Columbia Man Charged With Murder

COLUMBIA, MD — Police arrested a Columbia man in the murder of a man found dead earlier this year in a home in Montgomery County. The victim had been shot to death, police said.

Quinnton Eric Brown, 30, of the 8900 block of Footed Ridge in Columbia, has been charged with first-degree murder, according to court records. The date of the crime was Jan. 3, 2018.

Brown was booked at the Montgomery County Detention Center on April 13 and was arrested the day before. Police said the arrest stemmed from forensic evidence that linked him to the scene of the murder.

Maurice Cortez Mercer, 30, was shot to death when he was found inside his home in the 12500 block of Cross Ridge Way in Germantown on Jan. 3, 2018, according to authorities.

Interviews by detectives also revealed Brown had visited the victim's home several days before the murder.

"It appeared that Mercer was concerned and fearful after the visit," the Montgomery County Police Department said in a statement.

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant on April 10 and charged Brown with first-degree murder. He was arrested on the strength of the warrant on April 12 and is currently being held without bail.

RELATED: Germantown Murder Victim Identified By Police

— By Cameron Luttrell and Elizabeth Janney

Photo via Montgomery County Police Department.