LEONARDTOWN, Md. — On November 25, 2025, a jury in St. Mary’s County found 23-year-old Joseph Daren Brooks from Lexington Park guilty of first-degree murder in the February 2024 shooting death of Malic Quinn Freeland, also 23, who was a resident of the same community.
The trial, which lasted five days at St. Mary’s County Circuit Court, concluded with Brooks being convicted on three serious felony charges: first-degree murder, the use of a firearm during a violent crime, and the illegal possession of a firearm as a person prohibited by law. Due to prior convictions disqualifying him from owning firearms under Maryland law, Brooks was found to have fired the shots that struck Freeland before Freeland crashed his vehicle into a fence and a shed at the intersection of Valley Drive and Fox Ridge Road.
In Maryland, a first-degree murder charge necessitates that the prosecution proves intent and premeditation to kill. The jury confirmed this requirement was met based on evidence that included ballistic comparisons, testimonies from witnesses, and digital forensic data presented throughout the trial. The charge related to the use of a firearm includes a mandatory minimum sentence of five years to be served without the possibility of parole, which will run consecutively to any other sentences handed down. The illegal possession charge addresses violations of state firearm regulations, which govern handguns and semi-automatic rifles that require background checks and checks for eligibility.
As a result of the murder conviction, Brooks faces a potential life sentence, plus an additional 20 years for the firearm enhancement and five years for illegal possession. This could add up to a total of life imprisonment plus 25 years. Since his arrest in February 2024, Brooks has been held without bail, following an investigation that led authorities to connect him to the crime scene through vehicle debris analysis and surveillance footage from nearby businesses located along Route 235.
State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling made an announcement regarding the verdict from her office in Leonardtown, highlighting the transformation of the case from an initial perplexing accident to a deliberate murder trial. “This verdict delivers much-needed justice for the family affected by this tragic violence,” said Sterling. “The jury’s determination underscores the robust nature of the evidence and the relentless efforts of the detectives and prosecutors who sought justice for this brutal act. Our office remains dedicated to prosecuting all forms of violent crime.”
The shooting incident took place on February 26, 2024, around 9 p.m. in a densely populated residential area of Lexington Park, which spans parts of Great Mills Road and the Route 4 corridor. Freeland was driving alone when he was shot in the upper body, an injury later determined to have occurred prior to the crash that led to his vehicle colliding with a wooden fence and a shed at the intersection of Valley Drive and Fox Ridge Road.
Upon arrival at the scene, first responders found Freeland conscious but in significant distress, exhibiting visible injuries not consistent with a typical vehicle collision. Medical personnel provided aid at the scene, stabilizing him for transport to a regional trauma center. Initially, the incident was treated as a routine vehicular accident, a common occurrence in the area’s winding, rural roads, which statistically contribute to approximately 1,200 crashes each year according to data from the Maryland State Highway Administration.
Tragically, by the following morning, February 27, 2024, Freeland’s health had deteriorated, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. The subsequent discovery of the gunshot wound prompted a shift in the investigation to a homicide inquiry, leading the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division to secure the crash site for further evidence gathering. Technicians collected shell casings from a .40-caliber handgun, tire marks suggesting evasive actions, and debris linking to a nearby exchange of gunfire. An autopsy conducted at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore confirmed that the bullet’s trajectory was consistent with an external shooter, not self-inflicted.
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Alena Mosier and Assistant State’s Attorney Shaye Reynolds spearheaded the prosecution, meticulously constructing a timeline over 21 months of preparation leading up to the trial. They presented evidence that Brooks, who was not legally permitted to own a firearm due to a previous juvenile adjudication for a violent offense, had acquired the weapon through illegal means, common in informal networks in Southern Maryland. Defense arguments attempted to provide alibi witnesses and questioned the chain of custody for the recovered firearm, but the jury took less than four hours to arrive at a unanimous verdict.
Circuit Court Judge Joseph Stanalonis, who oversaw the trial at the county courthouse on Great Mills Road, has ordered Brooks to be held until a sentencing hearing, which is expected to occur within six to eight weeks. The presentence investigation, conducted by the Division of Parole and Probation, will compile a background profile of Freeland, impact statements from his family, and a full account of Brooks’ criminal history. This information will assist the judge in making a decision based on guidelines that classify first-degree murder as a life-eligible offense, falling outside the standard scoring ranges.
Maryland’s firearm laws, defined in Public Safety Article §5-101 et seq., restrict firearm possession for individuals with felony convictions or specific misdemeanors. These regulations are enforced through the Maryland State Police Handgun Roster and instant check systems. Violations, such as those committed by Brooks, incur steeper penalties due to legislative efforts initiated after the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2013 aimed at reducing illegal access to firearms, particularly in regions like Southern Maryland, where the proximity to Washington, D.C. heightens trafficking risks.
The sentencing will take place before Judge Stanalonis, who previously imposed a 40-year sentence in a separate Lexington Park case involving drugs and firearms, indicating a trend of firm accountability. Under state law, a firearm enhancement guarantee ensures a minimum of five years must be served without the possibility of suspension or credit reduction.
