Trial Date Set In Bel Air Murder Case

A Dundalk man was indicted last month on charges he murdered a man inside the victim's Bel Air apartment, and his jury trial is expected to start this summer.

On Monday afternoon, lawyers associated with the case met before a judge in Harford County Circuit Court for a scheduling conference, ultimately selecting a trial date of June 3, online court records show.

Victor Levi Colbert, 31, of the 100 block of William Wade Avenue in Dundalk, is charged with first-degree murder and use of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure in connection with the death of Rodney Holmes Smith.

The charges stem from an .

Around 8:30 a.m. Dec. 9 someone called 911 and reported a friend was covered in blood inside the apartment in the 200 block of Baltimore Pike and had possibly killed himself, call records show. When police arrived they found the body of 52-year-old Smith.

Charging documents state he sustained stab wounds to the neck and the cause of death was sharp force trauma.

At Colbert's December bail hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Kemba Lydia-Moore said a latent finger print matching Colbert was taken from a vodka bottle inside Smith's apartment.

Smith's friend told police she talked to the victim shortly before 11 p.m. Dec. 8 when Smith told her a man was there who allegedly wanted to sell and use crack cocaine, according to charging documents.

The woman told police Smith said he was fine when they last spoke.

During the investigation, police found small amounts of crack cocaine on Smith's kitchen chair and residue on the kitchen table, according to charging documents.

"I cannot control the charges trumped up against me," Colbert said during the December hearing. "There are clearly loopholes in this case."

Colbert added he did not commit the murder before he was interrupted and advised by his lawyer not to speak about the case.

At the time of his arrest, Colbert was on parole for drug possession with the intent to distribute. He was also on probation for a separate instance of drug possession with intent to distribute and attempted robbery, Lydia-Moore said at the time.

He is being held without bail at the Harford County Detention Center pending trial.

See also:

• Dundalk Man Indicted On Bel Air Murder Charge
• Preliminary Hearing Today For Accused Murderer
• Man Charged In Bel Air Murder Held Without Bail
• Dundalk Man Arrested In Bel Air Murder
• Bel Air Man's Death Investigated As Homicide