Judge Thomas Motley on Wednesday found substantial probability for the first-degree murder charge against Raymond Faunteroy.
Faunteroy, 26, is accused in the shooting death of nineteen-year-old Derrick Ragland.
Prosecutors believe that Faunteroy shot Ragland out of revenge; just days before Ragland was killed, Faunteroy is believed to have tried to buy a gun from him. That attempt failed when Ragland instead robbed Faunteroy, charging documents in the homicide case allege.
A police officer who responded to the robbery said Faunteroy had suffered a graze wound to the hand.
On Wednesday defense attorney Renee Raymond had Faunteroy approach Judge Motley at the bench with his hands held high and fingers splayed.
“There is no injury, no graze wound, no scar to his hands,” Raymond argued, adding that a graze wound would leave a visible mark, especially on a light-skinned person as Faunteroy is.
Raymond said the absence of any scaring on Faunteroy’s hands called into question the government’s theory of motive in the case and shed doubt on Faunteroy being the person responsible for shooting Ragland.
Motley, while acknowledging that there did not appear to be a graze wound on Faunteroy’s hand, disagreed. “Because I don’t know the particulars of wound care,” he said.
A status hearing is set for the case July 13.
