EDGEWOOD, MD – A woman convicted of brutally beating a 71-year-old man from Edgewood to death with blows from a crowbar has been sentenced, according to Harford County prosecutors.
The incident took place on Feb. 18, 2022, when police responded to a 911 call at the victim’s home after his daughter found his body. The victim, identified as Gerald Champ, had suffered blunt force trauma with prong-like defects embedded in his skull, multiple skull fractures, and defensive wounds to his hands and arms. A crowbar found in Champ’s home was identified as the murder weapon, and suspects, including the now 36-year-old Ashley Pearl Zentz, were identified.
Following a six-day trial in October, the state prosecution requested a life sentence, suspend all but 72 years to serve, for the first-degree murder charge and five years for the motor vehicle theft count, running consecutively. Zentz eventually received a sentencing of life, suspend all but 60 years to serve, along with an additional five years for the motor vehicle theft count, running consecutively.
“This significant sentence is a huge victory for the safety of Harford County and removes a violent murderer from our community for decades to come,” said State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey. “It is my sincere hope that this sentence provides some closure to Mr. Champ’s entire family and affords them some peace in knowing the person responsible for his death was brought to justice.”
Zentz, who knew the victim and his family for more than 20 years, was also linked to a home invasion in Baltimore County within 24 hours of the murder, with forensic evidence connecting her to both the Harford County murder and the Baltimore County home invasion.
In conclusion, the woman convicted of beating a 71-year-old man from Edgewood to death with a crowbar has been sentenced to life in prison, with additional years for motor vehicle theft. The prosecution described her as a “violent murderer” and emphasized the closure this sentence could bring to the victim’s family.