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NBCI inmate convicted of murder

March 18th, 2014 by WCBC Radio

The Office of the State’s Attorney for Allegany County, the Honorable Michael Twigg, State’s Attorney, announced on Tuesday that Vernon Lee Cowan, an inmate at the North Branch Correctional Institution located in Allegany County,  was convicted of Second Degree Murder for the death of fellow inmate Rickey Bailey.  The Honorable W. Timothy Finan sentenced Cowan to 30 years consecutive to the 60 year sentence he is currently serving. On February 10, 2013, Bailey was found dead in the cell he shared with Cowan.  The Medical Examiner’s Office for the State of Maryland determined the cause of death to be blunt and sharp force injuries.  The motive for the slaying stemmed from Cowan’s desire to have a single cell, as the two men had recently been assigned to share a cell.

The case was investigated by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit, and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Erich Bean of the Allegany County State’s Attorney’s Office.  Mr. Cowan was represented by David Schram of the Office of the Public Defender. 

 

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