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Elementary School Parking Lot Shooter Sentenced For 2024 Montgomery County Murder

A man whose brother attempted to intimidate a witness following a fatal shooting in the parking lot of a Maryland elementary school will avoid life in prison in connection to the death of 21-year-old Martin Nolan in Montgomery County.

Silver Spring resident Keith Delcid-Palacios was found guilty on murder and other offenses, and his brother was charged for allegedly attempting to intimidate a witness during an incident that played out in January 2021, authorities announced this week.

On Monday, Feb. 3, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office announced that Delcid-Palacios has been sentenced to 88 years in prison suspending all but 45 to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release.

According to prosecutors, on Jan. 14, 2021, Nolan was sitting in the driver's seat of his parked vehicle with a friend in the passenger seat when Delcid-Palacios walked up to them and began shouting "Where's Scrappy," at which point he began pistol-whipping him in the head.

Nolan was able to put the vehicle in 'drive,' at which point Delcid-Palacios stated "if you leave, I am going to blast your ass." 

Nolan drove forward, at which point Delcid-Palacios fired a shot from his handgun, which struck Nolan, who lost control of the vehicle and struck another car. He died as a result of the gunshot wound. The other victim ran from the vehicle as Delcid-Palacios continued firing at him as he fled, though he was not hit.

The crash scene

Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office

Delcid-Palacios, 25, was convicted by a jury following a nine-day trial of:

  • Second-degree murdr;
  • Attempted first-degree murder;
  • Two counts of first-degree assault;
  • Two counts of handgun in commission of a felony.

During the course of the trial, his brother Jeffery Delcid-Palacios, was arrested and charged with two counts of intimidating a witness and one count of obstruction of justice.

Court documents state that he reached out to a key witness in his brother's case, where he advised her to disregard a court-issued summons.

Jeffery Delcid-Palacios, has pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice. 

He was sentenced to three years in prison, suspend all but 36 days to serve and one year of supervised probation upon release.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Martin Nolan," Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy stated. "The level of violence exhibited by (Delcid-Palacios was outrageous.

"We commend our prosecution team for seeing that justice was served in this matter despite challenges including witness intimidation,”

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