Year: 2025

On April 11, 2025, Daniel Phillip Coulson, 40, of Huntingtown, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for sex abuse of a minor.  The sentence was imposed by Calvert County Circuit Court Judge Mark, W. Carmean.

In 2019, Child Protective Services opened an investigation into alleged sexual abuse of a minor child.  Ultimately, the case was closed for lack of evidence.  In 2023, additional evidence was brought forward, the victim was re-interviewed, and she disclosed that Coulson had abused her.  Coulson was arrested, advised of his Miranda rights, and confessed.

Coulson will be on 5 years supervised probation upon release and required to register as a sex offender for life.

This case was prosecuted by Calvert County Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Rebecca N. Cordero.

On April 9, 2025, following an 8-day trial, a Calvert County jury convicted Brandon Ross Holbrook of the murder of Joseph Shymanski.  Shymanski, a prominent Washington, DC, photographer and businessman, was shot by Holbrook in the driveway of his home on September 3, 2023.  Holbrook then transported the body to his home in Reedsville, PA, where he dismembered and burned it.

Investigators recovered Mr. Shymanski’s remains and developed Holbrook as a suspect.  Video evidence identified Holbrook’s vehicle as being in the vicinity of Mr. Shymanski’s home at the time of the shooting.  Forensic evidence linked Holbrook to the dismemberment and burning of the body.

Holbrook will be sentenced on July 18, 2025.  The State is seeking life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Benjamin G. Lerner and Christopher J. Monte.

On March 3, 2025, Ronni Laine Davis, 34, of Lusby, was sentenced in Calvert County Circuit Court to 8 years incarceration, with 60 days of active time, followed by 3 years of supervised probation.  The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Mark S. Chandlee.

Evidence revealed that Davis was observed by concerned citizens to be driving erratically on MD Rte. 4 on April 28, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m.  She nearly struck a guardrail and drove into the median.  When deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office arrived, they immediately observed signs of impairment.  Davis failed standardized field sobriety tests and was arrested.  She had 4 young children in the car at the time of the incident.

Davis was found guilty of child neglect, possession of CDS (Oxycodone), and driving while impaired by drugs.  Although this was Davis’ first impaired driving offense, the State recommended a period of incarceration due to the fact that she was transporting minor children.  Davis was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs.  Her sentence will be served at the Calvert County Detention Center.

This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Rebecca N. Cordero.

On February 14, 2025, in Calvert County Circuit Court, Thomas Eugene Harris, II, 28, of Prince Frederick, pleaded guilty to first degree premeditated murder. Sentencing will occur on May 1, 2025, before Judge Mark S. Chandlee.

The charges arose from an incident that occurred on February 15, 2024. Shaquille Quadry Braxton, 30, was found unresponsive in a field near Fairground Road in Prince Frederick. It was determined that he had been stabbed multiple times. He later died from his injuries.

Investigators from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office soon learned that the victim and Harris had gotten into an argument over the victim’s attempts to visit his child. The mother of the child was in a relationship with Harris. When the victim went to see the child, Harris approached him and stabbed him with a knife. Harris then fled to Prince George’s County with his girlfriend and the child. He later turned himself in to authorities.

Harris has been detained at the Calvert County Detention Center since the date of the incident. He is facing life imprisonment.

On February 3, 2025, Joshua Walter Messick, 36, of Lexington Park, was sentenced in the Circuit Court for Calvert County, to 10 years incarceration, with 1 year of active time, followed by 3 years of supervised probation, for the crime of involuntary manslaughter. The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Mark W. Carmean.

In 2024, Messick was working as a security guard at CalvertHealth Medical Center in Prince Frederick when he was called upon to escort the victim from the lobby. Once outside the building, Messick shoved the victim to the ground, causing him to hit his head on the pavement. The victim sustained a brain injury and died.

Messick was convicted by a jury in August 2024. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher J. Monte.

Calvert County SAO – 2024 Annual Report

On Friday, January 10, 2025, following a 2-day trial, Mark Roosevelt Fields was convicted by a Calvert County jury of aggravated animal cruelty and dangerous weapons charges.

At trial, the evidence revealed that Fields, 39, of Prince Frederick, stabbed and killed his cousin’s dog following a family dispute.

Fields will be sentenced on March 14, 2025.  Until that time, he will be held without bond at the Calvert County Detention Center.  He is facing up to 6 years in prison.

This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher J. Monte.

Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey is pleased to report that in 2024, Calvert County experienced the lowest crime rate of any jurisdiction (23 counties and Baltimore City) in the State of Maryland.  According to data published in the Maryland NIBRS Crime Dashboard, Calvert recorded 1,634 incidents per 100,000 population; the State-wide average was 3,771 incidents per 100,000.

Some of the credit for this success goes to the women and men of the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office who, along with the Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police, and the DNR Police, work diligently to combat crime and hold people accountable for their actions.  But, frankly, most of the credit belongs to the citizens of Calvert County.  Calvert is blessed with strong families, strong neighborhoods, and strong civic and religious organizations.  When neighbors look out for one another, report suspicious activities, and refuse to tolerate criminal behavior, the crime rate goes down.