Murders this Week: 6
Murders this Year: 216

The woman shot to death in the 1400 block of Franklintown Road Dec. 12 has been identified as Cherrie Gammon, a 25-year-old Caucasian from Brooklyn.

The death of a 10-month-old baby was ruled a homicide this week. Micha Crane, an African-American girl, was injured Dec. 8 in the 1900 block of West North Avenue and taken to an area hospital by medics. She died two days later. Her death was ruled the result of brain hemorrhaging. Police were unable to give any additional information on her death and the case is still open. Crane is the fourth child age 2 or younger murdered in the city this year.

Saturday, Dec. 18

4:50 a.m. Alethia Harris, a 38-year-old African-American woman, was found dead inside her home in the 3100 block of East Monument Street. She had been shot in the head. Earlier that afternoon, Harris’ boyfriend, Rodney Williams, a 28-year-old African-American man, was discovered inside his home in the 3700 block of Ravenwood Avenue. He had been shot and was dead. Police have determined that Williams killed Harris and then went home and killed himself.

6:17 a.m. Police were called to the scene of a fire in the 1400 block of Homestead Avenue near Baltimore City College. The fire department was already there, trying to extinguish the blaze. A man was found inside the building. He was pronounced dead at 7:07 a.m. Police could not give the victim’s name or cause of death as of press time, but it has been ruled a homicide.

6:22 a.m. Five minutes later, an unidentified Hispanic man was discovered lying on the sidewalk near the intersection of Lakewood Avenue and Baltimore Street by Patterson Park. He had been shot in the head and was dead. Police believe he may have been robbed.

2:17 p.m. That afternoon, a body was found in a residence in the 1800 block of East 29th Street. Karen Ferrell, a 42-year-old African-American woman, had been beaten to death and wrapped in plastic in the basement of the home. Ferrell had been reported missing four days earlier. This is the second murder in the Coldstream Homestead Montebello neighborhood this week and the eighth this year. It is currently the most murderous neighborhood in the city.

9:56 p.m. Brian Tailor, a 23-year-old African-American man, was pronounced dead at an area hospital. Tailor was brought to the hospital by some friends. Police believe he was shot repeatedly in the 6000 block of Marjorie Lane two blocks northeast of Belvedere Square.

Updates: Michael Akonom Jr., a 23-year-old Caucasian man, was sentenced to 30 years in prison Dec. 17 for the murder of Marcus Sanchez, a 27-year-old Hispanic man. On July 25, 2009, Sanchez was walking in the 5100 block of Foster Street when Akonom pulled out a gun and shot Sanchez as he was trying to run away.

> Email Anna Ditkoff