Salisbury man sentenced for assault, firearm crimes

SALISBURY, Md. – A Salisbury man has been sentenced to 25 years behind bars for assault and firearm crimes.

Markel Barkley was sentenced earlier this week to a total of 45 years behind bars with all but 25 years suspended. 10 years of this sentence are a mandatory minimum without the possibility of parole, and Barkley will be placed on five years of supervised probation on release.

The charges stem from an incident on October 11, 2022, when Barkley and his then-girlfriend were ending their relationship and the girlfriend told him to leave the residence of which she was the sole lessee. Barkley then reportedly brandished a handgun and pointed it at the victim’s head. The victim immediately began texting 911 and remained in text communication until troopers arrived and she ran from the residence. Barkley stepped out of the residence briefly but failed to comply with the trooper’s commands and went back inside, locking the door behind him. A few seconds later, police say he broke out the back window and fled.

The firearm, which was later determined to be an illegal, un-serialized firearm, also referred to as a “ghost gun”, was found at the back of the property, directly in line with the broken window. Barkley was located the next day during an unrelated call for service, following an extensive search including tactical units, canines, helicopters, and drones.