Prince George's County prosecutors say Jamaal Garvin Alexis, who is accused of murdering a Mitchellville music producer, confessed to a cellmate that he committed the crime and had his brother murder a key witness in the case.

Alexis, 22, of Landover was charged Jan. 29, 2008, with the death of music producer Raymond Brown. Brown, 36, was killed around 2:30 a.m. Oct. 13, 2006, two blocks from his home in Lake Arbor, after he called 911 to report his car being stolen and followed the tow truck taking his car away. When Brown approached the tow truck driver, he was shot.

E. Wesley Adams, a county assistant state's attorney, filed a motion April 7 to admit testimony in Prince George's County Circuit Court alleging that while Alexis was an inmate at the Prince George's County Department of Corrections in Upper Marlboro, he told cellmate Amadu Sulamon Jalloh that he murdered Brown.

Jalloh, also known as Kamara Mohamed, is expected to testify against Alexis in his upcoming trial, which has been delayed five times and is now scheduled to begin Aug. 24.

According to the documents, Jalloh is expected to testify that Alexis said his brother, Rashadd Alexis, 20, plotted to kill Bobby J. Ennels, a witness in Brown's murder who was found dead Oct. 7, three weeks before he was scheduled to testify against Jamaal Alexis.

Ennels, 22, of Capitol Heights, a suspected accomplice in Brown's death who had agreed to testify in Jamaal Alexis' trial in exchange for leniency, was found shot on a residential street near FedEx Field in Landover. Another man in the car, Anthony Cash, 22, of Capitol Heights, was also found dead, and a woman was wounded.

Ennels was arrested and charged May 1, 2007, with first-degree murder in Brown's death and, in an agreement with prosecutors, pleaded guilty to a theft charge of more than $500.

No charges have been filed or arrests made in the deaths of Ennels or Cash.

Rashadd Alexis has not been charged, but county prosecutors are seeking to introduce "clear and convincing evidence" linking Jamaal Alexis to Ennels' death.

According to court documents, as early as March 2007, Jamaal Alexis "began scheming to kill Ennels in an effort to prevent him from testifying against him for the murder of Raymond Brown" and then told Jalloh on Oct. 10 that Rashadd Alexis "got rid of the [expletive]."

Prosecutors allege Jamaal Alexis had approached another man allegedly involved in Brown's murder, Neiman Marcus Edmonds, 21, of Upper Marlboro, with a plan to kill Ennels, staging what would look like a drive-by shooting, but Edmonds allegedly was nervous he was being set up and refused. Edmonds was arrested April 10, 2007, for his involvement in Brown's murder.

Online Prince George's County Circuit Court records show Edmonds was charged Oct. 13, 2006, with first-degree murder, two counts of armed carjacking, the use of a handgun in a violent crime, two counts of theft over $500 and carjacking.

According to the documents filed by prosecutors, on the night of Ennels' murder, Ennels drove to Jamaal Alexis' neighborhood, where he was met by two men who walked up to the driver's side of the car.

"Man, you're OK, it's cool, don't worry; ya'll don't have anything to worry about; I'm not going to say anything," Ennels allegedly told the men.

Then the men started shooting, according to documents.

Less than two miles from where the bodies were found, and only 20 minutes after the shootings, Rashadd Alexis was pulled over by police for speeding in Landover.

Police said they saw a small amount of blood on Rashadd Alexis' shirt and torn jeans, according to court documents written by Adams. Rashadd Alexis told officers he had been involved in a fight on a basketball court and was allowed to go.

Rashadd Alexis visited his brother at least 28 times while he was in jail, documents show.

The phone number listed at Rashadd Alexis' address was disconnected Wednesday.

Jamaal Alexis was charged Dec. 10, 2008, with first-degree murder, the use of a handgun in commission of a felony, carjacking, armed carjacking, robbery, two counts of theft over $500, conspiracy to commit theft over $500 and first-degree assault.

At a motions hearing April 10, Prince George's County Circuit Court Judge C. Philip Nichols Jr. granted the prosecution's motion to prohibit lead defense attorney Harry Tun, who is based in Washington, D.C., from representing Alexis because of a conflict of interest in the case.

In addition to representing Jamaal Alexis, Tun was representing Jalloh — the inmate who claims Alexis confessed. Jalloh had been incarcerated in an unrelated case with attempted murder, first-degree assault and use of a handgun in the commission of a felony or crime of violence.

If Tun represented both of the men, a conviction could be easily overturned, Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D) stated in the April 10 motions.

Jamaal Alexis is now being represented by lead defense attorney Ross Hecht, who is based in Upper Marlboro.

Hecht said Friday that the defense denies any involvement in Ennels' murder.

"I feel confident that Jamaal Alexis will be set free — he is an innocent man," Hecht said. "The government made a horrible decision with charging him."

E-mail Liz Skalski at eskalski@gazette.net.

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