Annapolis, Maryland – Following a four-day trial, an Anne Arundel County jury on Friday found Jaden Crowner guilty of the murder of a 29-year-old man at an Annapolis apartment complex under the pretense of selling a smartphone to the victim, State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess announced.
Crowner, 20, of Brooklyn, was convicted of First-Degree Murder, Carrying a Firearm in Commission of a Crime of Violence, and other handgun offenses. Sentencing is scheduled for April 30, 2025 in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Annapolis. Crowner was convicted in 2023 of another murder, which he plead guilty to and received a life sentence.
"Walters Elangwe was a hardworking man who flipped used smartphones for extra income. He was killed for no reason other than a desire by Crowner to test out his newly acquired handgun to rob the victim," Leitess said. "The Defendant clearly has no regard for human life, and I am grateful the jury determined he was responsible for Mr. Elangwe's death. The Annapolis Police Department did an excellent job in solving this crime and it is because of their hard work that Crowner will no longer threaten our community."
On July 11, 2020, Mr. Elangwe, a 29-year-old Cameroonian immigrant, drove to the 1100 block of Primrose Court in Annapolis to purchase an Apple iPhone outside an apartment building. Once in the parking lot, a person approached his car while a second followed behind.
A witness told police they observed a conversation at Mr. Elangwe's vehicle. Soon after, he witnessed the man next to the vehicle brandish a handgun and fire multiple shots through the windshield. The victim reversed his car into another vehicle before coming to a stop. He was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
The witness reported seeing the two men standing outside the vehicle run to a side street, where a third person joined them before fleeing through a wooded pathway.
Evidence including cellphone records and surveillance footage led police to identify Crowner as the shooter.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State's Attorney Glen Neubauer and Assistant State's Attorney Brian Pritchard on behalf of the citizens of Anne Arundel County, with the Honorable Pamela Alban presiding.