ELKRIDGE, Md. — Police say he was abducted in Baltimore and found dead on a driveway in Howard County. 20 years later, Markus Felder's murder is still unsolved.
It was May 4, 2005: A driveway on Route 1 in Elkridge became a crime scene when 22-year-old Markus Felder's body was discovered.
"Our detectives have determined the man was shot in the head," a Howard County Police spokesperson told WMAR-2 News at the time.
The case immediately presented puzzling circumstances for investigators.
"We have not been able to establish any link or ties with the victim in Howard County, and we also have determined that the resident has no connection with this victim," the spokesperson said.
Felder lived in West Baltimore, and he was abducted near his home, according to Howard County Police. WMAR-2 News reported 20 years ago that he was a talented AAU championship basketball player, at one point with dreams of making the NBA.
Now, his murder is one of Howard County's 23 unsolved homicide cases. Howard County Police would come to believe his murder was "an apparent retaliation for a drug-related dispute."
Felder had told his mother he was going out to play ball the night before. As WMAR-2 News reported in 2005, she had tried to turn Markus away from drug-related crime.
"He got in trouble when he was a teenager, but after he went to boot camp for a while, he came home, he just turned to try to stay out of trouble, but I don't know what happened," his mother said.
Investigators are still trying to solve the spring murder from 20 years ago. If you can help them, call 410-313-STOP. The reward is up to $30,000.
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