Dayhoff Soundtrack: Police investigating murders in Westminster and Frederick

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Police investigating murders in Westminster and Frederick

Monday, October 4 2010

Area police were kept busy investigating two murders over the weekend.

By Kevin Dayhoff

In Frederick, the city police department responded to a report of shots fired in the area of the 200 block of Madison St. Sunday morning at 3:23 a.m.

Once they arrived on the scene, officers found a William Joseph Goines Jr., 31, of Frederick, suffering from what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to a police report.

The victim was transported Frederick Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

No suspects have been charged in the killing as of Monday morning. The Frederick Police Department's Patrol Division and Criminal Investigation Division are continuing its investigation.

In Westminster, city police responded to a 911 call from an apartment building at the corner of Main Street and Railroad Avenue in the center of town.

According to Maryland State Police spokesperson Greg Shipley, Westminster Police Department Chief Jeff Spaulding requested the investigation be conducted by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit. Westminster Police officers and detectives are assisting with the investigation, as are investigators from the State Police Westminster Barrack Criminal Investigation Section.

When officers arrived, city police found the victim’s shirt and pants had what appeared to be blood on them. Emergency response medics pronounced the victim dead at the scene, Shipley said in a police report.

The victim was identified as Steven R. Hobson, 40, of Main Street, Westminster, Md. Hobson’s body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.

The preliminary investigation indicates the victim had been stabbed, say police.

Police investigators spent the weekend interviewing residents in the 13 other apartments in the building and following up on leads. They are also reviewing evidence obtained during processing of the scene by Maryland State Police crime scene technicians.

Police believe Hobson was unemployed and lived alone in the apartment. A motive for the murder remains unclear.

As of Monday morning, no one has been charged at this time.

Anyone with information about this crime are urged to contact Maryland State Police at 410-386-3000 or Westminster Police at 410-848-4646.

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