4 other people and I had some fun driving around South Baltimore looking for homeless people this morning, between 12AM and 3AM. We found 5 people and did 1 survey. This is our track:
View Port Covington Homeless Census 2011 in a larger map
Patapsco Valley Mill Sites - Baltimore and Central Maryland
156 Mills, Foundries and Tanneries
View Patapsco Mills in a larger map
If you are looking for the location of a specific mill, click on this sentence link and used the index on the left of the Google Map to locate it. These sites are listed in the book A Guide to Patapsco Valley Mill Sites by James Walter Peirce. I made a few minor changes due to my knowledge of various mill sites. If you want to know more about each mill you should either buy the book or borrow a copy from your local library.
For those that just want to download a gpx file for use with their GPS or want a simple way to get this map to work with their iPhone, you can click on the Everytrail map below and then work with that site:
The Mills of the Patapsco Valley at EveryTrail
Below is a list of he mills that are annotated:
Aetna Powder Mill, Allen Grist Mill and Saw Mill, Ashley Ballemeno Mill, Asquiths Mill, Avalon Mills, Baltimore & Cuba Mining & Smelt,Baltimore Copper and Smelting, Baltimore Gunpowder Manufactory, Baltimore Iron Works, Bankert Grist Mill,Bartlett Hayward Foundry, Baskey Saw Mill, Batwood Mill, Beards Grist Saw Mill, Bellona Powder Mill, Bells Mill, Bentz Grist and Saw Mill, Blakely Mill, Bloom Grist Saw Mill, Bonds Saw Mill, Bonnie Branch Mill, Bowen Grist Mill, Brandenburg Grist Mill, Buffington Mill, Burgess Grist Mill, Burnham Saw Mill, Bushy Grist and Saw Mill, Calverton Mills, Carrolls Mill & Furnace, Carrolton Grist Mill, Chesapeake Furnace, Clipper Mill, Cockeys Mill,Comet Roller Mill, Cornthwaites Mill, Danb Mill, Daniels Albertson Cotton Mill, Davis Mill,Days Grist Mill, Devries Fulling Mill, Dorsey Paper Mill, Dorseys Furnace, Druid Cotton Mill, Ebaugh Fulling Mill, Elba Furnace, Elkridge Furnace, Elkridge Paper Mill, Ellicotts Iron Mill, Ellicotts Lower Mill, Ellicotts Upper Mills, Elseroad Saw Mill, Elys Grist Mill, Fitche Mill, Fites Mill, Franklintown Grist Mill, Frick Saw Mill, Gardiners Mill, Gillis Saw Mill, Gosnell Saw Mill, Grays Cotton Mill, Green Grist Mill, Groffs Mill, Hammors Grist and Saw Mill, Hansons Mill at Belvedere Bridg, Hansons Mill,Harris Fulling Mill, Hawes Grist Mill, Heiser Grist and Saw Mill, Hockley Forge, Hockley Grist Mill, Hoffman Paper Mill, Hollingsworth,Hoods Mill, Hoods Grist Mill, Hooperwood Textile Mill, Hopkins Grist and Saw Mill, Howard Cotton Factory, Hoys Mill, Hudsons Mill, Ivy Paper Mill, Jackson Foundry, Jacobs Grist Saw Mill, Jamisons Powder Mill, Klees Mill, Lawrencas Grist Mill, Lees Mill, Lewis and Shelby Grist-Saw Mill, Lloyd Grist and Saw Mill, Lyons Mill, Maryland Copper, Matthews Saw Mill,Meadow Cotton Mill, Mentzells Paper Mill, Merriweather Mill, Merriweather Grist Mill, Milford Grist and Saw Mill, Moores Mill,Mount Clare Grist Mill, Mount Royal Forge, Mount Vernon Cotton Factory, Mount Washington Cotton Mills, Oakland Mills,Odells Grist Mill, Orange Grove Flour Mill, Owings Middle Mill, Painters Mill,Park Mill, Pigott Grist Mill, Plummers Mill, Pohattan Cotton Factory, Poole and Hunt Foundry, Red Run Grist and Saw Mill, Richards Grist and Saw Mill, Richards Grist Mill,Rockland Cotton Mill,Rogers Forge, Rogers Lime Kiln and Mill,Rutter Mill, Saes Tannig Mill, Saint Marys Mill, Schaffer Grist Mill, Schlossett Tannery, Selby Grist Mill, Shamberger Grist and Saw Mill, Showey Grist Mill, Simkins Paper Mill, Smiths Leather Tannery, Soapstone Grist and Saw Mill, Soapstone Paper Mill, Sparrows Point, Springfield Roller Mills, Stevenson Copper Furnace, Stickney Furnace, Stimix Mill, Stockdale Grist and Saw Mill, Stowe Mahogany Mill, Strausbau Grist Mill, Tamanus Mill,Tentsfield Saw Mill, Thistle Mill, Thompsons Saw Mill, Tschudi Mill,Union Manufacturing Company, Union Saw Mill, Vachael Dorsey Mill,Valley Grist Mill and Saw Mill, Vinegar Mill, Welles Grist and Saw Mill, Whalen Grist and Saw Mill, Whipps Mill, Wilkins Rogers Flour Mill, Wind Mill, Windsor Mill, Winters Grist Mill,Woodberry Grist Mill, Worthington Saw Mill
View Patapsco Mills in a larger map
If you are looking for the location of a specific mill, click on this sentence link and used the index on the left of the Google Map to locate it. These sites are listed in the book A Guide to Patapsco Valley Mill Sites by James Walter Peirce. I made a few minor changes due to my knowledge of various mill sites. If you want to know more about each mill you should either buy the book or borrow a copy from your local library.
