Man convicted in Baltimore murder weeks after guilty plea in separate double murder

A man was convicted of killing a Baltimore woman just one month after pleading guilty in a separate double murder. Bryan Cherry was found guilty of murder and possession of a deadly weapon in the July 2024 killing of Sierra Johnson. 

Prosecutors said they will seek a life sentence without the possibility of parole, "because the safety of the public demands nothing less."

"Bryan Cherry has demonstrated, time and again, to possess an extraordinary capacity for violence and a complete disregard for human life," Baltimore State's Attorney Ivan Bates said. "This conviction, alongside his prior conviction for attempted murder in our city and his guilty plea to a double murder in Baltimore County, paints a clear and alarming picture of a defendant who poses an ongoing and severe threat to our communities."

Attorneys for Cherry said they will be filing an appeal in this case.

Sierra Johnson was found dead in her Baltimore home in the 800 block of Abbott Court on July 14, 2024. She suffered trauma to her head. Cherry was arrested nearby, in the 1300 block of Homewood Avenue. 

Court records show that just a few weeks ago, in March, Cherry pleaded guilty to the July 2024 double murder of a grandmother and granddaughter. 

Less than two weeks before Johnson was killed, Iona Sellers, 75, and her 29-year-old granddaughter, Autumn Harvey, were found dead in their Baltimore County home in Middle River. Harvey had multiple stab wounds, and Sellers had blunt force trauma injuries. 

According to police, Cherry was identified as a suspect through surveillance cameras in the neighborhood. Police said they collected DNA evidence from a cigarette butt that also tied Cherry to other violent crimes. 

Prosecutors are recommending concurrent sentences of life without parole in the double murder.

Cherry is also a suspect in a June 26, 2024, stabbing at the East Baltimore Medical Center, according to Baltimore police.