Four arrested in Wicomico County murder case

Maryland State Police arrested four suspects in connection to the murder of a 33-year old Wicomico County man last month.

The victim, Dondre Wilson, 33, of Salisbury was pronounced deceased at the scene shortly after 11:00 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2020.  The autopsy report received from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner indicates the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death as homicide.

The accused are identified as Dimarise Deshields, 22, of Salisbury, Pierre Copes, Jr., 23, of Salisbury, Jaron Purnell, 19, of Delmar, and Torrey Brittingham, 21, of Salisbury.  After consultation with the Wicomico County State’s Attorney, each of the four suspects has been charged.

Deshields, Brittingham, Copes, and Purnell are each charged with first and second degree murder, along with several other criminal charges. All four men are being held at the Wicomico County Detention Center. Booking photos are not available through the Maryland State Police at this time.

Shortly before 11:00 p.m. on April 17, 2020, officers from the Salisbury Police Department responded to 9-1-1 calls reporting shots fired in an apartment complex in the 1,000 block of Adams Avenue in Salisbury. Responding officers found the victim, later identified as Wilson, inside a Hyundai Sonata that appeared to have crashed into a parked car before coming to rest in a wooded area a short distance from the roadway. EMS personnel on the scene pronounced Wilson deceased at the scene.

The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit led the investigation. Investigators interviewed witnesses and residents in the area throughout the night.  Crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division processed the scene for evidence. Assistance was provided by officers and investigators from the Salisbury Police Department and the Office of the Wicomico County State’s Attorney.

Throughout the investigation, police determined evidence indicated the four men were involved in the shooting of Dondre Wilson.  Information was developed through statements from witnesses at the scene, forensics, video surveillance, and evidence recovered from search warrants which led State Police investigators to the identification of the suspects involved.

The Maryland State Apprehension Team arrested Brittingham, Purnell and Copes in Maryland on Thursday, April 23, 2020 without incident. On Monday, May 4, 2020, Deshields was arrested at a residence in Laurel, Delaware.

The investigation is continuing.  Additional charges are possible against all four suspects.