A Montgomery County Circuit Court judge sentenced a Silver Spring man on Tuesday to 50 years in prison in connection with the March 2023 death of Walter Woods III, 20, of Takoma Park, the county’s state’s attorney’s office said Wednesday in a statement.
Javier Reyes, 23, was convicted by a jury in December of second-degree felony murder and the use of a handgun in a crime of violence for Woods’ death.
Of the 50 years, Judge Jill Cummins suspended 20 years and imposed five years of supervised probation upon release, the state’s attorney’s office said.
Terry McGann, Reyes’ attorney, said Wednesday morning in an email to Bethesda Today that Reyes maintains his innocence and will appeal his conviction.
“We were hoping that the Judge would impose less time given that Mr. Reyes was found guilty of 2nd Degree Felony Murder as opposed to First Degree Murder, but we understand the Judge’s decision,” McGann wrote.
The case involved a March 7, 2023, shooting on Hampshire Green Lane in Silver Spring. According to the state’s attorney’s office, a county police investigation of the shooting determined Reyes and Woods had “met at a neighborhood park to conduct a drug deal.”
According to charging documents, county police responded around 9 p.m. to the 1700 block of Hampshire Green Lane in Silver Spring for a “shots fired” call. Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive Woods lying in a playground area of a nearby park.
Woods was later transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead, charging documents said. Following an autopsy, the Washington, D.C., Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Woods’ death was a homicide.
County detectives later identified Reyes as a suspect in Woods’ death and obtained an arrest warrant for him about two weeks after the shootings, police said. After his arrest, Reyes was ordered to be held without bond, according to digital court records.
Charging documents stated that two cellphones that were used and belonged to Woods were recovered at the scene. Text messages between Woods and a phone number, later identified as belonging to Reyes, discussed meeting up at the park. In addition, detectives found surveillance footage that showed Reyes fleeing in a pickup truck at the scene after the shooting.
While investigating the shooting, county police learned Maryland State Police had been conducting its own investigation involving controlled buys of controlled dangerous substances, the state’s attorney’s office said. During that effort, controlled purchases were set up with the same phone number that Woods had been contacting, according to charging documents.
Reyes allegedly was also recorded on video selling drugs and discussing a handgun available to sell, the state’s attorney’s office said. In addition, Reyes posted a social media photo of himself with an identifying tattoo visible while holding the gun, which authorities believe is the murder weapon, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
After the shooting, Woods’ friends and family set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help raise money for his family to cover the costs of his funeral. As of Wednesday, the fundraiser is still active and has raised nearly $16,000 of its $20,000 goal.
According to a recent update on the GoFundMe, Woods’ parents, Sheron and Walter Jr. Woods, had asked family and friends to join them in the courtroom during Reyes’ trial, which began Dec. 16.
“Deep appreciation from the Woods’ for your support and prayers during the week of the trial — whether you came to the courtroom, watched online, or simply prayed for justice,” a Jan. 22 update on the fundraiser page said. “The outcome is one step forward for the family.”
