Janice Martina Mason, a 30-year-old woman from Melbourne, Florida, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for the voluntary manslaughter of her girlfriend. In May 2023, Mason was convicted after trial for running over her girlfriend on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and leaving her to die. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar announced the sentence, which will be followed by three years of supervised release. The sentencing came after an eight-day trial, during which evidence was presented that highlighted Mason’s actions and contradicting statements she made to the U.S. Park Police.
Summary
Janice Martina Mason, a 30-year-old woman from Melbourne, Florida, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for the voluntary manslaughter of her girlfriend. The sentencing was done by Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar. Mason was convicted after a trial where it was proven that she ran over her girlfriend on the Baltimore-Washington (“BW”) Parkway and left her to die. The sentence was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Background Information
Janice Martina Mason was involved in the voluntary manslaughter of her girlfriend on the BW Parkway. The incident occurred on November 24, 2021, and led to the death of the victim. The case was brought to trial, and Mason was subsequently convicted of the crime. The sentencing was carried out by Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar.
Conviction and Sentencing
Following a trial, Janice Martina Mason was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced her to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentencing took place due to Mason’s involvement in running over her girlfriend on the BW Parkway and leaving her to die.
Evidence presented at trial
During the eight-day trial, evidence was presented that supported the conviction of Janice Martina Mason. USPP officers responded to a citizen report of a body on the side of the BW Parkway on November 24, 2021. The victim was found lying face down on the shoulder of the road. There were no skid marks or vehicle parts at the scene, but a cellphone belonging to the victim was found on the grass, and another cellphone with a broken screen was found in the roadway, later determined to belong to Mason. The evidence collected at the scene and through forensic examination played a crucial role in establishing Mason’s guilt.
Initial investigation
After the body was discovered, USPP officers initiated an investigation into the incident. They collected evidence at the scene and began tracing the ownership of the cellphones found nearby. The initial investigation aimed to gather as much information as possible to identify the person responsible for the crime and build a case against them.
Interview with USPP detective
On November 24, 2021, Janice Martina Mason contacted the USPP Greenbelt Station, claiming she had lost her phone on the BW Parkway. She tracked the phone’s location to the USPP Criminal Investigations division and agreed to come in for an interview. During the interview, Mason provided false information about the incident. She claimed to be driving the victim and another woman home to Laurel, Maryland, in a black Nissan vehicle when an altercation occurred, resulting in her ordering them out of the car. Mason identified her phone and a photo of the victim during the interview.
Second voluntary interview with USPP investigators
After the initial interview, a USPP detective went to Mason’s mother’s home on November 25, 2021. Mason confirmed the written consent to search her phone, which had been returned to her, as well as a black Nissan vehicle she claimed to have used to drive her friends. However, during the investigation, it was discovered that Mason had been driving a black Ford Expedition on the day of the incident and not the Nissan vehicle. The detective noticed the Ford Expedition parked down the street from Mason’s mother’s residence and later towed it upon further investigation.
Processing and searching of the Ford Expedition
The black Ford Expedition associated with Janice Martina Mason was processed and searched by the FBI’s Evidence Response Team. The team collected swabs from the indented hood area and sent them to the FBI Laboratory for DNA analysis. The DNA analysis concluded that the swabs contained DNA from the victim. The FBI Laboratory also examined impressions collected from the undercarriage of the Ford Expedition, with one of them corresponding in pattern and size with the victim’s shoe.
Court’s findings
During the sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar found that Janice Martina Mason purposefully drove into the victim in the heat of passion and then left her on the highway to die. This finding supported the conviction of voluntary manslaughter.
Additional Information and Resources
For more information on the case and the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, you can visit their official website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md. The website provides resources and information on the office’s priorities, community outreach, and available assistance.