Man killed in downtown Bethesda stabbing identified

Montgomery County police identified the man who was found dead in a downtown Bethesda, Maryland, shopping center Monday. Three teens have been charged in his killing.

Police said Wednesday they found Lawrence Richard Wilson Jr., 33, dead in a stairwell at the Target on Wisconsin Avenue after getting a call about a stabbing death around 8:15 p.m.



Later that evening, the police said, Joshua Wright, 17, arrived at the Second District Station to report that he witnessed the stabbing.

Police said Wright, in statements, identified Antonio Lawrence, 16, and Blaise Uchemadu, 18. Detectives connected the three as suspects.

According to authorities, Lawrence and Uchemadu both admitted their involvement related to the robbery and stabbing of Wilson.

Police said Uchemadu admitted to going to the Target with the intention of robbing Wilson for marijuana. Court documents show that Uchemadu and Wilson lived in the same home.

The three teens are being charged as adults. They face first-degree murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery charges and are being held without bond.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with more information should call Montgomery County Police’s Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070 or 240-773-TIPS.

WTOP’s Megan Cloherty contributed to this report.

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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