For those that just want to download a gpx file for use with their GPS or want a simple way to get this map to work with their iPhone, you can click on the Everytrail map below and then work with that site:
The Mills of the Patapsco Valley at EveryTrail
Below is a list of he mills that are annotated:
Aetna Powder Mill, Allen Grist Mill and Saw Mill, Ashley Ballemeno Mill, Asquiths Mill, Avalon Mills, Baltimore & Cuba Mining & Smelt,Baltimore Copper and Smelting, Baltimore Gunpowder Manufactory, Baltimore Iron Works, Bankert Grist Mill,Bartlett Hayward Foundry, Baskey Saw Mill, Batwood Mill, Beards Grist Saw Mill, Bellona Powder Mill, Bells Mill, Bentz Grist and Saw Mill, Blakely Mill, Bloom Grist Saw Mill, Bonds Saw Mill, Bonnie Branch Mill, Bowen Grist Mill, Brandenburg Grist Mill, Buffington Mill, Burgess Grist Mill, Burnham Saw Mill, Bushy Grist and Saw Mill, Calverton Mills, Carrolls Mill & Furnace, Carrolton Grist Mill, Chesapeake Furnace, Clipper Mill, Cockeys Mill,Comet Roller Mill, Cornthwaites Mill, Danb Mill, Daniels Albertson Cotton Mill, Davis Mill,Days Grist Mill, Devries Fulling Mill, Dorsey Paper Mill, Dorseys Furnace, Druid Cotton Mill, Ebaugh Fulling Mill, Elba Furnace, Elkridge Furnace, Elkridge Paper Mill, Ellicotts Iron Mill, Ellicotts Lower Mill, Ellicotts Upper Mills, Elseroad Saw Mill, Elys Grist Mill, Fitche Mill, Fites Mill, Franklintown Grist Mill, Frick Saw Mill, Gardiners Mill, Gillis Saw Mill, Gosnell Saw Mill, Grays Cotton Mill, Green Grist Mill, Groffs Mill, Hammors Grist and Saw Mill, Hansons Mill at Belvedere Bridg, Hansons Mill,Harris Fulling Mill, Hawes Grist Mill, Heiser Grist and Saw Mill, Hockley Forge, Hockley Grist Mill, Hoffman Paper Mill, Hollingsworth,Hoods Mill, Hoods Grist Mill, Hooperwood Textile Mill, Hopkins Grist and Saw Mill, Howard Cotton Factory, Hoys Mill, Hudsons Mill, Ivy Paper Mill, Jackson Foundry, Jacobs Grist Saw Mill, Jamisons Powder Mill, Klees Mill, Lawrencas Grist Mill, Lees Mill, Lewis and Shelby Grist-Saw Mill, Lloyd Grist and Saw Mill, Lyons Mill, Maryland Copper, Matthews Saw Mill,Meadow Cotton Mill, Mentzells Paper Mill, Merriweather Mill, Merriweather Grist Mill, Milford Grist and Saw Mill, Moores Mill,Mount Clare Grist Mill, Mount Royal Forge, Mount Vernon Cotton Factory, Mount Washington Cotton Mills, Oakland Mills,Odells Grist Mill, Orange Grove Flour Mill, Owings Middle Mill, Painters Mill,Park Mill, Pigott Grist Mill, Plummers Mill, Pohattan Cotton Factory, Poole and Hunt Foundry, Red Run Grist and Saw Mill, Richards Grist and Saw Mill, Richards Grist Mill,Rockland Cotton Mill,Rogers Forge, Rogers Lime Kiln and Mill,Rutter Mill, Saes Tannig Mill, Saint Marys Mill, Schaffer Grist Mill, Schlossett Tannery, Selby Grist Mill, Shamberger Grist and Saw Mill, Showey Grist Mill, Simkins Paper Mill, Smiths Leather Tannery, Soapstone Grist and Saw Mill, Soapstone Paper Mill, Sparrows Point, Springfield Roller Mills, Stevenson Copper Furnace, Stickney Furnace, Stimix Mill, Stockdale Grist and Saw Mill, Stowe Mahogany Mill, Strausbau Grist Mill, Tamanus Mill,Tentsfield Saw Mill, Thistle Mill, Thompsons Saw Mill, Tschudi Mill,Union Manufacturing Company, Union Saw Mill, Vachael Dorsey Mill,Valley Grist Mill and Saw Mill, Vinegar Mill, Welles Grist and Saw Mill, Whalen Grist and Saw Mill, Whipps Mill, Wilkins Rogers Flour Mill, Wind Mill, Windsor Mill, Winters Grist Mill,Woodberry Grist Mill, Worthington Saw Mill
The Bodies of Leakin Park - Baltimore, MD
Since 1946 79 Bodies have been found in Leakin Park. Below is a map of where the 68 of those bodies were found.
