One of Hagerstown's most-wanted fugitives was apprehended in Sacramento

Hagerstown Police announced Wednesday that fugitive Raymond Garfield Campbell, wanted in the 2020 murder of Waynesboro, Pa., resident Daynard Devere Johnson, has been captured and brought back to Hagerstown.

There has been an active warrant for Campbell's arrest since at least Dec. 7, 2020, according to his online court docket. He has been wanted since October 2020, according to Hagerstown Police. He was returned to Hagerstown on Tuesday.

Campbell, previously of Hagerstown, was indicted on charges that include first-degree murder.

While two other men have been convicted in the shooting death, Hagerstown Police Lt. Rebecca Fetchu identified Campbell as the alleged shooter.

"He was one of our most wanted fugitives," Fetchu, the police department's spokesperson, said in an email. "The Hagerstown Police Department works relentlessly to bring justice to victims and families of violent crime.  We are always working behind the scenes, following up on potential leads and working with our law enforcement partners when it comes to apprehending homicide suspects."

Campbell was arrested in Sacramento, Calif., around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 21, according to a police news release.

He was extradited, flown back, to Maryland on Tuesday.

Hagerstown Police were not releasing further information Wednesday about what led to Campbell's apprehension.

Hagerstown Police, in the release, thanked the FBI's Sacramento office and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department for apprehending Campbell, the release states.

"We also want to thank our warrant task force officers that traveled to Sacramento and safely returned to Hagerstown with the suspect," the release states.

Campbell was being held without bond Wednesday at the Washington County Detention Center.

An initial appearance hearing was held for Campbell on Wednesday afternoon in Washington County Circuit Court. A public defender was present for the purposes of the initial hearing, but an attorney had not yet been assigned to Campbell's case. His bond review hearing was deferred until he has a case attorney.

What happened to Daynard Johnson?

When Hagerstown Police arrived in the 300 block of Henry Avenue in Hagerstown around 10:25 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2020, they found Johnson, 40, face down on the sidewalk with bullet wounds to his head, chest, abdomen and hand, according to court documents. He was pronounced dead 11 minutes later.

Various suspects were allegedly tracking Johnson's movements and communicating via cellphones shortly before he was shot, according to charging documents.

Two men, Brock Jerome Smith and Alexander Daniel Brooks, previously entered Alford pleas related to the case. An Alford plea does not admit guilt, but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence to obtain a conviction.

Smith, 34, of Hagerstown, entered an Alford plea to first-degree assault was sentenced last fall to 25 years in state prison, suspending all but eight years.

Brooks, 28, of Hagerstown, entered an Alford plea in January 2023 to first-degree murder. He was sentenced last May to life in prison with all but 30 years suspended.

Connection to West Virginia murder case

Johnson's family and friends have told police his murder was retaliation for the September 2020 murder of Vance Anthony Trotman Jr., 26, of Hagerstown. Smith, Brooks and others were family or close friends of Trotman, according to court documents.

According to Campbell's charging documents, Campbell allegedly told a police source that he is Trotman's brother and killing Johnson was "payback" for Trotman's death.

Trotman and Devon Gordon Jr., of Martinsburg, were shot shortly after 2 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2020, at the Mountaineer Pub parking lot at 214 Mid Atlantic Parkway north of Martinsburg. Gordon was wounded. Trotman was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Video footage showed Trotman exit the club after a fight broke out, and that he had an opportunity to leave the premises, Cpl. R.L. Steerman Jr. with the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department has said. Instead, the footage appears to show Trotman going in the direction of where Gordon was in the parking lot when the shooting occurred, Steerman has said.

The Berkeley County prosector has previously said Johnson was a person of interest in the Trotman case, which can mean investigators wanted to speak with him.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: One of Hagerstown's most-wanted fugitives apprehended in California