Baltimore County Judge Finds Murder Defendant Not Guilty in Towson Stabbing

TOWSON—A Baltimore County judge found a murder suspect not guilty Thursday, saying the evidence failed to prove the defendant was not acting in self-defense.

Michael “Shine” Distance, 47, took the stand and testified he was trying to smooth over a tense situation when Johnny Charles escalated the dispute by punching him and later pulling out a knife at an apartment complex on Ecoway Court in Towson on Dec. 8, 2024.

Distance told Judge Andrew Battista he wrestled the knife away from Charles and stabbed him while Charles held him in a chokehold.

“His story may not be true, but I cannot find that the state has proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Battista said.

Charles, 37, died of multiple stab wounds to the chest, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Distance was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter, but prosecutor Katherine Turnbull dropped the most serious charge after resting her case, conceding that Charles was acting aggressively and initiated the fight.

“But I don’t think Johnny Charles stabbed himself,” Turnbull said, noting that Charles had several apparent defensive wounds on his hands, while Distance had only one healed laceration on his arm when police arrested him two months later. On the stand, Distance testified he also suffered a small cut to his hand.

“How can this court actually believe that Mr. Distance walks away from this with one small cut on his thumb and just the injury to his arm?” Turnbull asked. “It’s not believable.”

In closing arguments, Turnbull said Distance had a duty to retreat and could have driven away to avoid the confrontation altogether.

“Every step that he takes—from the moment he opens his pickup truck door, closes it and walks around the back of the truck—he is putting himself in the way of this individual who is making open threats to kill him,” Turnbull said.

Distance’s attorney, Robert Cole, said his client did not start the altercation and was attempting to act as a peacemaker.

“Your Honor, this is Baltimore,” Cole said. “When someone says to you, ‘I know where you live. The next time I see you, it’s on,’ you can’t allow a ‘beef’ to simmer.”

Cole said Distance was trying to prevent future conflict, not provoke one.

The incident began when Charles’ girlfriend, Brittany Hicks, arranged to leave the Towson apartment and go with Distance to his home in Parkville.

Hicks testified Wednesday that she and Charles, who shared two children, had been arguing and drinking for much of the day.

Distance told the court he had texted Hicks and several other women that night looking for company.

“She was the first one to text back,” he said.

Distance drove to the apartment to pick up Hicks. Shortly after he arrived, as Hicks was walking down the apartment stairs toward Distance’s truck, Charles followed behind her, screaming and cursing, Hicks testified.

Distance said he saw Charles shove Hicks. Moments later, Distance testified, Charles turned his anger toward him, saying he knew where Distance lived and was going to come after him and his family. Distance, who said he did not previously know Charles, got out of the truck and walked up the stairs toward the apartment in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

“I walked up with my hands up and said, ‘Bro, I don’t want no smoke at all,’” Distance testified. He told Charles he was a friend of the family and was only there to pick up Brittanny.

Distance said Charles punched him in the face three times, causing him to fall down the stairs. He then rolled down a hill and landed beside a parked car in the apartment complex’s lot. That’s when he noticed an object in Charles’ hand.

Distance testified he managed to wrestle the knife away and began stabbing in an attempt to free himself from Charles’ chokehold. Charles regained control of the knife when Distance tried to pry Charles’ hands from his neck, he said. The knife was later found near Charles’ body at the apartment complex.

After the fight, Hicks went with Distance to his home, where she stayed for about three weeks.

Distance testified he learned the following day that Charles had died. He said he did not immediately turn himself in to police because he had major back surgery scheduled and wanted to wait until after the procedure.

The case was tried as a court trial, meaning Judge Battista heard and decided the case rather than a jury.

“The standard here is reasonable doubt,” Battista said. “Do I think Mr. Distance’s story is absolutely true? The problem I have is that the law requires me to find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that these events happened the way the state says they did—and I have great difficulty with that.”