State v. Brandon Kiah Slade, C-08-CR-20-000543
LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, December 7, 2023, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Brandon Kiah Slade, 29, to Life in prison for the First-Degree Murder of Lenora Coates-Slade and the Wear and Carry of a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Injure.
Slade was found guilty of the above-mentioned charges on October 2, 2023, after a 3-day bench trial.
On October 15, 2020, officers responded to a residence located in Indian Head for the report of unknown trouble. Upon arrival, officers discovered victim Lenora Coates-Slade, Brandon Slade’s mother, with multiple stab wounds to her body and a plastic bag wrapped around her head in her garage. Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to her injuries.
Officers made contact with a member of the victim’s family, who also lived at the residence. The family member, who was not present at the time of the assault, reported to officers that she became worried when she was not able to get in touch with the victim. After calling the victim’s phone, the family member immediately received a phone call from Slade advising her that the victim was asleep. The family member asked two people to do a welfare check on the victim, then called the police.
The family member was able to show officers footage of part of the incident that was captured by the surveillance system on the front porch of the residence. In the video, the suspect, identified by the family member as Brandon Slade, is seen forcefully holding the victim as she tried to break free from him. Blood can be seen on the victim’s shirt during the struggle. Slade is seen strangling the victim into what appeared to be unconsciousness. The victim was then dragged inside of the residence. Moments later, Slade reappeared to wash the victim’s blood off the front porch steps.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Slade did not live at the residence with his mother; however, he spent the night at the residence on October 14, 2020, and had breakfast with the victim during the morning hours of October 15, 2020. The two became engaged in an argument during breakfast and Slade began to assault the victim in the kitchen. The victim was able to escape outside and began to scream, but Slade followed her and strangled her. He ultimately brought her to the home’s garage.
Another family member of the victim reported that the victim was previously assaulted by Slade in Prince George’s County at an earlier date.
The Assistant State’s Attorney for the case told the judge during sentencing, “Senseless doesn’t even begin to describe this. The conduct that the defendant engaged in is forever etched in our memory.” She furthered, “The defendant accepts no responsibility or shows no remorse. As you heard today, the family that you heard from, over and over and over asking the defendant to get help.”
Before sentencing Slade to Life in prison, Judge West told Slade that the incident was a “brutal, mean-spirited, nasty murder.” He continued, “The victim was looking out for you and trusted you – pretty close to defenseless when this was happening.”