LA PLATA, MD—In a significant ruling on Friday, February 16, 2024, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced 24-year-old Anthony Edward Small to life in prison, with a mandatory 50 years, for the first-degree murder of a seventeen-year-old and the use of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
The conviction stems from an incident on November 3, 2020, when police were called to an apartment on Amberleaf Place following reports of a shooting. They discovered the young victim with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite being airlifted to Washington Hospital Center, he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigations into the tragic event revealed that an altercation occurred between the victim and individuals in a bright blue car, culminating in the shooting. Eyewitness accounts and subsequent police work pointed towards Small as the shooter, with forensic evidence including a fingerprint on the car used to flee the scene and phone records placing Small at the location during the crime. Furthermore, incriminating evidence was found on Small’s phone, including photographs of him with the victim’s blood-stained handgun and a text confession to his girlfriend.
During the plea hearing on December 11, 2023, Small admitted guilt to the charges of first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in a violent crime. The case revealed a premeditated attempt to rob the victim, orchestrated by Small and his co-defendant, Tyliek Anthony Spence, under the guise of a marijuana purchase. Spence, who had earlier admitted to driving the getaway vehicle and provided a detailed account of the events leading to the shooting, pleaded guilty to first-degree felony murder on September 15, 2022. His sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2024.
Before passing the sentence, Judge West remarked on the profound loss caused by the defendant’s actions, noting the victim’s youth and the irreversible impact on his family. “He was just a child. He never really had a chance to better himself for the long run. We’ll never get to see the victim mature,” Judge West reflected, emphasizing the senselessness of the crime and its devastating effect on the victim’s mother and family.
The sentencing of Anthony Edward Small concludes a chapter in a tragic story that has left a community grappling with the senseless loss of a young life. As the case against co-defendant Spence moves towards its resolution, the impact of these events continues to resonate with those who seek justice and answers in the wake of violence.
