EDGEWOOD, Md. — The Harford County Sheriff's Office is seeking new information in the unsolved murder of Quinton "Sparks" Stokes, who was gunned down in June 2013 in Edgewood, Maryland.
"This summer, this June, will mark the 12th year that Quinton's been gone," said Det. Sgt. Chris Maddox with the Harford County Sheriff's Office, in an interview with WMAR-2 News.
Twelve years have passed without closure for Stokes' family, including his daughter, now about 12 or 13 years old, and his mother who still seeks justice for her son.
"Understandably, they're upset and they'd like some closure. It's not going to bring Quinton back but they would like to have some closure, and they deserve closure," Maddox said.
Stokes was 24 years old and lived in Edgewood when he was killed. On a Saturday night around 10 p.m., he was in the area of Grempler Way, a neighborhood where a cut-through leads to a shopping center.
"One of Quinton's good friends was actually with him during this incident, and some younger kids requested this individual to buy them some tobacco at the local gas station. So this individual walked away, and was actually at the gas station when he heard the shots being fired," Maddox said.
Stokes was shot approximately half a dozen times in what deputies believe was a targeted shooting.
"We know there was a dispute between Quinton and a couple individuals earlier in the evening. Detectives, back then, ran down a couple leads that we had at the time, but unfortunately those leads did not pan out," Maddox said.
Over the years, the case went cold. The shooting occurred at night, making it difficult for witnesses to provide detailed descriptions of anyone fleeing the scene. However, detectives believe some witnesses weren't completely forthcoming.
"I really do feel there were several individuals that were friends with Quinton that knew what happened, knew what the suspect could be and may be afraid or don't want to come forward for one reason or another," Maddox said.
Investigators recovered half a dozen .380 Winchester casings at the scene, Maddox noted. With advances in DNA technology, Maddox hopes these casings might lead to something new.
"The mindset before was, it was fired, it was burnt off. And that's not necessarily the case anymore, especially with six casings. Maybe we'll get lucky and get some DNA back on it," Maddox said.
Anyone with information about Quinton Stokes' murder is asked to call 410-838-6600 or submit tips anonymously through Metro Crime Stoppers.
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