COLUMBIA, Md. — Three men have been charged for the August 2025 murder of a man in Columbia's Merriweather District.
Montreal Proctor, 26; Talondo Short, 36; and Damon Simpson Jr., 34, are accused of taking part in the shooting death of Leon Grant.
Detectives say Grant, of Salisbury, met Proctor in the parking lot of Banditos Tacos & Tequila off Dove Sail Lane in regards to an arranged package delivery.
"As Grant was entering Proctor’s vehicle, Short and Simpson approached in another vehicle," Howard County Police said in a Wednesday press release. "During the encounter, Grant was shot."
From the beginning, detectives suggested Grant was targeted.
“The motive is one of the things detectives still want to learn," Seth Hoffman, a police spokesperson told WMAR-2 News. "That’s part of the investigation still - is what drove them to commit this crime. We do know that Proctor was in contact with our victim beforehand, about a week beforehand, the shooting, but we don’t know what exactly that was about.”
A forensic review of Proctor's cell phone uncovered multiple prior conversations with someone sitting in jail, who according to charging documents, instructed him to "get in touch with people" and to "be on standby for something."
Following those discussions, Proctor called Grant to order a package from him.
After shipment is when Grant and Proctor arranged to meet at Banditos Tacos & Tequila.
Before that meeting Proctor had a three-way phone chat with Simpson and Short. Cell records indicate the threesome visited Columbia on the night of Grant's murder.
Simpson was officially linked to Grant's death on January 5, 2026 when he crashed on Security Boulevard in Baltimore County.
Officers searched his rental car, which happened to be the Dodge Charger that Grant was found dead in.
Inside was a 9mm Glock handgun believed to be used in Grant's murder. Simpson was also in possession of pictures showing him posing with a bundle of cash for which he allegedly received as payment for Grant's killing.
Proctor and Short are currently being held at the Howard County Detention Center without bail.
According to Maryland Judiciary Case Search, Proctor has multiple prior criminal convictions including for past gun crimes.
Simpson, meanwhile, was already jailed in Baltimore County for unrelated gun charges. His trial for that case starts on June 18.
In 2008 court records show that Simpson was convicted of second degree murder in Baltimore City.
Simpson was sentenced to 25-years in prison, yet judge Charles Bernstein ordered him to serve just 15 years behind bars.
Anyone with information can call police at 410-313-STOP or email HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov.
