In an exclusive interview, Judy Godsey, the mom of murdered young man, Jamal Godsey, speaks to The Baltimore Spectator about her son and continued crime and violence in the city.
By A.F. James MacArthur
Agitator-In-Chief
On the morning of Friday, 2 August, just before 4:00 a.m., residents of the 1600 block of Hartsdale Road in Northeast Baltimore, were awakened by the sound of a man screaming, followed immediately by gun shots.
Looking out their windows, they could not see the bleeding body of young man laying on the ground, in the dark of night, his life oozing away.
Police were called and arrived within minutes. They found Jamal Godsey, 21, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. By 4:09 p.m. after an ambulance had transported him to a hospital, he was pronounced dead moments after arrival.
Judy Godsey, Jamal's mother, who is a former 911 operator, told The Baltimore Spectator, no one really knows what her son was doing on the quiet residential block.
With well kept, neat looking houses on one side, and a dense urban forest on the other, the area did not have the look and feel of your typical killing field neighborhood in Baltimore city. They didn't live nearby, and to the best of his mom's knowledge, Godsey had no friends in the area either.
With well kept, neat looking houses on one side, and a dense urban forest on the other, the area did not have the look and feel of your typical killing field neighborhood in Baltimore city. They didn't live nearby, and to the best of his mom's knowledge, Godsey had no friends in the area either.
"Too many people dying too young for senseless reasons." Judy Godsey
Police report having no suspects in the killing and a motive is not known. Witnesses and clues to the murder are still being sought.
The incident took place along with three other separate shootings, all occurring within a few hours of each other. News accounts at the time did not identify Godsey, instead he was listed simply as another anonymous victim of violence, in a city where seeming random violence has become all too routine. Homicide victim number 137.
A Meeting To Remember
On Monday, exactly a month after Godsey was murdered, friends and family gathered on the site where it happened to remember him. They were also hoping to inspire or encourage any nearby residents with additional information, to come forward and share what they know with the police.
Lighting candles, and carrying poster collages with his picture, the group marched to the end of the block and back, chanting their desire to see a stop the violence and singing religious hymns.For her part, Ms. Godsey says she has not had time to grieve just for herself. She mentioned how it seems as if every weekend the city sees more groups of young children being shot and or killed. The very next weekend after her son was killed, a seven year old boy was shot in east Baltimore, along with two others, as part of a triple shooting.
The weekend following the East Baltimore triple shooting -- which incidentally took place steps away from City Council President C. Bernard "Jack" Young's house -- 15 year old, Deshaun Jones was killed in West Baltimore, when someone opened fire on a group of people outside their homes, hitting seven of them.
City Of Suffering
While on scene at the vigil, The Baltimore Spectator received a tip of a stabbing that had just taken place in West Baltimore. The incident happened inside a home on the 1800 block of Druid Hill Ave. The victim and attacker may have ran into the street while there was a large block party taking place in the same vicinity.
Police say the man stabbed is expected to survive his injuries.
While on scene of the stabbing on Druid Hill Ave., The Baltimore Spectator again received a tip. This time for a serious assault, with a possible fatality, in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood a short distance away. Although information was sketchy and unconfirmable at the time, the incident was later verified.
The fatal beating comes less than a day after a 27-year-old man was fatally shot in the 1100 block of Whitelock Street, less than half a mile away.
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Often gaining remarkable trust and insight from everyday people impacted by crime; researcher, independent investigative journalist, and entrepreneur, A.F. James MacArthur has been a member of the underground news network for over 20 years. During this time, he's been a frequent subject of attack by government officials under the guise of law enforcement. He's often boycotted from being given any credit for his work by mainstream media.----------------------------------------------------------------
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