Frederick, Maryland – In a recent court session, Jeffrey Whitney Bryan, Jr. entered a guilty plea for first-degree murder. The plea was accepted by the Honorable Judge Scott Rolle in Frederick County Circuit Court on July 10, 2024.
The case stemmed from an incident on July 1, 2023, around 12:20 a.m., when Frederick City Police Department officers were dispatched to 170 All Saints Street following reports of a man shot in the face. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, Tayquan Palmer, unconscious and bleeding profusely. Despite immediate CPR efforts by the officers and emergency medical services, Palmer was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigations revealed that the incident occurred during an outdoor gathering of about 20 to 30 people on the night of June 30 into the early morning of July 1. Both Bryan and Palmer were in attendance. A disagreement arose between the two earlier in the evening. Bryan left the gathering around 10:40 p.m. and returned at approximately 12:10 a.m., now wearing a hoodie and a full face mask. He waited in Gaithers Alley until Palmer was isolated from the group, approached him, and fatally shot him in the head.
The guilty plea marks a significant development in a case that has captured the community’s attention, bringing some closure to the events of that tragic night.