Verdict Reached In Meghan Riley Lewis Murder Trial

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — The man charged in the death of a Harford County transgender woman and advocate two days after Christmas has been found not guilty of murder.

Brian Michael Delen, 48, of Bel Air, was tried on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and a gun offense in the Dec. 27, 2023, killing of Meghan Riley Lewis in Bel Air.

Following a seven-day trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts Wednesday on the assault and gun charges, according to the Harford County State's Attorney's Office.

Police say Delen fatally shot 53-year-old Meghan Riley Lewis following an argument. Delen was delivering food around 6:30 p.m. Dec. 27 to the English Country Manor neighborhood along Churchill Road when he argued with Lewis, Patch reported previously.

Delen saw Lewis walking toward his vehicle and said something like, "Are you waiting for a food delivery, sir," according to the charging documents. Delen said Lewis was offended by his remarks, CBS News reported, believing that he had misgendered her and began yelling at him.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that showed Delen was still at the scene on Churchill Road with the gun authorities said was used in the shooting, in addition to two knives and two loaded magazines. Prosecutors said testimony revealed Delen was delivering a food order to someone else before the shooting and there was no altercation between him and Lewis, according to The Baltimore Banner.

The defense introduced a 911 call from Delen in which he claimed he had been attacked by Lewis. Based on his allegations on the 911 call that there had been an attack, the judge instructed the jury that self-defense was a factor for them to consider, prosecutors said.

The state objected and argued that no evidence had been presented to support that Delen was in fear of imminent death or serious bodily harm, as required by Maryland's self-defense laws, according to CBS News.

Harford County State's Attorney Alison Healey said in a statement that her office will seek the maximum penalties during sentencing, for which a date has yet to be set:

"Obviously, this is not the outcome for which we were hoping. We stand by our arguments to the jury that the incident that took the life of Meghan Riley Lewis was undoubtedly a first-degree murder. While we are disappointed and saddened by the outcome, we respect the jury's decision in this case and their role in the judicial process.

"Further, we know that every effort was made to seek justice for Meghan in this case. The fact remains that Brian Michael Delen has now been convicted of a crime of violence that took the life of one of our citizens, and we will be seeking the maximum sentence allowed by law, which is 30 years, five of which will be required to be without the possibility of parole.

"My heart goes out to Meghan's family and all the people in our community that loved her while they mourn her loss, as I know this has been a long and emotional journey."

Related:

• Woman Fatally Shot During Argument In Parking Lot: Bel Air Police
• Suspect In Meghan Lewis' Shooting Death Remains Out Of Jail, Protest Held In Bel Air