Overview
- On Tuesday the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office dropped three counts of second-degree murder against James Barnett as the trial moved forward.
- Prosecutors will ask the jury to decide one arson count, three counts of involuntary manslaughter and five counts of reckless endangerment.
- The state presented mosque and nearby surveillance video, a reconstructed forensic timeline from ATF and fire marshal investigators, and items recovered from a vacant property that investigators tied to Barnett.
- Barnett's defense has challenged the identification and timing shown in the evidence and said the case is puzzling and will show his client is innocent.
- After closing arguments on Wednesday the judge told jurors to focus only on the charges submitted and the verdict will determine accountability for the deaths of Lt. Kelsey Sadler, Lt. Paul Butrim and EMT/firefighter Kenny Lacayo.