Jury Hears Text Messages in Retrial Over Killing of Dunbar High School Administrator
TOWSON–Testimony is set to resume Monday in the retrial of a man accused of murdering his former teacher.
Jurors on Friday heard potentially incriminating text messages sent in the days surrounding the killing.
Zayeed Abdul-Muhaimin, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in the Dec. 27, 2020, shooting death of Shelton Stanley, his former middle-school teacher. Stanley, 36, was serving as an assisstant principal at Dunbar High School at the time of the shooting. Abdul-Muhaimin was 23 and a senior at the University of Baltimore.
Abdul-Muhaimin, who had lived with Stanley on and off since he was a teen, has admitted shooting Stanley but maintains he acted in self-defense. Prosecutors have implied the killing was motivated by money, not fear for his life. Abdul-Muhaimin allegedly made bank transfers of $2,500 after the shooting, nearly draining Stanley’s account.
A jury convicted Abdul-Muhaimin of second-degree murder in 2022, and a judge sentenced him to 35 years in prison. In 2024, a state appellate court overturned the conviction, ruling that potential jurors should have been questioned about their views on firearms.
During the third day of testimony Friday in Baltimore County Circuit Court in Towson, prosecutors introduced hundreds of Abdul-Muhaimin’s text messages and private social media messages.
One series of messages between Abdul-Muhaimin and another man discussed Abdul-Muhaimin obtaining a Glock handgun and a shotgun for the other man. The messages were sent in the days leading up to the shooting and on the day it occurred. Stanley legally owned both types of firearms. Investigators said both guns were missing from his home when police searched the Pikesville home on Hawksbury Road.
In a separate text conversation the day before the shooting, Abdul-Muhaimin asked Stanley for his phone passcode, which Stanley provided.
A Baltimore County police detective also read into the court record text messages between Abdul-Muhaimin and his girlfriend that appeared to show him planning to move to San Diego where she lived. In one exchange on the day of the shooting, he told her he had "caught a body" — slang for killing someone — and added, "Stanley paid me to do it.”
Other messages between Stanley and Abdul-Muhaimin reflected largely routine conversations, often involving Abdul-Muhaimin asking Stanley for rides or money.
Abdul-Muhaimin testified during his first trial that Stanley had asked him to kidnap another man. He said he believed Stanley was about to shoot him during a confrontation after he did not go through with the plan. Defense attorneys have said the alleged kidnapping target was also a former student who had been romantically involved with Stanley.
Messages introduced by prosecutors from earlier in the year addressed the sexual aspect of Stanley and Abdul-Muhaimin's relationship.
On Oct. 16, 2020, Abdul-Muhaimin texted: "Stanley I know we had like a moment last week. It felt good to be pleasured but I'm not into that. I feel real low about myself and mentally I'm not here.”
Stanley replied: "You’re welcome and I understand and am sorry for what transpired last week. We will never speak of or do it again. I'm sorry to hear you feeling low about yourself and you not being mentally here. You need to take some time for yourself ignore everything else and spend time with yourself and pray and meditate so you can find yourself again.”
On Nov. 7, 2020, Abdul-Muhaimin texted: "Thank you for everything you've done for me and continue to do for me. Thank you for letting me experience my self with you. Thank you for worshiping the lord with me. Most importantly thank you for being my friend.”
Then Abdul-Muhaimin wrote: "I cannot partake in man to man activities with you anymore. And I won’t ask. But I do appreciate you for allowing me to do that with myself."
Stanley replied: "You are very welcome and I understand."
Later, the two discussed changes in the dynamics of their relationship, with Stanley continuing to offer support to Abdul-Muhaimin.
The prosecution is set to continue presenting its case Monday, with a medical examiner scheduled to testify about autopsy findings.