I want to make one additional comment. Anyone that knows me is aware of my attention to detail when it comes to map symbol placement. Due to the large numbers of symbols and making the map clear, and also the pathetic way the Baltimore City Police Department annotates crime scene locations, I want to admit the body placement is approximate and not exact. If you have any questions, email me. You can find the address in my profile. This list was most recently updated on 06/18/2017.
| Name | Address body was found | Date Found | Age | Murdered By: | |
| Richard Wayne Truman (with introduction) | Mt. Holly Road area | November 18, 1946 | 13 | Robert Clayton Wright | |
| Larry Jefferson | 3800 Stokes Drive | April 19, 1968 | 9 | Reginald Vernon Oates | |
| Matt Jefferson | 3800 Stokes Drive | April 19, 1968 | 5 | https://sites.google.com/view/larry-jefferson-matt-jefferson/homeReginald Vernon Oates | |
| Louis Robert Hill | 3800 Stokes Drive | April 19, 1968 | 10 | Reginald Vernon Oates | |
| Lester Watson | 3800 Stokes Drive | April 19, 1968 | 10 | Reginald Vernon Oates | |
| Elsie Josephine Johnson | 3900 Chesholm Road | May 28, 1969 | 16 | Andre Van Lear Foster | |
| Eugene Leroy Anderson | r4100 Stokes Drive | killed July 11, 1969 found October 27, 1969 | 20 | Either the Black Panthers or the FBI depending on your POV | |
| George Douglas Newton | 3700 Winterbourne Road | June 6, 1971 | 23 | ||
| Milton Beatty | 4500 Hutton Ave | March 8, 1972 | 24 | ||
| Sherman Mack Butler | Hutton Ave and Wetheredsville Road | January 6, 1973 | 20 | ||
| Thelma Nash | 4800 Franklintown Road | January 28, 1973 | 19 | David L. Morris | |
| Wanda M. Lewis | 1400 Franklintown Road | May 18, 1974 | 15 | ||
| Alfred Washington | 1400 Franklintown Road | May 18, 1974 | 17 | ||
| William Braxton | Leakin Park | July 30, 1974 | 26 | ||
| William Emerson Dorsey | 3800 Chesholm Road | August 6, 1974 | 17 | ||
| Luther Wagner | 4800 Franklintown Road | December 2, 1974 | 21 | Fred T. Sampson | |
| Wanda Carter | Windsor Mill Road | December 7, 1976 | 22 | Olivia L Tatum | |
| Gwendolyn Moore | 3500 Gelston Drive | March 29, 1979 | 23 | ||
| Lester Williams | 1400 Franklintown Road | October 9, 1979 | 25 | ||
| Margaret L Robinson | 4700 Franklintown Road | June 26, 1981 | 19 | Killed by husband | |
| Joyce Ann DeShields | 4300 Seminole Avenue | May 9, 1982 | 26 | killed by serial killer who remains on the loose | |
| Paul John Casper | 4800 Clifton Ave | January 5, 1984 | 36 | ||
| Oliver Wendell Munson | Potentially Leakin Park | February 13, 1984 | 39 | Dennis Watson is a person of interest | |
| Unidentified Man | Wetheredsville Road | March 19, 1986 | |||
| Jason Ely | 4500 Wetheredsville Road | January 1, 1988 | 21 | Willy Petty Jr, Jimmie McKoy, JoAnn Petty | |
| Hope Sarah Patterson | 1900 Wetheredsville Road | September 13, 1990 | 35 | Ronald Ludd and Richard Tirrell Cook charged | |
| Troy Leroy Bennett | 4600 Wetheredsville Road | May 16, 1991 | 20 | ||
| Infant | Franklintown Road and Chesholme Road | November 13, 1991 | less than 1 | ||
| Timothy Washington | Most likely Leakin Park | September 11, 1992 | 8 | Keith M. Garrett | |
| Linda Pearson | 4700 Wetheredsville Road | March 28, 1993 | 31 | Don Anthony Pearson | |
| Unidentified Man - Suicide | 4900 Windsor Mill Road | April 17, 1994 | |||
| Patrick Maxwell | 4700 Franklintown Road | May 2, 1994 | 27 | ||
| Bernadette Tyndale | 2000 Ridgetop Road | June 15, 1994 | 30 | Ernest Tyndale | |
| Shante Harris | Franklintown Road | July 29, 1994 | 3 | Darntrell Griffin, Eric Duane Dorsey | |
| Gregory Melvin Smith | 4700 Franklintown Road | May 4, 1995 | 25 | Robert Malcolm McLain Jr. aka Darryl Anthony Harris McLain or Darryl McLain DOB 05091968 No longer incarcerated | |
| Russell Fletcher | 3700 Franklintown Road | February 1, 1996 | 37 | ||
| Renita Wallace | 1900 Ridgetop road | April 3, 1996 | 33 | Walter Percy Holmes Jr. | |
| Courtney Williams | 4500 Wetheredsville Road | April 7, 1996 | 27 | The Dirty Cop accused Chris Black | |
| Unidentified Man | 4500 Wetheredsville Road | April 8, 1996 | No obvious signs of foul play | ||
| Aaron Glenn | 5000 Franklintown Road | April 20, 1996 | 20s | ||
