Gunman convicted of murdering roommate over rent money ends up behind bars

BALTIMORE – A gunman convicted of killing his roommate over rent money will spend the next 20 years behind bars.

Markis Russell shot 22-year-old Jeffrey Brooks Jr. in March 2023. dead because of a few hundred dollars in rent owed.

During an interview with detectives, Russell claimed Brooks pulled a knife during an argument that sparked the fatal shooting.

Russell loaded Brooks’ body into the back of his Subaru before leaving the vehicle behind a gas station in Northeast Baltimore.

Around that time, Brooks’ family reported him missing, tipping off investigators to Russell who was trying to clean up the crime scene.

On Thursday, Russell was sentenced to 60 years, but a judge suspended all but 40 years, meaning Russell will spend just 20 of those years behind bars, followed by five years of probation.

“Yesterday, the court was served with the trial court’s decision to impose the maximum sentence for second-degree murder and related charges, which reflects the seriousness of this brutal crime,” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates. “While nothing can undo the pain caused to the victim’s family, we hope this outcome will bring them some measure of closure and peace.”