LAUREL, Md. – The saga into the tragic February 2023 murder of Antwaun Demetrius Conyers has culminated in the arrest of two suspects. Authorities have now charged Christopher Rackwon Rojas and Rakiya Denise Talley with multiple crimes, including first-degree murder, following a violent altercation in Laurel that left Conyers fatally wounded.
The incident occurred on February 8, 2023, when Anne Arundel County Police officers responded to a shooting in the 3500 block of Russett Green East in Laurel. When officers arrived, they found 32-year-old Antwaun Conyers lying beside the road with apparent gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of paramedics, Conyers was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators immediately launched a homicide investigation.
Key Evidence and “Witness One”
Court documents detail the investigation leading up to the arrests. According to statements from law enforcement and witness accounts, surveillance footage showed Conyers walking beside the road when a gray Nissan Altima stopped next to him. Shortly after, the vehicle’s front passenger door opened, and Conyers collapsed as the vehicle sped off. Investigators found cartridge casings near the victim and were able to identify the gray Nissan Altima using its Maryland registration plate.
A crucial witness, referred to as “Witness One” in the official police report, observed a black male exiting the passenger side of the vehicle and shooting Conyers. The vehicle was later linked to Rakiya Talley, and her close associate, Christopher Rojas, was identified as the passenger.
On February 7, 2023, just one day before the shooting, officers had encountered Rojas and Talley while investigating a separate incident involving a stolen vehicle. Rojas had reported that his vehicle had been stolen by a man with long braided hair—a plenary resemblance to Conyers’ descriptors. Rojas was wearing a distinctive black-and-gray hooded sweatshirt during that encounter, which would later become a key piece of evidence in the case.
A Choice to Murder
On the morning of February 8, Rojas and Talley were seen at a local business where Rojas believed he’d just seen his vehicle. Just minutes before the crime, Surveillance footage from the business captured Rojas near Russett Green East wearing the same sweatshirt from the day before. Detectives reported that Rojas apparently spotted Conyers walking near the business and made a threatening comment, stating he would “shoot the shit out of him.”
Moments later, Rojas and Talley left the business in Talley’s gray Altima. Less than six minutes later, Conyers was gunned down approximately 300 meters from the business. Detectives were able to positively identify both suspects through surveillance footage and Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) records.
Charges Finally Filed
Court documents reveal that Rojas has been charged with first-degree murder, which is punishable by life imprisonment. He also faces second-degree murder, carrying up to 40 years in prison, and first-degree assault, with a potential penalty of up to 25 years. Additionally, Rojas has been charged with second-degree assault, which carries a maximum of 10 years and a $2,500 fine. He also faces charges related to the use of a firearm in a violent crime, which can result in up to 20 years in prison. Further charges for carrying a handgun on his person and in a vehicle each carry a penalty of up to 3 years in prison and fines of up to $2,500.
Talley, who was driving the vehicle during the incident, was arrested earlier in the investigation and faces similar charges. The Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Fugitive Apprehension Team, in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested Rojas in Baltimore on August 29, 2024. Both suspects are now in custody as the case moves toward trial.
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