| Charles Augustus Robinson | 3500 Winterbourne Road | April 24, 1996 | 61 | ||
| Charles Hayden(found with D. Coleman) | 4800 Franklintown Road | July 18, 1996 | 22 | ||
| Deron Coleman | 4800 Franklintown Road | July 18, 1996 | 24 | ||
| Alphonso Spencer | 4500 Franklintown Road | April 27, 1996 | 37 | Allegedly Arnold Braxton Jr. and Nathaniel Powell | |
| Rodney Alonzo Banks | 5100 Franklintown Road | May 19, 1997 | 31 | ||
| Devon Dexter Denton | 3600 Winterbourne Road | May 25, 1997 | 18 | ||
| Victonio Guy Spencer | 1900 Eagle Drive | June 1, 1997 | 26 | All charges dropped against Keith D. McCallum | |
| Leonard Williams | 2000 Franklintown Road | July 2, 1997 | 25 | ||
| Unidentified Man | 4800 Franklintown Road | September 08, 1997 | |||
| Wanda Turner | 3100 Wetheredsville Road | January 23, 1998 | 26 | ||
| Todd Roney | Hutton Ave and Wetheredsville Road | September 7, 1998 | 33 | ||
| Rasheed Alea Harris | Leakin Park Ravine | February 22, 1998 | 19 | ||
| Kendall Hawks | 4700 Windsor Mill Road | October 4, 1998 | 18 | ||
| Rufus Washington | 4000 Clifton Avenue | November 13, 1998 | 41 | Michael J Stewart and Antonio A Warrington | |
| Vincent Blatch | 3500 Winterbourne Road | November 24, 1998 | 35 | ||
| Novella Peaches Brown | 4500 Hutton Ave | December 28, 1998 | 41 | ||
| Hae Min Lee | 4400 Franklintown Road | February 9, 1999 | 17 | Adnan Musud Syed | |
| Terrance Granger | 3700 Franklintown Road | October 8, 1999 | 22 | ||
| Unidentified Man | Franklintown and Wetherdsville Roads | August 09, 2000 | |||
| Brian Anthony Johnson | 3400 Winterbourne Road | June 10, 2001 | 18 | Eric Von Poole (although there are some questions regarding his conviction), Charles Antonio Ham, Carl Douglass Harrison | |
| Christopher Hudson | 4500 Windsor Mill Road | June 29, 2001 | 20 | ||
| Adrian Anthony Jenkins | Franklintown and Wetheredsville Roads | December 9, 2001 | 21 | ||
| Broderick Richardson | Franklintown Road | January 24, 2003 | 38 | ||
| Carlos Herrea | Leakin Park | January 31, 2004 | 63 | ||
| Margo Baker | 4000 Clifton Ave | May 6, 2005 | 52 | Ross Telp (her son) | |
| Stephen Robinson | 3200 Franklintown Road | October 9, 2005 | 55 | ||
| Christian Nunez | 4800 Franklintown Road | July 18, 2006 | 38 | ||
| Leonard Nathaniel Garrett | 800 Winans Way | October 7, 2006 | 24 | ||
| Freddie Thornton | 4300 Franklintown Road | December 23, 2006 | 69 | Timothy Izzard | |
| Riley Pettus | 1300 North Woodington Road | June 7, 2007 | 43 | ||
| Kwame Saka Osafo | 3900 Winterbourne Road | October 10, 2007 | 21 | Andre Cox, Gregory Lee charged then nolle prosequied | |
| Yolanda Brown | 3600 Winterbourne Road | March 20, 2008 | 36 | William Vincent Brown is a suspect, he was found guilty of attempted murder of another woman in Leakin Park,and pleaded guilty to the murder of 2 women in other locations | |
| Petro Taylor | 3000 Franklintown Road | December 30, 2008 | 20 | Grechauna Rogers, Sierra Pyles, Tenisha Lawson, Anthony O. Williams, Devin Melton, Lawrence Walker, Dominique Boone | |
| Lemuel Wallace | 3200 Franklintown Road | February 4, 2009 | 37 | Kevin Pushia pleaded guilty, James Omar Clea and Kareem Jamal Clea were found "Not Guilty" | |
| Michael Thomas | 1900 Eagle Drive | March 29, 2010 | 29 | ||
| Lois Jean Smyth aka Lois Vance | 4400 Windsor Mill Road | May 29, 2011 | 40 | Kenneth Brunetti | |
| Oswaldo Santana | 4700 Windsor Mill Road | February 29, 2012 | 21 | ||
| Mary Tisdale | 4900 Franklintown Road | September 29, 2012 | 62 | ||
| Antoine Ellis | 2000 North Forest Park Avenue | November 22, 2012 | 23 | ||
| Vashon Conyers | 3600 North Franklintown Road | January 30, 2018 | 30 | Victim died in well due to trauma to the body | |
| Ricky Tyrone Williams | 4300 North Franklintown Road | July 15, 2018 | 36 | Shooting victim | |
| Albertus Nelson | 4700 Franklintown Road | December 07, 2018 | 58 | Shooting victim | |
| Quante Thompson | 4900 North Franklintown Road | June 08, 2021 | 23 | Victim found with trauma to the body | |
| Leandrea Sampson | Franklintown Road and Wynans Way | October 24, 2021 | 39 | Female shooting victim found in burning car. Victim lived in Randallstown. Jermaine Jeter(boyfriend) charged but later found not guilty. | |
