By Foster Klug, The Associated Press
BALTIMORE (AP) - A Baltimore man pleaded guilty Tuesday to the revenge murder of an off-duty city police detective.”
Raymond Saunders, 24, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2002 first degree murder of Detective Thomas Newman, who was shot nine times in retaliation for testimony the officer had given against Saunders’ half brother.”
Saunders, who faced a possible death sentence, also agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and a handgun charge.”
More than 30 police officers joined Newman’s family and friends in the courtroom for what was scheduled to be the first day of Saunders’ trial.”
Before the sentence was entered, Saunders briefly turned to face Newman’s family and said, “I pray every day that they’ll find it in their hearts to forgive me.""
Newman’s sister, Rena Martin, told Saunders during the hearing, “It’s because of your hateful and revengeful act that a beautiful little girl will never know her Daddy.""
In February, a jury sentenced co-defendant Jovan House, 22, to life without parole in Newman’s death. House also faced a possible death sentence.”
House and Saunders attacked the detective in the parking lot of Joe’s Tavern in retaliation for Newman’s testimony against Saunders’ half brother, who’d been charged in a shooting that wounded the officer, authorities said. The half brother, Andre Travers, was convicted of trying to kill Newman and sentenced to 30 years in prison.”
Defense attorney Timothy Gunning said his client agreed to the plea deal because Saunders “has a great deal of remorse and sorrow for what happened, and a guilty plea was his only chance to tell the family and the Baltimore police department how sorry he is.""
Prosecutor Donald Giblin said he was pleased that as the two-year anniversary of the Nov. 22, 2002, shooting approaches, the “two people who wielded the handguns will spend the rest of their lives in jail.""
The trial of Anthony Brown, who is accused of driving the getaway car, is scheduled to begin in December.”