Man sentenced to life for attempted murder of fellow inmate over juice box

By WBAL Staff

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    ANNAPOLIS, Maryland (WBAL) — A judge on Friday sentenced a convicted robber to life in prison plus 10 years for an attempted killing a fellow inmate after a fight over juice boxes, prosecutors said.

Courtney Butler, 35, was found guilty after a dayslong trial on attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment and weapons violations charges for a March 25, 2021, attack on a fellow inmate at the Jessup Correctional Institution.

According to the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office, Butler and two other inmates were fighting over the distribution of several juice boxes. Prosecutors said Butler threatened the victim and was seen walking past the victim’s cell repeatedly over a six-hour period.

Ultimately, prosecutors said, Butler armed himself with a knife-like object and stabbed the victim multiple times in the back before throwing him to the ground.

“To attempt to take a life over something so trivial is extremely disturbing and shows the defendant has no regard for human life,” Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said in a statement. “This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment crime as the defendant stewed and planned this attack. I appreciate the judge’s sentence, as it will keep this defendant out of our community.”

The sentence will run consecutive to the 35-year sentence Butler was already serving for a robbery and weapons violation stemming from a 2009 incident in Baltimore County.

The victim was taken to Shock Trauma in Baltimore for treatment.

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