BALTIMORE, MD (WBFF) — Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced the charges against a man for the deadly shooting of Kenneth Lawson, who was found dead on the Route 295 southbound entrance ramp from the Westport neighborhood in January 2022.
Dontaye Montez Carter is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder resulting in death, kidnapping, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, and related charges.
On January 22, 2022 around 8:30 p.m., Lawson was found dead on the Route 295 SB entrance ramp from Westport in Baltimore, suffering from a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Lawson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said they found that on January 21, 2022, Lawson and others committed an armed carjacking of Carter, and stole his car, cell phone, shoes, clothing, and watch.
Carter told detectives that he did not know who robbed him because they were wearing masks, but security camera footage from the scene showed that Lawson lowering his face mask and exposing his full face to Carter during the crime.
After the carjacking, Carter used the “Find My iPhone” app to track his stolen phone, which last pinged on Bakbury Court, which was close to Lawson’s residence.
Authorities said that through social media and other channels, Carter was able to identify Lawson as one of the people who carjacked him, and began sharing screenshots of Lawson’s social media pages, including photographs of Lawson, his nickname, and address, with his associates.
Lawson was kidnapped or lured to the Westport area where his body was discovered, and killed in retaliation for the carjacking, officials said.
The facts alleged in this case paint a disturbing picture of the retaliatory violence that plagued our city in 2022 and continues to surface today. This case underscores how crimes such as carjackings can escalate into devastating, life-altering acts of violence. Let me be clear, no one deserves to be murdered and left discarded on the side of a road. For more than four years, Mr. Lawson’s loved ones have endured the unimaginable pain of waiting for justice to begin its course,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates. “Today’s announcement represents an important first step toward accountability. It would not have been possible without the exceptional collaboration between our Cold Case and Firearm & Drug Trafficking Units and the dedicated homicide detectives of the Baltimore Police Department, whose relentless efforts helped move this case forward.
Now, Carter will face charges for Lawson’s death.
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