MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Bekine Tibebu Ayele, a 23-year-old Burtonsville man, was arrested and charged in connection with a murder-for-hire case that dates back to March 2025.
Montgomery County Police said Tuesday that Ayele was charged with first-degree murder for the shooting death of 23-year-old Silver Spring resident Jonah Kimindu Mutua.
The fatal shooting took place March 8, 2025, in a residential neighborhood on the 2700 block of Fairdale Terrace. Police were called to the scene shortly after 11 a.m., finding Mutua suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot.
A release issued by the department stated that investigators uncovered evidence showing Ayele had hired 23-year-old Douglas David Lacey to kill Mutua.
Police did not offer additional details on how Ayele contracted Lacey, or whether the pair previously knew each other. A motive for the shooting was also not provided.
Lacey was arrested in April 2025 and remains held under indictment for Mutua's death.
Ayele is being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit while awaiting a Tuesday bond hearing. A preliminary court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25.
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