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Anthony Edward Small, 24, has been sentenced to life in prison with all but 50 years suspended for his role in the fatal shooting of a teenager at a Charles County apartment building in November 2020.
According to the State's Attorney's Office, on Nov. 3, 2020, officers were called to an apartment building on Amberleaf Place, where there was a report of a shooting involving a 17-year-old, who was found with several gunshot wounds to his lower body.
He was airlifted to Washington Hospital Center, where he later died from his injuries.
Witnesses at the scene said that there was an altercation between the teen, Small, and Tyliek Anthony Spence, in a bright blue passenger car that ended with gunshots ringing out.
Smith then fled the area.
Prosecutors say that Spence then spoke to investigators and reported that he was the driver of the fleeing car. He advised investigators that he arranged to purchase marijuana from the victim prior to the shooting.
Soon after Spence and Small arrived, there was an attempted robbery of the victim, followed by the shooting. Spence also described the clothing that the shooter wore during the incident.
During the course of the investigation, detectives were able to recover a fingerprint on the passenger side of Spence’s car, which was found to be left by Small.
Additionally, Small’s phone records placed him in the area during the time of the incident. He was also seen in photographs wearing clothing that matched Spence’s description.
During an examination of Small's phone, photos were found he he and the victim's handgun covered with blood, and in a text message, Small confessed to his girlfriend about the murder.
Small pleaded guilty in December to first-degree murder and the use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
Before sentencing Small, Judge James West stated that the victim “was just a child. He never really had a chance to better himself for the long run. We’ll never get to see the victim mature.”
He added that the incident was “the most loss that you could inflict upon (the victim’s mother) for really no reason at all” and that it was a “tremendous amount of harm to bring to someone’s family for no real reason.”
Spence pleaded guilty to murder in September 2022. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
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