Baltimore Police Not FBI To Probe Murder Of Detective Sean Suiter

BALTIMORE, MD -- The FBI has deferred the investigation into the death of Detective Sean Suiter to the Baltimore Police Department.

Suiter, 43, was shot in the head Nov. 15 while investigating a triple homicide from 2016, and his killer remains at large.

The veteran homicide detective, who had been on the force for 18 years, was gunned down the day before he was to give testimony in a case involving another officer. That officer, Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, was indicted in a federal racketeering conspiracy.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis read a letter from the FBI on Wednesday, Dec. 27, that indicated the federal agency did not believe that Suiter's death was related to the FBI's corruption probe.

"...no information has been developed to indicate Detective Suiter's death was directly connected to an FBI investigation. For this reason, we believe it prudent for your office to continue as the lead in this investigation with our current commitment to assist and support you fully, including providing FBI analytical, forensic and investigative support," Davis said, reading the letter from Steven E. Richardson, assistant director of the criminal investigative division of the FBI.

The police commissioner said that he asked the FBI to assist with the investigation for several reasons, including to bolster credibility amid the corruption probe involving his department.

He said he took the "unusual step" of asking the FBI to take the lead in the case because of the "extraordinary" circumstances, specifically since Suiter was killed the day before he was to testify in the federal case.

There are no suspects or persons of interest in the death of Suiter who have been identified, according to Davis, who said Wednesday that police have followed many leads but have not yet cracked the case.

"What we have left before us is a murder committed by a yet-to-be-identified perpetrator," Davis said. He said that murders take time to solve and cited the fatal shooting of Mackenzie Elliott, a child who was killed in 2014 and whose killer was identified this year. Said Davis: "We will continue to pursue [this case] relentlessly."

This is breaking news and will be updated.

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Photo of Detective Sean Suiter courtesy of Baltimore Police.