Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks recently said that she will seek the maximum penalty possible for a White man who allegedly murdered a young Black man in the county and filed motions in court toward that end.

On Aug. 31, Alsobrooks talked about the penalty that Sean Urbansky, who is White, will get if he is convicted of killing Richard Collins III, a Black student at Bowie State University, by stabbing him on May 20 at a bus stop on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park.

Angela Alsobrooks, the
State’s Attorney for Prince
George’s County, is seeking
the maximum penalty
in the murder of Richard
Collins, III. (Courtesy photo)

Collins was a few days away from graduating with a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.

Since the killing, Urbansky has been incarcerated without bond. He has been charged with first-degree murder and his trial is scheduled for January 2018.

John Erzen, a spokesman for Alsobrooks told the AFRO that his boss is seeking the maximum penalty should be no surprise.

“After Urbansky’s arrest, she made it clear that she was going to seek the maximum penalty,” he said.

The motion was delivered to the court and to Urbansky’s attorneys. Hate crime charges could be added by the state’s attorney’s office.

The FBI, at the request of the University of Maryland, is also looking into the matter as to whether Urbansky committed a hate crime.

Belinda Queen, resident of central Prince George’s County and a supporter of the police department, agrees with the state’s attorney.

“It is my understanding that this is a hate crime and I support what Alsobrooks is doing,” Queen told the AFRO. “There has been talk that she never goes for the maximum in regards to crimes and she is right this time.”

Queen said Urbansky should own up to what he did and pay the price.

“Life without a possibility of parole is right because it was the loss of a life for someone trying to be a productive citizen and make a difference in the world,” she said.

Maurice Simpson is a delegate candidate for the 24th district in the Maryland General Assembly. He said that a message needs to be sent about Prince George’s County and its values.

“I am a proponent of progressive criminal justice reform,” Simpson told the AFRO. “However, we must send a strong signal that there is zero tolerance of hate crime in Prince George’s County.

Dr. James Dula, the former president of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce and now the president of the South County Democrats, said Collins’ killing was “a heinous crime” but wants the criminal justice process to take course.

“I think Angela was using good judgment going after the maximum,” Dula told the AFRO. “It was unprovoked and a promising young man lost his life.”

Alsobrooks recently announced that she is a candidate for county executive in 2018.