WASHINGTON — A 25-year-old man was charged on Friday in connection with the body of a woman found on May 12 stabbed to death at an Anne Arundel County doctor’s office.
Joseph Patrick Soule, 25, of Pasadena, Md., was charged with second degree murder on May 16 and is being held at the Jennifer Road Detention Center.
Anne Arundel County police say their investigation found Soule was an associate of the victim and they were involved in illegal drug trade, according to a news release.
Anne Arundel County police responded to the Medical Arts Centre of Glen Burnie — a gynecologist office — at about 8:45 a.m. Monday, May 12 for a report of a death. When they arrived, they found 42-year-old Christie Lynn Pelland dead.
An office employee found Pelland, who worked for a cleaning company that served the building.
Pelland — a Pasadena, Md., resident — had obvious signs of upper body trauma, according to police.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that there were no signs of forced entry into the building and this does not appear to be a burglary. Early indication points to this being a targeted incident,” Anne Arundel County police said in a news release.
Police say they interacted with Pelland following a shooting that occurred at a Glen Burnie convenient store May 3. Police stopped her at a traffic stop after the shooting and arrested her for two outstanding warrants for a controlled dangerous substance related charge from December 2013.
At the time of the traffic stop, detectives did not suspect her as a suspect in the shooting.
On May 3, a 20-year-old man was shot several times at a Royal Farms store. The shooting happened shortly after 1 a.m.
Police say the man had been in an altercation with another man, who shot him and then fled on foot. The police have not found a suspect.
The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The shooting in Glen Burnie on May 3 is still under investigation.
“Detectives are currently investigating both incidents to determine if they are related and what role if any it may have played in her death,” police said in the release.
Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Detective Daniel Myers at the Criminal Investigation Division at 410-222-3413 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1- 866-7LOCKUP.
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