Vaughn Darvel Bellamy
A man has been sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years for killing a man in Aspen Hill in 2013, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office (MCSAO).
Vaughn Darvel Bellamy, 32, of Hagerstown, was sentenced Tuesday in Montgomery County Circuit Court, per MCSAO.
Bellamy, along with Bryan Byrd, 31, of Washington D.C., were convicted on first-degree murder charges and related charges in Sept. 2022 for killing 34-year-old Alexander Buie.
According to MCSAO, in Nov. 2013, Bellamy, Byrd and a third defendant forced their way into a home on Grenoble Drive with the intention of robbing one of the occupants. The home was a recovery house at the time and housed several residents.
Alexander Buie
The two did not know their intended target moved out recently. They confronted three men and Buie was one of them. A struggle ensued and Buie was fatally shot.
MCSAO has previously said the gun used to kill Buie was a key piece of evidence. It was found in Bellamy’s possession months later during a Prince George’s County Police investigation into an unrelated homicide.
In a statement last year after Bellamy and Byrd were convicted, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said, “This was a case of mistaken identity. Alexander Buie was a truly innocent victim, and lost his life at a time when he was trying to maintain his sobriety and get his life back on a positive path. Justice will now be served for the family of Mr. Buie, as the men responsible for his death are being held accountable. I thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Mary Herdman and John Lalos for their work in this matter.”
In Oct. 2022, Byrd was sentenced to life in prison with all but 40 years suspended and five years of supervised probation after release.
Photos via Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office
