Man sentenced to 23 years for manslaughter, weapons charges at Jessup prison

A man was sentenced to more than two decades in prison after a jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter and weapons charges in the death of a fellow inmate at the Dorsey Run Correctional Facility in Jessup.
DeAndre Allen, 36, of Prince George’s County, was handed a sentence Wednesday of 23 years with 854 days’ credit for time he’s already served.
The sentencing hearing comes less than two weeks after Allen was acquitted of first- and second-degree murder but found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and weapons charges.
According to court documents, on Dec. 14, 2020, 32-year-old Terry “TJ” Proctor Jr. was found in his bunk at Dorsey Run Correctional Facility with stab wounds. When medical staff arrived, Proctor was unconscious. He died from his injuries later that night.
An autopsy revealed Proctor had been stabbed 30 times, including in the brain and lungs, and had blunt force trauma.
During Allen’s trial, the state argued Allen stabbed Proctor in an “undeniable, premeditated first-degree murder.”
Allen’s attorneys argued that Allen didn’t mean to kill Proctor, but was trying to save himself from being victimized by Proctor. They alleged Proctor had been sexually abusing Allen.
According to Maryland court records, Proctor was never charged with rape or any other offense during his time in prison.
At the sentencing hearing, Anne Arundel County Assistant State’s Attorney Joshua Adrian told Anne Arundel Circuit Judge Robert Thompson that Allen “brutally” killed Proctor in his sleep.
He read a statement from Proctor’s sister, Latrice Whitfield, who said her brother’s death has “devastated” her entire family and “forever changed” family gatherings. She said her father lost a son and her nephew lost a father.
Adrian called Allen “dangerous,” bringing up previous assault and contraband convictions. He said Allen is facing a second-degree murder charge in a separate case. The case was not available in public court records Wednesday.
Public defender Elizabeth Palan, who represents Allen, said Allen was the victim of sexual assault by Proctor. She said Proctor was a member of a verified gang in the prison.
Palan also talked about Allen’s background, saying that he was born in Washington, D.C., to a teen mother who abused alcohol and drugs during her pregnancy and Allen’s early childhood.
Palan said Allen suffered physical and sexual abuse growing up. She said he was convicted on weapons charges when he was 22 and had only a few years left in prison when Proctor was killed.
“He had everything to look forward to,” Palan said about her client. “He didn’t want this to happen.”
When Palan began to address the new murder charge that Allen faces, Thompson said there was no conviction in that case and he was not basing the sentence on that.
Following the sentencing hearing, Palan said in a statement that while the defense agrees with the jury’s decision to acquit Allen of first- and second-degree murder, it believes the sentence for the weapons charges “was overly severe and not fully reflective of the circumstances and mitigation provided.”
Allen received 13 years for the two weapons charges as part of his 23-year sentence.
In a statement, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said it was “clear” that Thompson “recognized the seriousness of this violent attack” and imposed the maximum sentence.
“Mr. Proctor’s family attended the trial and had to relive this heinous crime,” she said. “I hope that this sentence provides some measure of justice for them.”
Allen’s trial and sentence are the result of an appeal.
In May 2022, Allen pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Proctor’s death and was sentenced to life with all but 25 years suspended.
According to court documents, Allen appealed the case after Thompson told him he could not withdraw his guilty plea. Allen said his agreement with the state allowed him to do so. Thompson disagreed.
In July 2024, the Appellate Court of Maryland vacated Allen’s conviction, calling the plea agreement “ambiguous.”