Murder trial continues into fourth day
Suspect charged with killing Waldorf teen
As day four of the trial continues in Charles County Circuit Court, the state continues to call witnesses to the stand in reference to the fatal stabbing of a Waldorf teen last year.
Facing first-degree murder, Shondell Javon Middleton, 19, of Clinton, N.C., has elected to be tried by bench trial with Judge Larnzell Martin Jr. of the Prince George’s County Circuit Court presiding. Assistant state’s attorneys John Stackhouse and Jeremy Widder continued to build their case against Middleton this week, with testimony from several witnesses there the day of the stabbing, the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy, detectives and officers, and a
forensic scientist.
Middleton is alleged to have chased down and repeatedly stabbed Jordan Anthony Lucas, 18, of Waldorf.
Around 10:30 a.m. on May 7, 2015, deputies with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 12300 block of Vivian Adams Drive in Waldorf for a reported assault, according to previous reports and court proceedings. Upon arrival, officers found Lucas suffering from multiple stab wounds, including a wound to his neck. First responders began rendering first aid, but by the time EMS personnel arrived on the scene, he had lost his pulse and paramedics attempted to resuscitate him with CPR. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Lucas and two other men had showed up at the apartment where Middleton was staying to confront him about a drug theft earlier in the week in which Middleton and another man stole about half an ounce of marijuana from Lucas, court proceedings revealed. Middleton allegedly emerged from the apartment and began chasing Lucas, eventually catching him and stabbing him to death.
Days before the incident, on the evening of May 4, Lucas, his two friends and several other men had showed up at the apartment to confront Middleton about allegedly stealing the marijuana earlier that day. They wanted to fight him and another man that lived inside the apartment. The friends testified that Middleton and his brother, really a close family friend, could be seen taunting them by holding up the stolen marijuana as they smoked.
Lucas’ friends both testified that two cars filled with men arrived outside the complex on Lucas’ behalf. Now approximately 10 men were outside the apartment yelling and banging on the door trying to get the two inside to come out to fight. Witnesses testified that Lucas wrapped his fist with his shirt and punched out a window of Middleton’s family car. The group also threw a fire extinguisher through the back windshield and later returned — after police had responded to the scene and since left — to spray paint the car and write expletives on the apartment door, according to proceedings.
A family friend who considers herself to be Middleton’s grandmother took the stand and said that after that incident they decided to buy a BB gun that resembled a real handgun in case the men came back again. “We just couldn’t believe the boys came and did this,” she said. “We were terrified; we didn’t know what was going to happen next.”
On the morning of May 7, she and her daughter were at work when Middleton called to tell them that the group of men were back and harassing him, according to court proceedings. He was alone inside the apartment as they yelled at him and banged on the door. Lucas had wanted to fight Middleton one-on-one, according to testimony from Lucas’ two friends.
As the trio waited out-