BALTIMORE MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE WITH 20 YEARS TO SERVE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT FIRST-DEGREE MURDER
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 26, 2026
BALTIMORE MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE WITH 20 YEARS TO SERVE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT FIRST-DEGREE MURDER
Frederick, MD – Tuesday, in Frederick County Circuit Court, Alonzo Michael Epps Jr. entered a plea of guilty to Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder. Pursuant to the agreement, the Honorable Judge Scott Rolle sentenced Mr. Epps. to Life Imprisonment with all but 20 years of active time suspended with 5 years of supervised probation upon release.
At approximately 1:32 p.m., on Jan. 10, 2024, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) deputies responded to the 8200 block of Crum Road, Walkersville, Maryland, for the report of a suspicious vehicle in a field. The caller reported that the vehicle had its flashers on and had been there since 7 a.m.
Upon responding, deputies located a 2003 Toyota Sequoia in a field approximately 650 feet off the roadway with mud and blood on the exterior. Deputies determined the vehicle was registered to Brice Wendell Boots, age 66, of Pikesville, Maryland. Deputies found Mr. Boots deceased inside the vehicle with multiple blunt and sharp force injuries and immediately established a crime scene at the location.
Detectives responded to Boots’ residence in Pikesville on the evening of Jan. 10, to locate next of kin. While in the area, they learned from neighbors that Boots’ estranged wife, Frances Virginia Hamilton, was observed at Boots’ residence the evening prior. One of the neighbors observed two males there with Ms. Hamilton believed to be her nephews. One of these individuals was later determined to be Alonzo Michael Epps, Jr. and the other Keon Wilson-Hawkins. Detectives further learned that Mr. Boots and Ms. Hamilton were going through a contentious divorce and that Boots had expressed fear for his safety from Hamilton on prior occasions.
A search of Boots’ residence was conducted during the early morning hours of January 11th. During the search, deputies observed evidence consistent with a physical altercation occurring within the home and Mr. Boots being forcibly abducted.
A post-mortem examination of Mr. Boots was conducted by the Officer of the Chief Medical Examiner. Mr. Boots’ death was ruled a homicide.
Historical cellular phone records for Boots, Hamilton, and Wilson-Hawkins were obtained and analyzed with the assistance of the FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST). The records show that Boots, Hamilton, and Wilson-Hawkins were at Boots’ residence on the evening of Jan. 9, through the early morning hours of Jan. 10. Boots and Wilson-Hawkins’ cellular devices departed the residence at approximately 4:37 a.m. on Jan. 10th and traveled via interstate 70 toward Frederick. Their devices arrived in the 8200 block of Crum Road around 6:20 a.m. Wilson-Hawkins’ device departed the 8200 block of Crum Road at approximately 6:30 a.m. and traveled back to his home in west Baltimore.
Wilson-Hawkins’ DNA was found on a bloody glove recovered from the crime scene on Crum Road.
Wilson-Hawkins stood trial in Frederick County Circuit Court in July of 2025 before the Honorable Judge Scott Rolle and was found guilty by a jury of First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder, Kidnapping, and Carjacking. Mr. Wilson-Hawkins was subsequently sentenced to Life Imprisonment with 85 years to serve.
Hamilton committed suicide on February 24th, 2024, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland prior to being arrested.
The evidence against Mr. Epps indicated that he was a knowing and willing participant in the initial assault of Mr. Boots within the home and that he agreed to provide further assistance to Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Wilson-Hawkins in their efforts in carrying out the murder.
State’s Attorney Charlie Smith said, “Alonzo Epps made a deliberate choice to participate in a violent and calculated conspiracy that began with an assault in the victim’s home and ended in his death. This plea both spares the family from the hardship of a trial and ensures that Epps is held accountable for his role in this brutal crime.”
Mr. Boots’ friends and family, who were in agreement with the plea, expressed during sentencing that “Brice was a kind man and a loyal friend. He was a gentle soul and always helped his neighbors. These actions were an attack on all who loved Brice.”
Chief Counsel Ricky Lewis and Deputy State’s Attorney Joyce King represented the State of Maryland. The investigation was led by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office with assistance provided by the Frederick City Police Department and FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team.
Press Contact:
Jacqueline Rottmann
Court Media Relations Officer
301-600-2972
100 West Patrick Street
Frederick, Maryland 21701
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