Man who murdered woman and her granddaughter at Middle River home gets life without parole

He bought cigarettes at Royal Farms, then he walked to a nearby home in a quiet residential neighborhood in Middle River.

There, Bryan Cherry continued a violent three-week crime spree. On July 6, 2024, he entered the house on Taos Circle and beat Iona Sellers, 75, to death in her bed. Then he fatally bludgeoned and stabbed her granddaughter, Autumn Harvey, 29, as she fought back.

Baltimore County Police found the women’s bodies the next day. Detectives later did not find any connections between them and their killer.

“This situation is every person’s worst nightmare,” Baltimore County Assistant State’s Attorney Lauren Stone said. “For whatever reason, this defendant picked their residence.”

On Friday, Circuit Judge Marc DeSimone Jr. concluded that Cherry, 38, of Middle River, posed a danger to society if he were ever released back into the community. The judge ordered him to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty in March to two counts of first-degree murder.

DeSimone directed that sentence to run consecutively to ones that Cherry is serving for other crimes: life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 43 years.

“The only thing that exceeds the brutality of these crimes is the utter lack of an explanation,” DeSimone said.

The violent spree started on June 26, 2024, when Cherry stabbed a Johns Hopkins University student who was giving out free supplies to patients at East Baltimore Medical Center eight times for no reason.

On July 14, 2024, Cherry beat Sierra Johnson, 38, to death with a crowbar at a home on Abbott Court on the border of Oldtown and Johnston Square. She was a mother of two who had a loving and supportive family.

Police quickly apprehended Cherry less than half a mile away.

“You don’t deserve to be out on the streets at all,” one of her sisters, Shamia Johnson, told Cherry at his sentencing in that case. “You’re a monster.”

In a statement, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said Cherry “repeatedly demonstrated a capacity for extraordinary violence and a complete disregard for human life.”

Two of Harvey’s family members recalled her as a loving woman who had an infectious laugh and joy for life.

“Autumn is not simply a name or a victim in this case,” said her aunt, Shannon Harvey Mclaughlin. “She had a beautiful life ahead of her, and that was stolen.”

Mary Harvey described her granddaughter as “the happiest person I knew,” adding that she would come over for sweet tea.

Assistant Public Defender Cal Stafilatos highlighted his client’s tumultuous and unstable childhood.

The youngest of three children, Cherry grew up in a violent part of Baltimore. His parents were addicted to crack, and they allowed their house to be used for prostitution. At one point, Child Protective Services removed him from the home, Stafilatos said.

In 2013, Cherry was stabbed in the kidney and spent one month at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, his attorney said.

Stafilatos said Cherry obtained his GED diploma and worked at places including McDonald’s, Amazon and Flagger Force. He later started using crack and heroin and experienced periods of homelessness.

Cherry was also diagnosed with depression, anxiety and adjustment disorder, Stafilatos said.

“Bryan wants to make changes in his life,” Stafilatos said. “He wants to work hard to improve himself.”

Stafilatos requested a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Cherry declined to address the court.

When the hearing concluded, he quickly followed deputy sheriffs through a door that led to a holding cell.