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Hagerstown man admits he used PCP before stabbing

Defendant cannot remember stabbing friend

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A Hagerstown man pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated assault in the November death of his friend, who was stabbed multiple times. However, Brandon Lamont Howard's public defender says Howard has no memory of the incident.

The stabbing occurred on November 5 in an apartment in downtown Hagerstown.

According to court documents and statements made by Assistant District Attorney Amy Taylor during Wednesday's hearing in Washington County District Court, Howard, 42, had smoked “Dippers” before the stabbing.

“Dippers” is the street slang term for cigarettes dipped in PCP.

Taylor said Howard stated in a sentencing memo that PCP made him suicidal. The prosecutor said she had read up on PCP and it was known that it increased violence and gratuitous aggression and could lead to murder or suicide.

She listed some of Howard's previous convictions, including drug offenses, burglary and assault.

“I want the defendant to stop using PCP,” Taylor said, adding that this may only be achieved through incarceration.

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Assistant Public Defender Carl Somerlock told Judge Brett R. Wilson that Howard has shown a willingness to change and wants to make sure he does not end up in a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde scenario.

Somerlock said Howard, a married father of four, “feels terrible about what he did.” Howard and the victim, Lindsey S. Fisher, were “best friends” and Howard has no memory of the stabbing.

Howard told Wilson the incident was “a real wake-up call.”

“It could have been her life or my life,” Howard said.

Howard apologized to Fisher, who was not present at the hearing, as well as to the witnesses and everyone connected with the incident.

Wilson agreed to the prosecution's request and sentenced Howard to 7 1/2 years in prison plus probation. The probation period is also 7 1/2 years. Howard will receive credit for approximately 9 1/2 months of time already served.

As part of the agreement, the state dropped other charges against Howard in the case. The dropped charges include attempted second-degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.

Upon his release, Howard will serve three years of probation, the first half of which will be supervised. Wilson told Howard that his probation requirements include abstaining from alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescription drug abuse. Howard must undergo alcohol and drug evaluation, treatment, and testing as recommended by his probation officer.

Somerlock said he would later file a motion to have Howard placed in a residential treatment program for the final six months of his sentence. If Howard enters such a program and then leaves, it would be a probation violation, the attorney said.

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Hagerstown police were called to the first block of North Mulberry Street about 6:17 p.m. on Nov. 5 for a disturbance and found Fisher on the second floor of a building down the street from her apartment, suffering from numerous stab wounds to her head and body, charging documents state.

Taylor said Howard was found in the area, held by passersby.

Before Fisher lost consciousness, she told police that Howard was smoking cigarettes in her apartment and then tried to attack another person, Taylor said. Fisher reported that she was able to get the other person to leave, but then Howard turned his attention to her.

Fisher's injuries included a collapsed lung, a ruptured lung, a broken rib and cuts to his arms and ear, Taylor said.

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Taylor explained how the two met, saying that Howard and Fisher were both in rehab and struggling with substance abuse. Fisher is now in rehab.

Taylor said Fisher was not in court but expressed different feelings toward Howard after the stabbing.

Taylor said Fisher thought Howard was a “really good guy, except when he's taking PCP.”

Fisher claims she told Howard he was going to kill her and Howard responded “Fine,” Taylor said of the stabbing.

Taylor said Fisher said she believed he would have continued his attack on her if she had not fought back and bit Howard on the nose.

However, Taylor said Fisher would not testify and did not understand why prosecutors did not use prison recordings of their conversations.

The start of a jury trial was planned for the end of October.

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