Murder suspect arrested in Virginia

Second suspect arrested in January Terrace Drive shooting

Police arrested one of the suspected gunmen allegedly responsible for the Jan. 12 fatal shooting on Terrace Drive in Waldorf Thursday night. A few days prior, a woman accused of setting up the attempted robbery was also apprehended.

Charged with first-degree murder, Reigel Paul Wamack, 23, was arrested April 14 in his Fairfax, Va., apartment by members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals Service, according to authorities. He is being held in Virginia pending extradition to Charles County.

Wamack’s apprehension came three days after the arrest of Rena Cassandra Crandell, 23, of Halethorpe, who investigators believe

helped stage the attempted robbery which led to slaying of Michael Keith Beers, 34, of Waldorf.

On Jan. 12, Beers was targeted by two masked gunmen who barged into the home, demanded money, and then shot the victim multiple times in the head, chest, hip and hand, according to charging documents.

Around 4:23 a.m. Jan. 12, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 11500 block of Terrace Drive for the report of a possible shooting.

Upon arrival, deputies discovered his body in the house and began their investigation.

Based on their initial findings, investigators believe there was another man, 32, and two women, one aged 52 and Crandell, in the house at the time of the shooting.

The other man in the home was assaulted but was able to jump out of a window and escape to safety.

After months of investigation, more details have become available.

Witnesses told investigators that Beers “makes a lot of money as a self-employed gambling ‘bookie,’” according to charging documents.

“[He] wears expensive clothes, drives a Mercedes Benz, and he enjoys spending his money on dancers at the clubs [in Baltimore,]” a witness told detectives.

In the summer of 2015, Beers met Crandell, who works as an exotic dancer at Lust Gentlemen’s Club in Baltimore, and dated a few times since then, court records show. Around 2 a.m. on the night of the shooting, Beers and his friend were awakened by Crandell who was throwing rocks at the window.

Crandell later told detectives that she went into the bedroom with Beers and “drank some liquor and had sex with ... Beers, then fell asleep on his chest,” police records state.

About two hours later, around 4:20 a.m., two masked men barged into the home, displayed a handgun, and began repeatedly punching Beer’s friend in the face, asking “Where’s Mike?” a witness told police.

The gunmen told the friend to walk toward the rear bedroom where Beers was sleeping with Crandell.

The men confronted Beers at gunpoint, and Crandell, who was dressed in undergarments, left the room without resistance from the two gunmen, court records show. When Beers denied having any cash, one of the gunman shot him once, prompting Beers and his friend to charge the suspects and begin fighting. One of the gunmen’s masks came off, revealing his face, but witnesses said they did not recognize him. He was described as a white male with brown hair.

However, they were not able to disarm the gunmen, so the friend jumped out of a window to avoid being shot. As he ran toward a neighbor’s house to ask for help he heard several gunshots ring out.

The friend “believes ... Crandell set-up … Beers to get robbed because she showed up at the house unannounced at [2 a.m.], then she disappeared right after the two masked suspects invaded the house,” charging documents state.

After police arrived around 4:28 a.m., they discovered Beer’s dead body.

Members of the CCSO Forensic Science Unit arrived on the scene and recovered evidence, including several spent .45 caliber shell casings and Crandell’s purse which had her driver’s license and cell phone inside. Detectives later discovered that Crandell had been in constant communication in a three-way text message conversation for the two hours and 20 minutes leading up to the attempted robbery, court records indicate. One of the contacts was saved in her phone as “REIGEL.”

After reviewing cell phone records, detectives believe Wamack, and possibly an accomplice, drove Crandell to Beers’ residence on Terrence Drive, and then back to Wamack’s apartment in Fairfax, court records show. Investigators developed Crandell as a possible accomplice almost immediately based on her inconsistent statements and actions following the incident.

When investigating Wamack as a suspect, detectives found several pictures of a .45 caliber handgun, which is consistent with the shell casings found at the scene and the description of the weapon given by witnesses, Det. C. Shankster wrote in his report.

Based on evidence gathered by investigators, Wamack was arrested on a warrant, authorities report.

The other gunman remains at large.