TWO CHARGED IN MURDER OF WESTMINSTER MAN

(WESTMINSTER, MD) – Maryland State Police homicide investigators have served Carroll County Grand Jury indictments on two Baltimore men who are now charged with the murder of a man who was found dead in his Westminster apartment last year.

The suspects are identified as Michael V. Brooks, 28, and Tuson K. S. Reese, 26, both of Baltimore, Md. Both have been charged with first and second degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, first and second degree felony murder, first, third, and fourth degree burglary, conspiracy to commit first, third and fourth degree burglary, first and second degree assault, conspiracy to commit first and second degree assault, and manslaughter. Reese was also charged with two additional counts of first degree burglary and conspiracy to commit robbery/attempted robbery.

The victim was identified as Steven R. Hobson, 40, of the unit-block of Main Street, Westminster, Md. Hobson was found dead in his apartment by Westminster Police Department officers shortly before 2:30 a.m. on October 2, 2010, when they responded to a 911 call. An autopsy revealed Hobson died from stab wounds.

Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding requested the case be investigated by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit. State Police homicide investigators have been assisted by officers and detectives from the Westminster Police Department, criminal investigators from the Westminster Barrack, and members of the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Investigators initially developed information about potential suspects through neighborhood checks and witness interviews. Additional evidence was developed through forensic examinations and the ongoing work of homicide investigators. It was determined the two suspects are friends, but it is not known if there was any previous association between the suspects and the victim. A clear motive has not been identified, but robbery remains a possible motive.

Brooks and Reese were both arrested in Baltimore on October 4, 2010, on parole retake warrants. They were currently serving sentences in the Jessup Correctional Institution. After being served with the indictments, both are being held in the Carroll County Detention Center.