Officer 'marked' his killer, prosecutor tells jurors

Defendant in murder trial testifies he was hit by stray gunfire

state argues detective returned gunfire during robbery try

Carter testified that she watched Grimes get out of his green Dodge Caravan in Northwest Baltimore and turn the corner. She heard shots seconds later. Believing Grimes had been shot, she pulled the van around the corner onto Fairfax Road, saw no one, circled the block and then heard Grimes calling out from the woods asking for help.

Morris testified he helped Grimes get into the van, and then Carter drove to the hospital. Carter testified that Grimes wouldn't tell her what had happened.

Relying on a bloodhound, detectives traced Grimes' blood from the crime scene on Fairfax Road through the woods and around the block to Westchester Road, where Carter testified she found Grimes. Police found the Sig Sauer halfway through the trail.

During closing arguments yesterday, Grimes' attorney, Roland Walker, assailed the character of Carter and Morris and attempted to paint Morris as the killer.

Walker accused Morris of being a gang member and of fabricating the story about watching Grimes show off the gun to another man in their neighborhood about 12 hours before the shooting. He also pointed out Morris' two convictions for drug dealing.

He asked members of the jury to consider whether they would trust Morris enough to lend him $100 and expect to get paid back. If not, "why would you trust him" now, Walker asked.

As for Carter, Walker said he wondered why the mother of three was "running around" at 1 a.m. smoking marijuana with a "gang member."