| Darron McCoy Jr. | Winans Way and Franklintown Road | January 17, 2022 | 23 | Shooting victim. 17 year old boy charged 02/01/22 | |
| James Moore | 1 Morris Road | January 31, 2022 | 31 | Shooting victim, Ronnie Harris Jr , 33-year-old Janay Barksdale , and 40-year-old Morgan Reed all charged 03/11/22 | |
| Steven Gillus | 4300 Windsor Mill Drive | September 21, 2022 | 39 | Victim found in burning vehicle in the trailhead parking lot. | |
If you enjoy Leakin Park or enjoy finding abandoned artifacts in the woods, you may wish to visit my Ghosts of Leakin Park site. If you want to look at a handy trail map for the park you can visit my Leakin Park Trail Map site. General information about 2013 Baltimore City Homicides can be found here.
Update January 6, 2011 I'm getting inquiries from people about murders for years gone by. I have created a helpful tutorial on how the search the Baltimore Sun archives yourself. If you can't find what you are looking for through the Sun Archives you can email me with the approximate date of the murder, the name of the person murdered, the location of the murder and the home address of the murdered person or as much information as you know, and I will see what I can dig up. I am a busy person so you will have to wait patiently for the results.
Special thanks to the Enoch Pratt Free Library and the Charm City Circulator, without their assistance this site wouldn't have been possible. Also I would like to thank Thea Pederson for her attention to detail and good eye.
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How to use the Baltimore Sun Archives and the library to search for old murder cases (and other stuff)
In the furthest reaches of your memory do you have an old murder that you want to learn about? Or maybe there is an urban legend kicking around that you want to confirm or deny? Or how about if you just want to know more about something that happened in the past. Allow me to show you how to find out what you need to know. All the resources you need are right here on the Internet.
Naturally, you can do your research any way you wish, but I will share my own methodology. Below is a quick list of the web sites that you will find useful.
Baltimore Sun Archives
Enoch Pratt Free Library Newspaper Databases
Baltimore County Public Library Newspaper Archive List
Maryland Judiciary Case Search
Maryland Department of Corrections Inmate Locator
First let's talk about how Baltimore Sun's reporters report on murder cases. Do a search on what you know already. They almost always list the following:
Name of victim
Name of alleged murderer
Hundred block of murder site
Hundred block of both victim and murderer's home address
Neighborhood of murder site
Once you have some general information, you will also need a range of dates in which the murder/event took place. So think about what you were doing when the event took place and you can start there. The Baltimore Sun Archives is missing the years between 1987-1990.
There are 2 ways of accessing Baltimore Sun articles from yesteryear for no money at all.
1. The Enoch Pratt Free Library
You are free to visit the EPFL Central Library at 400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Enter the lobby, take a left and go straight to the Newspaper Room. There you will confront some scary library ladies who will give you a dirty look. Bring your A-game with you. Be polite. Tell the scary ladies what you want and they will give you specific instructions. Do not ask for special favors, do not make small talk, do not look right, do not look left. They will tell you exactly what to do to extract the information you need from the microfilm. Follow the rules. You can make paper copies of the article @ $0.20 per page or you can make downloadable jpgs with their new-fangled machinery if you bring your own thumb drive. Once you get the swing of things it becomes quite easy.
Update 11/20/11 Since I first published this post the kind people at the Enoch Pratt Free Library has added the Baltimore Sun to the EPFL Newspaper Databases it provides to the library-going public. Just like in Baltimore County you will need a library card to access them from your home OR you can visit an EPFL branch and use the computers in the library.
