Harry Lindsey faces possible life in prison after a five-day trial in Prince George’s County.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — A Prince George’s County jury convicted Harry Lindsey on Friday in the July 2025 shooting death of Sharita Cristwell, his former partner and the mother of his two daughters.
Lindsey, 33, of Landover, was found guilty of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in a crime of violence, illegal possession of a firearm and two counts of escape. The verdict followed a five-day trial that focused on the killing, an earlier domestic assault case and an ankle monitor Lindsey was ordered to wear before Cristwell died.
Cristwell, 29, of Bladensburg, was shot inside an apartment in the 700 block of Stretford Way on July 5, 2025. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Lindsey was arrested the next day in Capitol Heights. Prosecutors said the case did not begin with the shooting, but with years of conflict in an 11-year relationship.
Jessica Garth, the lead prosecutor, said after the verdict that the June 16 assault arrest was a key part of the timeline. “This wasn’t a one-day incident,” Garth said. Lindsey had been accused of beating and choking Cristwell in June and was later ordered released to home detention by a judge.
Court records showed Lindsey was supposed to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet at the time of the killing. Prosecutors said the two escape counts were tied to Lindsey cutting off the ankle bracelet during the homicide. Garth said the monitor helped investigators build a timeline and showed Lindsey took steps to avoid being tracked by law enforcement.
Cristwell’s family said Lindsey had been upset that she had moved on from the relationship and was dating someone else. Police said Lindsey sent Cristwell a video of her car outside another man’s home before the June assault. Four days before the shooting, Lindsey apologized to Cristwell’s mother for attacking her.
Gereese McCotter, Cristwell’s mother, spoke after the verdict and said the conviction brought some relief but did not remove the loss. “My daughter should be here,” McCotter said. “She should have a voice, a future, a life.”
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson said the verdict showed the seriousness of domestic violence cases and the choices made by abusers. Lindsey is scheduled to be sentenced July 24. He faces the possibility of life in prison.
Author note: Last updated April 27, 2026.