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(Publisher’s Note: This column is the first in a series.)
On July 2o, 2006, the life of 19-year-old Joseph A. Miranda ended on a dirt road at a Baltimore County landscaping business. Joseph was killed when a Bobcat backed over his upper torso crushing his head neck as he lay prone on the ground.
While it may have appeared that young Joseph’s death was nothing more than a tragic accident, someone very close to him knew otherwise. She then began her fight to prove that Joseph was killed by an employee of the landscaping business.
“I will not rest until I receive justice for my son,” Mrs. Miranda told the Post.
Mrs. Miranda reached out to the Baltimore Post through a friend after our recent coverage of Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger and the Maryland State Police mishandling the case of an illegal who was charged with manslaughter after a fatal car crash. Mrs. Miranda told the Post. Over the course of several weeks, the Post has conducted in-depth interviews with this grieving mother who continues her fight for justice.
Mrs. Miranda provided the Post with copies of the complete investigation. All of the events, in this case, occurred during the administration of Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, and Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson.
Here are some of the facts that we know:
- Joseph Miranda’s life ended on the property of the Outside Unimited Inc. landscaping company on a hot summer afternoon when a Bobcat backed up and subsequently crushed his upper torso.
- The State Medical Examiner, despite objections from Mr. Shellenberger, ruled Joseph’s death a homicide.
- Despite claims that the case occurred outside of Baltimore County, it was determined that the actual crime scene was located within county boundaries. This was a key factor in the investigation regarding the cause of death, which should have been conducted by Baltimore County Police instead of MSP troopers.
The Miranda case was not the first time the Baltimore County SA Office has come under fire for a lack of integrity. The following quote details charges that were dropped by Mr. Shellenberger’s office that ultimately led to a suspect falling victim to a fatal police-involved shooting in Baltimore.
Prosecutors charged Feggins with a Baltimore County carjacking back in 2012. The case was later dropped but the then 17-year-old was found guilty on a robbery charge and sentenced to eight months in prison and 18 months probation. A year later Feggins violated his probation by missing a meeting with his officer and failing to provide proof that he was enrolled and attending court-mandated drug treatment.
Getting back to the Miranda case, there is another powerful piece of evidence regarding Joseph’s homicide and the accompanying accusations. Law enforcement officials were also criticized during the episode of the Dr. Oz Show, which featured another victim similar to the Miranda homicide.
The following video is quite clear in its honest attempt to gain insight into a murder.
Up next in this investigative series about the murder of Joseph Miranda, The Baltimore Post will examine some more documents that demonstrate why Mrs. Miranda believes justice has not been served.
Stay tuned, folks.
