Annapolis, MD – This morning in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, Deondre Tywon Sharps, age 20, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence in the shooting death of 34-year-old Keion Damont McKinney. Sharps also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence in the shooting death of 34-year-old Joshua Ray Holland. The defendant committed both murders in June 2024. The Honorable Judge Richard Trunnell scheduled sentencing for January 25, 2027.
Following the guilty pleas, State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess commented, “I am pleased that through the hard work and dedication of the Anne Arundel County police detectives, crime lab and prosecutors, the Defendant has been held accountable in both of these murders. My heart goes out to the families of Mr. McKinney and Mr. Holland on the tragic loss of their loved ones.”
Murder of Keion Damont McKinney
On June 14, 2024 at 7:21 p.m., officers with the Anne Arundel County Police Department were dispatched to the 1600 Block of Meade Village Circle in Severn for the report of a shooting. The victim, identified as 34-year-old Keion Damont McKinney, was pronounced dead on scene by Anne Arundel County Fire Department personnel.
The victim’s body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Baltimore for an autopsy. His death was ruled a homicide as the result of a single gunshot wound to the head.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from Meade Village Circle. In it, an unidentified male was observed firing a single gunshot, striking McKinney. The unidentified male was then seen walking away towards a black SUV with the firearm in his hand. Based on additional surveillance footage, investigators determined the suspect’s vehicle to be a black 2004 Lincoln Navigator, which also had unique exterior damage.
Detectives were alerted to an Instagram account belonging to “Deandre Sharps,” whose account biography touted that the individual engaged in murder for hire.
On July 6, 2024, Deondre Sharps was arrested by Baltimore City Police for operating a stolen vehicle. Inside the vehicle, police recovered a handgun. Ballistics testing indicated the firearm was consistent with the one used in the murder of Keion McKinney.
Detectives learned as a result of their investigation that the murder was targeted, and that Sharps expected to receive payment and marijuana in exchange for committing the murder.
Murder of Joshua Ray Holland
On June 29, 2024, Anne Arundel County Police Homicide detectives responded to Governor Richie Highway in Brooklyn Park. Patrol units informed them that the body of a man, identified as 34-year-old Joshua Ray Holland, had been ejected from a vehicle at the intersection. Police observed he had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased by first responders.
The victim’s vehicle was towed to the Evidence Control Unit’s processing bay at Anne Arundel County Police headquarters in Millersville. During their examination, technicians lifted prints from the exterior window of the driver’s door. The prints were submitted for database comparison, and on July 11, 2024, investigators were notified there was a match to Deondre Sharps.
An autopsy was performed on the victim by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Baltimore. The Assistant Medical Examiner determined the victim’s manner of death to be a homicide as a result of four gunshot wounds to the head and body.
Detectives received additional video from locations including the Brooklyn Park Shopping Center, Anne Arundel County Fire Station 31, a local veterinary center, and County CCTV cameras, which helped establish a visual timeline for the victim and defendant’s movements in the time prior to the murder.
The State was represented by Assistant State’s Attorneys Nancy Jeffein Olin, Brian Pritchard, and Isabelle Ferraro on behalf of the citizens of Anne Arundel County. The investigations were led by the Anne Arundel County Police Homicide Unit.