Capital Gazette Murder Trial

This true-crime story concludes with sentencing three years after the most violent attack on journalism in American history. In this episode, we hear the reaction to Ramos'  sentence from shooting survivors and victim’s families. The Prosecutor said convicted mass murderer Jarrod Ramos made it a one-sided fight. "He should not get the last word.”

Before sentencing Ramos, the Judge heard emotional statements from some of the families of the 5 people murdered in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette Newspaper on June 28, 2018. They asked for the maximum sentence, life in prison without the possibility of parole, so they wouldn't have to re-live their nightmare by being called on to testify if Ramos ever sought his release. 

Practicing lawyer and former reporter Chris Gordon ends by explaining why he came out of retirement to start this podcast. Gordon looks at the lessons this case teaches us about why and how this happened. And he tells us what the journalists who went through this ordeal would like us to do to protect the First Amendment.

The families of victims and shooting survivors react as the jury delivers its decision. You’ll hear from the chief prosecutor and the families sharing emotional comments outside the courthouse in Annapolis just minutes after the verdict. It’s a moment they’ve waited for more than three years. 

You’ll also learn about the fight some of the victims vow to continue. You’ll learn what’s next for the shooter Jarrod Ramos. We take you inside the courtroom as Ramos shared his story about his plans and preparation for the deadliest attack on the media in American history with the prosecutor’s key expert witness. 

It’s all here on Capital Gazette Murder Trial Podcast. 

"I was waiting to die. I was praying”. A Capital gazette reporter describes the terror caused by mass shooter Jarrod Ramos. Six survivors testified in his trial. A photographer said he "felt the wind against his neck” as  shotgun pellets whizzed past his head and narrowly missed killing him.

“Delusional.” That’s how a renowned psychiatric describes Ramos. An expert who specializes in violent behavior, she's previously evaluated  high profile killers like Mark David Chapman, who shot former Beatle John Lennon, Beltway sniper John Allen Muhammad, and serial killer Ted Bundy.

Now the jury must decide if Ramos suffers from mental illness that makes him unable to appreciate the "criminality of his acts". If they decide Ramos is criminally responsible for the murders, he'll be sentenced to life in prison. If they decide he's not criminally responsible, he be sent to a psychiatric hospital. 

This podcast lets you decide for yourself through evidence presented the jury.

Confessed mass murderer Jarrod Ramos had a long-running feud with The Capital Gazette. Ramos thought an article about him made him look “crazy” so he demanded a retraction and apology.

When he didn’t get either, he sued the newspaper and the reporter for defamation. A judge dismissed his case and when Ramos exhausted his appeals, he withdrew from the world — living like a hermit. He stayed at home with his dying cat as his only companion, planning his revenge against The Capital Gazette for two years. When he finally took her to be euthanized, he was ready to launch his plan to kill as many people as he could at the newspaper. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about Ramos from his younger sister, who has testified in the trial. Police witnesses talk about his reaction when he was apprehended and questioned. Ramos pleaded guilty to murder in the shooting deaths of 5 people on June 28, 2018, but his lawyers are asking the jury in this trial to find him “Not Criminally Responsible.” 

You’ll find out what the law requires for this insanity defense to succeed. You can begin to decide for yourself if Ramos suffers from mental disorders or just wants to appear that way.

In late June 2018, five people were murdered by an active shooter walking through their offices at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. Prosecutors say he blocked the exit so the victims couldn’t escape. 
 
The defendant, Jarrod Ramos, pleaded guilty to the murders but his lawyers now argue he’s not “criminally responsible” — Maryland’s version of the Insanity Defense. Prosecutors contend that his attack was planned in a “calculating and methodical” manner because the paper wrote unfavorable articles about him.
 
Former TV reporter and lawyer Chris Gordon covered the crime. Now, he’s covering the trial in this exclusive podcast from Voxtopica and Chris Gordon News. Listen as he explains the impact of the testimony and evidence inside the courtroom, bringing his unique perspective to the trial.