BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A man arrested following a violent crime spree that reignited concerns surrounding pre-trial release and unserved warrants has been found guilty in his final case.
A jury found Bryan Cherry guilty of the July 2024 murder of Sierra Johnson, 38, of Baltimore City.
Johnson was found beaten to death inside her home, and Cherry was arrested for the crime later that same day.
Her murder was part of a violent crime spree, and authorities said Cherry committed the crime while out on pre-trial release for a pending felony drug case in Baltimore City.
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During that time, authorities said Cherry committed an attempted murder and three murders in three separate cases in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
June 26, 2024
Cherry was accused of stabbing a coworker eight times as the victim passed out free supplies at the East Baltimore Medical Center in Baltimore City. A warrant was issued for his arrest for the crime July 1, but went unserved until July 14.
July 5, 2024
Cherry was accused of murdering Autumn Harvey and her grandmother, Ionna Sellers, inside their home in Baltimore County.
July 14, 2024
Cherry was accused of murdering Sierra Johnson, who was found beaten to death inside a Latrobe Homes Housing Unit in the City. Cherry was arrested later that day.
Court records show Cherry was on pretrial release for a pending felony drug trial slated for July 2023 in Baltimore City.
FOX45 News also uncovered that Cherry had already failed to abide by the terms of his pre-trial release for the upcoming felony drug trial. Still, a judge opted to release him on the same conditions, according to the State.
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Here’s a look at the timeline, according to court records
6/29/23 Arrested for felony drug charges
6/30/23 Granted $25K bond, pre-trial release
-Not engage in criminal activity
-Appear in court
-No drugs/alcohol
-Undergo treatment for substance and alcohol abuse
8/16/2023 Failed to appear
10/26/2023 Arrest Warrant
5/16/24 Granted pre-trial release (same provisions)
7/22/24 Trial date
A spokesperson with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services confirmed the terms of Cherry’s pre-trial release in May 2024, writing,
“Bryan Cherry was released on his own recognizance by the Baltimore City Circuit Court. He was not on home confinement. Mr. Cherry’s release terms required him to be assessed for substance abuse treatment, not to engage in criminal activity, report to the court, and report to Pretrial Release Services, an agency under the Maryland Division of Pretrial Detention and Services. Individuals who are placed under the supervision of pretrial release services are not subject to supervision devices such as ankle monitors. It was Mr. Cherry’s responsibility to comply with the court’s requirements concerning enrolling in an outpatient program.”
Local Attorney Kurt Nachtman weighed in on the Judge’s decision as a legal expert.
“Keep in mind this is a pretrial release,” said Nachtman. “They haven’t actually been convicted of anything. There are a series of factors the judge has to go through and weigh when looking at someone’s record, at public safety, ties to the community, likelihood of appearance in court and the danger to the community so you’ve got to balance all of those things out and it’s a very difficult balancing act to determine who is a recidivist and who isn’t. Obviously in this case the system failed.”
In June 2025, Cherry was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder in Baltimore City and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Earlier this year, in 2026, Cherry entered a plea deal in the double murder of Harvey and Sellers in Baltimore County and is scheduled to be sentenced in July 2026.
Cherry is scheduled to be sentenced for Johnson’s murder in Baltimore City in September 2026.
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