2. Baltimore County Public Library On-Line Newspaper Archive Database
For this you will need a Baltimore County Public Library library card. Baltimore County library cards are available to anyone. You can apply on-line for a Baltimore County Library card here. You will also need to sign up for their on-line account management system which requires and email address. Once you are hooked up into the Baltimore County System you can access the many online newspaper databases Baltimore County provides, Baltimore Sun, Afro American, New York Times and Christian Science Monitor.
Baltimore County Public Library Newspaper List
Once in the archives, type the street names, victim names, and whatever other identifying search words into the search box. Next choose the appropriate database and date ranges. I'd go with "relevance" because that will help you avoid anything in the classified ads or notices, you want the articles. Keep searching until you find the articles you seek. Once you find the articles that are relevant write down the date of the newspaper and the page number.
Okay, now you have the information about the murder and you want more information about the people involved. I recommend using the Maryland Judiciary Case Search to find out all about the interactions the people involved had with the judicial system. The case search only harkens back to 1990 or so, but for recent criminal events it should be able to give you the big picture. For common names you may need the middle initial or birth date.
Once you have the murderer's name you can figure out whether he/she is still a guest of the state by using the Maryland Department of Corrections Inmate Locator. Again, for common names you may need the middle initial or birth date.
Naturally, you can do your research any way you wish, but I will share my own methodology. Below is a quick list of the web sites that you will find useful.
Baltimore Sun Archives
Enoch Pratt Free Library Newspaper Databases
Baltimore County Public Library Newspaper Archive List
Maryland Judiciary Case Search
Maryland Department of Corrections Inmate Locator
First let's talk about how Baltimore Sun's reporters report on murder cases. Do a search on what you know already. They almost always list the following:
Name of victim
Name of alleged murderer
Hundred block of murder site
Hundred block of both victim and murderer's home address
Neighborhood of murder site
Once you have some general information, you will also need a range of dates in which the murder/event took place. So think about what you were doing when the event took place and you can start there. The Baltimore Sun Archives is missing the years between 1987-1990.
There are 2 ways of accessing Baltimore Sun articles from yesteryear for no money at all.
1. The Enoch Pratt Free Library
You are free to visit the EPFL Central Library at 400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Enter the lobby, take a left and go straight to the Newspaper Room. There you will confront some scary library ladies who will give you a dirty look. Bring your A-game with you. Be polite. Tell the scary ladies what you want and they will give you specific instructions. Do not ask for special favors, do not make small talk, do not look right, do not look left. They will tell you exactly what to do to extract the information you need from the microfilm. Follow the rules. You can make paper copies of the article @ $0.20 per page or you can make downloadable jpgs with their new-fangled machinery if you bring your own thumb drive. Once you get the swing of things it becomes quite easy.
Update 11/20/11 Since I first published this post the kind people at the Enoch Pratt Free Library has added the Baltimore Sun to the EPFL Newspaper Databases it provides to the library-going public. Just like in Baltimore County you will need a library card to access them from your home OR you can visit an EPFL branch and use the computers in the library.
2. Baltimore County Public Library On-Line Newspaper Archive Database
For this you will need a Baltimore County Public Library library card. Baltimore County library cards are available to anyone. You can apply on-line for a Baltimore County Library card here. You will also need to sign up for their on-line account management system which requires and email address. Once you are hooked up into the Baltimore County System you can access the many online newspaper databases Baltimore County provides, Baltimore Sun, Afro American, New York Times and Christian Science Monitor.
Baltimore County Public Library Newspaper List
Once in the archives, type the street names, victim names, and whatever other identifying search words into the search box. Next choose the appropriate database and date ranges. I'd go with "relevance" because that will help you avoid anything in the classified ads or notices, you want the articles. Keep searching until you find the articles you seek. Once you find the articles that are relevant write down the date of the newspaper and the page number.
Okay, now you have the information about the murder and you want more information about the people involved. I recommend using the Maryland Judiciary Case Search to find out all about the interactions the people involved had with the judicial system. The case search only harkens back to 1990 or so, but for recent criminal events it should be able to give you the big picture. For common names you may need the middle initial or birth date.
Once you have the murderer's name you can figure out whether he/she is still a guest of the state by using the Maryland Department of Corrections Inmate Locator. Again, for common names you may need the middle initial or birth date.
Masonville Cove Revisted - Baltimore, MD
First and foremost, for an explanation of my initial visit to the cove please visit my original blog post on the Masonville Cove. I have no picture for this current post so if you want to see what it looks like you'll have the refer to the other post.
View Masonville Cove in a larger map
Okay, now that you have read the old post let's fast forward to October 2010. I have been doing a lot of bird watching over at Ft. McHenry and have been watching the dredge activity over at Masonville Cove. If you look at the Google Map Satellite imagery viewable now (October 2010) in the above map it is completely inaccurate. The Port Administration has annihilated the cove, the ferry is gone and so are a lot of the other boat relics that were there. The cove area to the east of the Mercedes Benz parking lot has been filled in and now there are new land formations all over. The last 2 years have been a noisy busy mess.
