BALTIMORE — The trial of a delivery driver accused of fatally shooting a transgender woman in Bel Air in December began this week in Harford County Circuit Court.

Authorities say Meghan Riley Lewis was shot to death in an apartment complex in the 600 block of Churchill Rd. Dec. 28.

Her killing left Maryland’s LGBTQ+ community reeling, as they recalled Lewis as a “bright light” who worked with leaders advocating for the state’s Trans Health Equity Act.

Brian Michael Delen, 48, is charged with the following counts in connection to Lewis’s death: first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault and use of a firearm in a crime of violence.

Attorneys in the case and Circuit Judge Diane E. Adkins-Tobin selected a jury to decide his fate Friday, online court records show. His trial began in earnest Tuesday.

Delen appears to be represented by the Office of the Public Defender. A spokesperson for the office did not immediately return a request for comment about Delen’s case.

According to charging documents, Delen called Bel Air police before 6:30 p.m. the night of the shooting. He told officers that he was making a delivery in the area of Churchill Road, encountered Lewis and asked, “Are you waiting for a food delivery, sir?”

Lewis allegedly took offense to Delen misgendering her, detectives wrote in charging documents. When Delen drove away, he told police, Lewis followed. Eventually, he stopped the car and they got into a fight, during which Delen pulled out a handgun and fired a shot that struck Lewis in the left abdomen.

Medics took Lewis to the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, where police said she died around 7:10 p.m.

Detectives noted in charging documents that Delen had a permit to wear and carry a handgun in Maryland. They also wrote that he had visible injuries.

Lee Blinder, executive director of Trans Maryland, said in a previous interview with The Baltimore Sun that Lewis was “a wonderful supporter of me personally and we worked closely together with other transgender leaders around the state, especially when issues would arise.”

Blinder added that Lewis’ death affirmed many trans persons’ safety fears.

“There has been a great outpouring of love for Meghan,” Blinder said. “But also, unfortunately, a lot of vitriol has come out in the community against Meghan and those close to her, and it’s caused some safety concerns in the trans community.”

--------

©2024 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.