both individuals were taken into custody and faced a string of serious charges, including First-Degree Murder, Second-Degree Murder, First-Degree Assault, Second-Degree Assault, and Firearm Use in the Commission of a Crime of Violence.
Following the arrests, the legal process moved forward. After a three-day trial, a St. Mary's County jury found Leroy Christopher Neal guilty of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, and carrying a handgun on his person in June 2024. Neal faces a potential sentence of life plus 25 years in prison and remains held without bond pending his sentencing hearing. The case against Britny Lee Blankenship is also proceeding through the court system. The prosecution of the case was handled by the St. Mary's County State's Attorney's Office, with the Honorable Joseph M. Stanalonis presiding over the trial.
