LA PLATA, MD — Charles County State’s Attorney Tony Covington announced that Judge William R. Greer, Jr. of the Charles County Circuit Court sentenced 22-year-old Bryce Caleb Timothy Brown of Waldorf to 40 years in prison on March 2, 2026. Brown received the term for second-degree murder in the death of 73-year-old Gloristine Pinkney of Waldorf, along with convictions for theft of $25,000 to under $100,000, fourth-degree burglary, and theft of $1,500 to under $25,000. Following release, Brown faces five years of supervised probation, with an additional 18 years possible if probation terms are violated.
A Charles County jury convicted Brown of these charges on December 16, 2025, after a seven-day trial. The jury acquitted him of first-degree murder. Evidence presented included surveillance video from Lowe’s showing Brown operating the forklift and causing damage, DNA from the store’s rear gate consistent with Brown’s profile, fingerprints on Pinkney’s vehicle, the victim’s car keys found in Brown’s residence, and shorts there bearing Pinkney’s blood.
The incident unfolded early on July 2, 2023, around 12:40 a.m. in Waldorf. Brown, then 20 and employed at Lowe’s Home Improvement in the 2500 block of Crain Highway, stole a forklift from the store’s fenced rear lot. He rammed it through the rear gates and roll-up door, causing significant damage. Brown then drove the forklift approximately half a mile to the Home Depot parking lot on Jefferson Farm Place. There, he collided with a parked 2019 Lincoln MKZ where Pinkney slept inside. Pinkney, unknown to Brown, exited the vehicle and tried to flee on foot. Brown pursued her, struck her with the forklift, and ran her over. Officers discovered her body partially pinned beneath the forklift and pronounced her dead at the scene.
Brown fled in Pinkney’s vehicle, used her credit card to buy gas, traveled through Washington, D.C., and Virginia, then returned to his Waldorf home. Authorities apprehended him there, recovering Pinkney’s car nearby. Witnesses, surveillance footage, and forensic evidence developed Brown as the suspect.
At sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Jonathan Beattie requested 50 years, describing the case as “a tragic loss of life in the most horrendous way possible.” Judge Greer addressed Brown before imposing the 40-year sentence: “This is a terrible situation; it affects your family and Ms. Pinkney’s family. Your family will get to see you and talk to you, but Ms. Pinkney’s family will not. It’s sad all the way around.” He added, “it’s clear there was a mental health issue, but it’s not clear that what happened was a result of that. I can’t overlook how horrendous that action was.”
The case drew attention for its unusual circumstances involving heavy machinery in a violent crime. Pinkney, a longtime Waldorf resident, left behind family members who continue to grieve the sudden, senseless loss.