Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline NBC plans to re-examine the murder case of firefighter Jon Hickey that happened in November 2017. The upcoming episode, titled “The Killer on Camera 4,” will dive deeper into the case and uncover startling details about the brutal killing. It will also show how authorities captured a man named Daniel Greene after watching surveillance footage. The episode will air on the network on Friday, March 8, at 9 p.m. ET.
On November 30, 2017, the police discovered the firefighter’s body inside his house in southeast Baltimore’s Upper Fells Point. According to CBS News, someone called the authorities to conduct a wellness check on Hickey after his girlfriend didn’t hear from him. After police reached his apartment, they found Jon Hickey’s dead body on the couch. The outlet also mentioned that they found the firefighter with a gunshot wound to his head.
As the investigation progressed, authorities acquired a surveillance video that saw an unknown identity trying to enter Hickey’s apartment. Citing the investigators, The Baltimore Sun reported Greene was “positively identified through the video surveillance.” The police arrested Greene and charged him with the murder of Jon Hickey. During the trial, the prosecution team presented evidence that tried to prove Daniel Greene was responsible for Hickey’s death.
The evidence also included the bodycam footage of the officer who discovered Hickey’s body. After weeks of testimonies, the jury delivered a verdict in June 2023 and sentenced him to life imprisonment. As per The Sun, Daniel Greene is serving his sentence in Maryland’s Western Correctional Institution.
Jon Hickey’s murder case explored
As mentioned earlier, authorities arrested Daniel Greene after identifying him from a surveillance video. Subsequently, they charged him with murder. Right before the trial, the defense team noted that the entire case was circumstantial because police couldn’t find the murder weapon. However, the state rejected a plea deal, and the trial continued.
During the trial, the prosecution team tried to prove that Jon Hickey’s death was not accidental but a homicide. Citing the prosecutors, WBAL TV mentioned that Greene shot Hickey “execution-style.” Meanwhile, the court documents indicated that the police showed the surveillance video of Greene’s ex-girlfriend as well. His ex-girlfriend reportedly identified the man trying to enter Hickey’s householpd.
Although the prosecution relied heavily on the surveillance footage, Greene’s family believed that the video never showed their son forcefully entering Jon Hickey’s apartment. On the other hand, Hickey’s friends called Greene a coward after seeing the video, per WBAL TV. One of his friends said, “It was a cowardly act. From what we’re hearing on the evidence is it was a total cowardly act from what I’ve seen so far.”
As the trial progressed, prosecutors also revealed that the investigators seized a laptop from Greene’s house. While searching it, police found that Greene searched for Jon Hickey’s address.
Greene’s family slammed the court for a fabricated trial
As a result, the jury found Daniel Greene guilty of Jon Hickey’s murder. However, as per CBS News, the sentencing in the case was postponed after Greene requested a new legal counsel. The court sided with the accused and postponed the sentencing. Finally, in February 2024, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment in the 2017 murder case of Jon Hickey, as per The Baltimore Sun. Moreover, the court gave him an additional 20 years for charges like home invasion and firearm charges.
However, FOX Baltimore reported that Daniel Greene’s family blasted the court for an unfair trial and called it a total fabrication.
