CAMBRIDGE, Md. - A 16-year-old who was convicted of a 2025 murder in Cambridge and now faces 70 years behind bars has filed an appeal.
Jakai Wilson, 16, was found guilty of numerous charges earlier this summer, including the first-degree murder of a man in Cambridge last year.
On June 8, 2025, the Cambridge Police Department was called to Camelia Street just after 8:30 p.m. on reports of a shooting. There, authorities found 23-year-old Alyson Elien, of Seaford, lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head. He died at the scene. Investigators later said surveillance video showed people stealing Elien’s belongings as he lay dying.
The ensuing investigation led to the arrest of Jakai Wilson, then-15, who was charged as an adult in the killing of Elien.
Another teen, Nisiah Fletcher, was arrested days later in connection to the murder, while a 20-year-old and 18-year-old, Ja’sire Kane and Kah’Zion Johnson, were later arrested and also charged with murder.
According to court records, Fletcher pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to 15 years with all but five suspended in connection to the incident. Court records for Kane and Johnson no longer show any charges connected to the killing of Elien.
Court records also show that Wilson entered pleas of not guilty in Dorchester County Circuit Court, including to the muder charge. On July 2, 2026, however, a jury found him guilty on all 13 counts against him.
On Monday, Dorchester County Circuit Court Judge William Jones sentenced Wilson to life with all but 50 years suspended for the murder charge plus another 20 consecutive years for the use of a firearm in a violent crime.
Wilson, set to begin his 70-year sentence, is now challenging it. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Wilson’s public defender notified the court of their intention to file an appeal, leaving Wilson’s future in the hands of the Appellate Court of Maryland.
