Marc C. McLaughlin, Jr., 31, of Brandywine
UPDATE 8/17/2022: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Monday, August 15, 2022, Charles County Circuit Court Judge William R. Greer, Jr. sentenced Marc Carlyle McLaughlin, Jr., 33, to Life in Prison plus 30 years for the First-Degree Felony Murder of Kenneth Brawner, Attempted Armed Robbery, and related charges.
On May 11, 2022, a Charles County jury convicted McLaughlin of the aforementioned charges.
On September 21, 2020, officers responded to the Master Suites Hotel located in the 2200 block of Old Washington Road in Waldorf for the report of a shooting.
Upon arrival, officers located victim Kenneth Brawner in one of the hotel rooms, suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach. Brawner was transported to Prince George’s County Hospital Center for treatment; however, he, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries.
An investigation revealed that prior to the shooting, McLaughlin conspired with co-defendant Terrence Wills to rob the occupants of Brawner’s hotel room. McLaughlin knocked on the door of Brawner’s room, gained entry, and brandished a gun.
Witnesses stated that McLaughlin demanded money from Brawner and then shot him. McLaughlin left the scene after the shooting and discarded the sweatshirt that he was wearing in an attempt to evade capture.
During sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Kathryn A. Marsh asked for the maximum sentence, stating, “we are here because of the actions of the defendant. He has a long history of taking what he wants without regard to the consequences. The defendant’s history shows he is not willing to comply with the law.”
Before sentencing McLaughlin, Judge Greer, noting that Brawner was living in the hotel room where he was murdered, stated “people have the right to feel safe in their residence, whether permanent or temporary – that right was violated in the most egregious manner.”
Sentence
- Count 1
- First-Degree Felony Murder
- Life
- Count 2
- Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence
- 20 Years, Concurrent
- Count 9
- Attempted Armed Robbery
- 15 Years, Consecutive
- Count 10
- Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence
- 15 Years, Concurrent
- Count 21
- First-Degree Assault
- 15 Years, Consecutive
- Count 22
- Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence
- 15 Years, Concurrent
- Count 27
- Firearm Possession with Previous Felony Conviction
- 10 Years, Concurrent
- Count 28
- Wear, Carry, and Transport a Handgun Upon their Person
- 3 Years, Concurrent
- Count 30
- Conspiracy Armed Robbery
- 20 years concurrent
- Count 33
- Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery
- 15 Years, Concurrent
- Count 38
- Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Assault
- 15 Years, Concurrent
- Count 39
- Conspiracy to Commit Home Invasion
- 20 years Concurrent
10/19/2020: Through their investigation, Charles County Sheriff’s Detectives identified Marc C. McLaughlin, Jr., 31, of Brandywine, as a suspect in the homicide that took place at the Master Suites Hotel on September 21, 2020.
On Saturday, October 17, the U.S. Marshals Task Force located and arrested McLaughlin in Prince George’s County. McLaughlin was indicted for first-degree murder as well as 16 additional charges related to this incident.
Details of this case are as follows:
On September 21, at approximately 6:18 p.m., patrol officers responded to the Master Suites Hotel located in the 2200 block of Old Washington Road in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, Kenneth Dionel Brawner, 29, of Waldorf, inside a room; he had a gunshot wound and was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later. A preliminary investigation showed the suspects entered the room and shot the victim. Detectives are working on leads and developing a motive, but it does not appear this was a random shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective R. Johnson at (301) 609-6453. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app. Crime Solvers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for the tip that leads to an arrest in this case. The investigation is ongoing.
