Jury finds Ryan Holden guilty of first degree murder

The verdict is in and an alleged murderer's fate is sealed as a jury has found Ryan Holden guilty of first degree felony murder.

After two days, over two dozen testimonies and over four hours of deliberation the jury ultimately finding the 20-year-old responsible for death of Cropper. Holden was one of three charged for the shooting murder of 57-year-old Anthony Cropper back in June of 2017 and the first to be convicted.

On Monday, the jury heard from two key witnesses brought up by the the state. The first, an emotional testimony from the victim's step-daughter, testifying that she was right next to Cropper when he was shot in their doorway. She saw the man holding the gun, recognizing him from high school, Ryan Holden, despite a blue bandana covering most of his face.

Co-defendant, John Schoolfield, who was only 17 at the time of the murder, reluctantly taking the stand telling the jury that he, Holden, and Courtlen Costen all conspired to rob Cropper's residence. Telling the jury that he knocked on the door of Cropper's house, but Holden was the trigger man. And as the victim's daughter testified, that Holden was in fact wearing a blue bandana.

That bandana becoming a key part of the states case on Tuesday when a Maryland State Police forensics scientist took the stand testifying that Holden's DNA was found on both sides of the blue bandana that police recovered near Middle Neck Drive, where the murder took place.

Now despite the defense's best efforts to prove inconsistencies from several testimonies, including what Holden was wearing the night of the murder, the jury ultimately found Holden responsible for the death of Anthony Cropper.

Now, Schoolfield does have an agreement with the state, admitting guilt to armed robbery in exchange for his testimony in trial.  

Holden will be sentenced at a later date.