I had to go over to Brooklyn yesterday so I figured I would stop in over at the cove to see what was going on. The Masonville Environmental Center has been erected, finished and staffed. According to the Masonville Cove Environmental Center Website it is sort an education center. I was there at noon on a Monday. There was staff in the building but the door was locked. I knocked anyway. The staff told me the building was not open to the public that day, I asked to look around which they allowed me to do. Nobody offered me a map or instructions on what to do or see at the cove. The staff seemed busy preparing their lunches. I opted not to ask any questions because I feared the staff would tell me I had to leave the cove and go away which wasn't going to happen. I didn't feel like getting into a pissing match with a ponytail.
Now I was left with a dilemma, I wanted to see the cove but I didn't want the staff to notice I was in the cove. Fortunately for me I remembered to wear my camouflage. The beauty of Masonville Cove Environmental Center is that the center is completely obscured in the woods. As long as one stays to the west of the center they can't see you. So that is where I decided to go. I left my car in the Environmental Center's parking lot which I will probably never do again. The parking lot has a gate and I was worried that the gate might get closed. Next time I visit I will leave my car somewhere on Frankfurst Avenue so the staff can't see it and I won't have to worry about the gate. I also want to forwarn you that due to the dredging the entire area really really stinks, it stinks bad.
I walked west on Frankfurst Ave. and used the gated road entrance to access the cove (see map). Then I walked a few hundred feet to get to the water's edge. There is a road that goes to mulch parking lot there. Then you have to bushwhack. Some of the coastline there rises about 20-30 feet above the water and makes for a good place to watch the birds. This was pretty exciting because an osprey was busy diving for fish not 50 feet in front of me. There was lots of osprey activity. Across the cove area I noticed a kingfisher enjoying the rocks. I looked over to the Mercedes Benz parking lots and saw a bald eagle atop the big light poles. It's October and I have always noticed the balds on the Patapsco at this time of year. My guess is that they are coming from the north, performing their southward migration to South America to hang for the winter.
I wanted to know what the land looked like as it went out further to the point. So I started to walk northward. There was no trail, I was doing a lot of difficult bushwhack in lots of thorns and invasives. I got to an area where there was a group of trees and all hell seemed to break loose. The trees came alive with big blue herons squawking and flapping their wings. Now, this answered a question I had about the big blues. As an avid birder over at Ft. McHenry I always wondered where the herons lived, as they seemed to always fly in from Masonville Cove. Herons are very particular as to what type of tree they like to perch in. This little group of about 4 trees that I stumbled upon must be the home turf of the area's heron population. With all my crunching the herons decided to vacate the premises. Before I knew it there was a big flock of large blue herons flying around the Patapsco River Basin which looked totally cool. I felt bad for disturbing them, and this is probably why I later learned the Masonville Urban Bird Sanctuary is off-limit to humans. I suppose I must have been in the bird sanctuary part of the cove. Who knew?
I managed to make me way out to the tip of the point and saw some old rotting pier posts. There were a variety of gulls and cormorants basking in the sun. It was nice and peaceful, I found some old shards of chinaware that were unusual. When I was at the environmental center I had notice a very small picture display of the history of the point. Apparently there once was entire rowhouse neighborhood on the point that was demolished because the railroad wanted the land. There are some old pictures of the neighborhood on the website here. I wonder where Matson and Mavin Street, in Masonville Cove once were? The neighborhood had 50 houses, a store and gospel hall. Do you know? Please add a comment if you do.
Anyway, I was getting a little worried about my car and that gate so I left Masonville Cove, maybe one day I will visit their legal hiking trails and learn more, that is if the Visitor's Center staff is a little more welcoming.
Update January 3, 2011 I went back to Masonville Cove a few days ago. This time I left my car at the parking lot but outside the gate alongside the Environmental Center Sign. I learned that the Maryland Environmental Services team closes the gate precisely at 3:30PM and that it is legal to leave your car outside the gate but not blocking the entrance way. Forwarning: There was a lady-of-the-evening actively looking for business out on Fairfield Ave. so be very aware that this is going on in the immediate area. Take precautions and protect yourself, especially if you are female.
I bushwhacked back to the cove to the water's edge that is on the west side near the concrete plant. This is migratory duck heaven. I saw:
Ruddy Ducks
Buffleheads
Common Mergansers both male AND female
Canvasbacks
Mallards
Herring Gulls
Blackbacked Gulls
Big Blue Herons
Next time I visit I think I might park at the Park&Ride at the intersection of Hanover Street. I am going to wear my baggy pants and hood, and then walk up 1/2 mile on Fairfield Ave to get back to the cove. As a woman in this section of town I don't want to be all that visible.
