Edgewood Man Pleads Guilty to 1st Degree Murder

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On Friday, February 16, 2024, Jamar Deverick Wise, 43, of Edgewood, Maryland pled guilty to First Degree Murder before the Honorable Alex Allman in the Circuit Court for Harford County. The plea agreement included an agreed sentence range of Life Suspend All But 80 years to Life without Parole.

Evidence presented in support of the plea showed that on December 20, 2022, deputies
were dispatched to an Edgewood address for a report of a protective order violation. The 911 caller was the victim’s fifteen-year-old daughter, who advised that Wise and her mother were arguing in the front yard of the residence. She further advised that there was a protective order in place and that Wise was not allowed to be there. During the course of the call, gunshots were heard, and the caller advised that her mother had been shot by Wise and was lying in the driveway of the residence. The caller was able to identify Wise as the shooter and through investigation, it was later discovered that the entire incident was filmed via cellphone by a witness from a neighboring residence. In addition, the victim’s two foster children were present in the home during the time of the incident.

When deputies arrived, it was determined that Wise had fled the scene in a rented vehicle. After a thorough investigation, Wise was apprehended in Pennsylvania on December 22, 2022. At that time, he was still in possession of the stolen firearm used to shoot the victim. The victim, who had been placed on life support following the brutal attack, succumbed to her injuries the following day, and was pronounced deceased. The cause of death was determined to be homicide.

Sentencing is currently set for May 10, 2024, where State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey, who is handling this case, intends to seek Life without Parole. Following the plea, State’s Attorney Healey issued the following statement:

“As a long time Domestic Violence prosecutor and supervisor, this may be one of the worst cases of domestic violence I have ever seen or prosecuted. Nothing will bring back their mother or change the fact that their lives were forever altered by the events that they witnessed on that December day, but it is my hope that this resolution will bring the victim’s children some peace in knowing that the person responsible for this horrific murder will spend the rest of his life in prison. I commend these children for their bravery and thank the entire family for their willingness to work with our office to bring this case to a close. I also am grateful for good people in our community, like the independent witness who was able to document this tragic event on video, for their courage in doing the right thing.

We are hopeful that we will bring justice to this victim’s family on May 10 and that the Court will impose the Life without Parole sentence that we will be seeking.”
State’s Attorney Healey thanks Detective Reynolds and the entire Harford County
Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division for their efforts in investigating this case.

State’s Attorney Healey sends further appreciation to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies and supervisors who arrived and quickly secured the scene, obtained vital information and evidence, and assisted the victim’s children with great care. She also recognizes Detectives Gerres and Wood for their instrumental efforts in apprehending this Defendant, so he could be brought to justice. Finally, she commends the 911 dispatcher who spoke with the victim’s daughter that day during her call for help and heard this horrific murder and the reactions to it in real time. Her guidance and composure in assisting the child until the deputies arrived should not be overlooked or forgotten, as our 911 dispatchers have an incredibly difficult, yet extremely significant role in these cases.