A 19-year-old man was sentenced on Tuesday in a deeply emotional court session for the murder of an Israeli man who was visiting Baltimore.
William Holloman, 19, was found guilty in July for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Efraim Gordon in 2021. Efraim, who was in Baltimore for a cousin’s wedding, was fatally shot in the chest during a botched robbery while walking to his aunt and uncle’s home on Fords Lane in the Park Heights area.
Holloman was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder, attempted armed robbery, and gun-related offenses.
Judge Melissa Phinn of the Baltimore City Circuit Court sentenced Holloman to life in prison, with all but 50 years suspended. She also recommended that he be placed in the Patuxent Youth Program.
Holloman’s conviction adds to the cases of three other defendants, William Clinton, Omarion Anderson, and Rasheed Morris, who had already pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.
During Holloman’s trial, it was revealed that the four defendants spent the evening driving in a stolen car, committing armed robberies. Holloman was just 16 years old at the time of the incident.
Holloman, visibly emotional, addressed the court while surrounded by heavy security, expressing his sorrow to Gordon’s family for their loss. However, he also declared: “I still maintain my innocence. I did not kill this man. I promise I did not kill this man. I did not have anything to do with his death.”
The judge told Holloman that he was part of a group that set out to commit one crime but ended up committing something far worse.
“What he did was embark with his friends to do an extremely dangerous thing by carjacking somebody, and in this unfortunate situation, our dear cousin was murdered,” said Dovid Reyder, Gordon’s cousin.
Efraim’s family was present for the sentencing. Reyder told 11 News, “You’re going out together and embarking on a journey that can involve someone being murdered — that’s what your crime was. It was very emotional, and our whole family reliving (it). Justice was served.”
Efraim’s mother spoke about her son’s love for life and his efforts to help others.
{Matzav.com}
