State v. Stacy Jermain Barksdale, C-08-CR-24-000483
LA PLATA, MD— Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, February 28, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Makeba Gibbs sentenced Stacy Jermain Barksdale, 39, of Waldorf, to 12 years in prison for the Gross Vehicular Manslaughter of Gary Alan Cooper. Barksdale will also be on supervised probation for five years upon release.
Barksdale pleaded guilty to the aforementioned charge on January 9, 2025.
On April 22, 2024, troopers from the Maryland State Police along with members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the intersection of Route 301 and Acton Lane for a two-vehicle collision. Upon arrival, they located a silver GMC Envoy with heavy front-end damage at rest in the intersection. They also observed a white Ford Expedition with heavy front-end damage at rest against a guardrail. Troopers made contact with Barksdale, who had observable signs of impairment. Barksdale was transported to the University of Maryland Capital Regional Health Center for treatment of his injuries. The operator of the Ford Expedition, Denise Kesterson, was also transported to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Unfortunately, Cooper, who was a passenger in the Expedition, succumbed to the injuries he sustained from the accident.
An investigation revealed that the GMC Envoy, operated by Barksdale, was traveling southbound on Route 301 in the right turn lane. The Ford Expedition, occupied by Cooper and Kesterson, was traveling on Acton Lane and in the process of crossing Route 301 to continue on Acton Lane. Barksdale failed to obey traffic laws and ran a red light at a high rate of speed with his vehicle, ultimately striking the front passenger side of the Expedition, where Cooper was seated. The force of the crash pushed the Expedition into a guardrail.
Toxicology results from a hospital blood test showed Barksdale had methamphetamine, marijuana, and a .15 alcohol content in his system.
During sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Cody Ballard, asking for the maximum sentence of 15 years, noting Barksdale’s previous history of multiple driving impaired convictions, stated that he had “been given multiple opportunities to correct his behavior – This time, he killed somebody.”
A loved one of Cooper present at the sentencing delivered a victim impact statement to the judge, stating, “Gary was given a death sentence. We were given a life sentence. The sentence that the defendant faces doesn’t compare.”
The Honorable Judge Gibbs told Barksdale, “As a repeat offender, I can’t think of anything more dangerous than someone unaware of the need not to drive after consuming alcohol.”
Sentencing
Count 1: Gross Vehicular Manslaughter
• 15 years with all but 12 years suspended
• 5 years of supervised probation