Bryan Byrd, 31, of Washington D.C. and Vaughn Darvel Bellamy, 32, of Hagerstown. Via Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.
On Friday, two defendants were convicted on first-degree murder charges in a 2013 homicide in Aspen Hill, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office (MCSAO).
Bryan Byrd, 31, of Washington D.C. and Vaughn Darvel Bellamy, 32, of Hagerstown were convicted for the murder of Alexander Buie. Both potentially face life in prison, per the MCSAO. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for October. A third defendant pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery and other charges before this trial. He is in custody and awaits sentencing.
According to the MCSAO, in Nov. 2013, the defendants forced their way into a home on Grenoble Drive with the intention of robbing one of the occupants. The home was a recovery house at the time and was home to several residents. The defendants did not know their intended target moved out recently.
The defendants confronted three men. Buie, the victim, was one of them. A struggle ensued and Buie was fatally shot. The defendants fled. The other two men in the home were not injured.
The gun used to kill Buie was a key piece of evidence, per MCSAO. The gun was found in Bellamy’s possession in Prince George’s (P.G.) County months later during a P.G. County Police investigation into an unrelated homicide. Bellamy is currently serving a prison sentence for that case.
In a statement, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said, “This was a case of mistaken identity. Alexander Buie was a truly innocent victim, and lost his life at a time when he was trying to maintain his sobriety and get his life back on a positive path. Justice will now be served for the family of Mr. Buie, as the men responsible for his death are being held accountable. I thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Mary Herdman and John Lalos for their work in this matter.”