View Masonville Cove in a larger map
Okay, now that you have read the old post let's fast forward to October 2010. I have been doing a lot of bird watching over at Ft. McHenry and have been watching the dredge activity over at Masonville Cove. If you look at the Google Map Satellite imagery viewable now (October 2010) in the above map it is completely inaccurate. The Port Administration has annihilated the cove, the ferry is gone and so are a lot of the other boat relics that were there. The cove area to the east of the Mercedes Benz parking lot has been filled in and now there are new land formations all over. The last 2 years have been a noisy busy mess.
I had to go over to Brooklyn yesterday so I figured I would stop in over at the cove to see what was going on. The Masonville Environmental Center has been erected, finished and staffed. According to the Masonville Cove Environmental Center Website it is sort an education center. I was there at noon on a Monday. There was staff in the building but the door was locked. I knocked anyway. The staff told me the building was not open to the public that day, I asked to look around which they allowed me to do. Nobody offered me a map or instructions on what to do or see at the cove. The staff seemed busy preparing their lunches. I opted not to ask any questions because I feared the staff would tell me I had to leave the cove and go away which wasn't going to happen. I didn't feel like getting into a pissing match with a ponytail.
Now I was left with a dilemma, I wanted to see the cove but I didn't want the staff to notice I was in the cove. Fortunately for me I remembered to wear my camouflage. The beauty of Masonville Cove Environmental Center is that the center is completely obscured in the woods. As long as one stays to the west of the center they can't see you. So that is where I decided to go. I left my car in the Environmental Center's parking lot which I will probably never do again. The parking lot has a gate and I was worried that the gate might get closed. Next time I visit I will leave my car somewhere on Frankfurst Avenue so the staff can't see it and I won't have to worry about the gate. I also want to forwarn you that due to the dredging the entire area really really stinks, it stinks bad.
I walked west on Frankfurst Ave. and used the gated road entrance to access the cove (see map). Then I walked a few hundred feet to get to the water's edge. There is a road that goes to mulch parking lot there. Then you have to bushwhack. Some of the coastline there rises about 20-30 feet above the water and makes for a good place to watch the birds. This was pretty exciting because an osprey was busy diving for fish not 50 feet in front of me. There was lots of osprey activity. Across the cove area I noticed a kingfisher enjoying the rocks. I looked over to the Mercedes Benz parking lots and saw a bald eagle atop the big light poles. It's October and I have always noticed the balds on the Patapsco at this time of year. My guess is that they are coming from the north, performing their southward migration to South America to hang for the winter.
I wanted to know what the land looked like as it went out further to the point. So I started to walk northward. There was no trail, I was doing a lot of difficult bushwhack in lots of thorns and invasives. I got to an area where there was a group of trees and all hell seemed to break loose. The trees came alive with big blue herons squawking and flapping their wings. Now, this answered a question I had about the big blues. As an avid birder over at Ft. McHenry I always wondered where the herons lived, as they seemed to always fly in from Masonville Cove. Herons are very particular as to what type of tree they like to perch in. This little group of about 4 trees that I stumbled upon must be the home turf of the area's heron population. With all my crunching the herons decided to vacate the premises. Before I knew it there was a big flock of large blue herons flying around the Patapsco River Basin which looked totally cool. I felt bad for disturbing them, and this is probably why I later learned the Masonville Urban Bird Sanctuary is off-limit to humans. I suppose I must have been in the bird sanctuary part of the cove. Who knew?
I managed to make me way out to the tip of the point and saw some old rotting pier posts. There were a variety of gulls and cormorants basking in the sun. It was nice and peaceful, I found some old shards of chinaware that were unusual. When I was at the environmental center I had notice a very small picture display of the history of the point. Apparently there once was entire rowhouse neighborhood on the point that was demolished because the railroad wanted the land. There are some old pictures of the neighborhood on the website here. I wonder where Matson and Mavin Street, in Masonville Cove once were? The neighborhood had 50 houses, a store and gospel hall. Do you know? Please add a comment if you do.
Anyway, I was getting a little worried about my car and that gate so I left Masonville Cove, maybe one day I will visit their legal hiking trails and learn more, that is if the Visitor's Center staff is a little more welcoming.
Update January 3, 2011 I went back to Masonville Cove a few days ago. This time I left my car at the parking lot but outside the gate alongside the Environmental Center Sign. I learned that the Maryland Environmental Services team closes the gate precisely at 3:30PM and that it is legal to leave your car outside the gate but not blocking the entrance way. Forwarning: There was a lady-of-the-evening actively looking for business out on Fairfield Ave. so be very aware that this is going on in the immediate area. Take precautions and protect yourself, especially if you are female.
I bushwhacked back to the cove to the water's edge that is on the west side near the concrete plant. This is migratory duck heaven. I saw:
Ruddy Ducks
Buffleheads
Common Mergansers both male AND female
Canvasbacks
Mallards
Herring Gulls
Blackbacked Gulls
Big Blue Herons
Next time I visit I think I might park at the Park&Ride at the intersection of Hanover Street. I am going to wear my baggy pants and hood, and then walk up 1/2 mile on Fairfield Ave to get back to the cove. As a woman in this section of town I don't want to be all that visible.
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