Randallstown man charged with Towson Comfort Inn murder

On July 18, Baltimore County Police Officers were called to the Comfort Inn at 8801 Loch Raven Boulevard in Towson, Maryland, around 2:26 a.m. responding to a call about a man with a gun. When officers arrived, they were directed to a room inside the hotel where they discovered an adult man with trauma to the upper body.

The victim, identified the following day as Jeremiah David Koch, 30, from Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania, was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives from the Baltimore County Homicide Unit took over the investigation into his death.

Their preliminary investigation revealed that Koch was summoned to a room at the Comfort Inn by a third man to help calm another man, the suspected shooter, who was in an agitated state. The suspected shooter, now identified as Deonte James Griffin, 26, of the 3700-block of Eastman Road in Randallstown, took out a gun when Koch entered the room. The third man ran from the room, calling 9-1-1 and reporting hearing shots fired.

When officers arrived, they found Koch deceased in the room, suffering from trauma to the upper body from a gunshot wound. Initially, Griffin fled the scene, but was later located in the area and taken into custody. 

On July 19, police reported that Griffin had been charged with first degree murder, first degree assault, and use of a firearm to commit a crime of violence. He was being detained at the Baltimore County Department of Corrections pending a bail review hearing.

(Cover Image: Deonte James Griffin Booking Photo – Source: Baltimore County Police)

~  Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter