ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A Charles County murder case tied to the 2016 killing of Lydell Wood is heading back to court after Maryland’s highest court ruled prosecutors can retry the case.
In a decision filed April 28, 2026, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld lower court rulings allowing the retrial of Miguel Angel Santana, who sought to block further prosecution following a mistrial during a previous trial.
The case stems from the January 6, 2016 shooting in the 2600 block of Rooks Head Place in Waldorf, where Wood was shot in the back as he tried to run to safety.
According to court records, Santana and co-defendant Antonio Ka-Juan Owens returned to the area after an earlier confrontation and chased Wood before opening fire.
Owens was later convicted of first-degree murder and related charges in connection with Wood’s killing and was sentenced in 2018 to life without parole plus 50 years in prison.
Santana was convicted of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and firearm-related charges in the case, while additional charges resulted in a hung jury.
A second trial on the remaining charges ended in a mistrial after a witness referenced evidence that had been ruled inadmissible, prompting the defense to argue that a retrial would violate double jeopardy protections.
The Maryland Supreme Court rejected that argument, finding that prosecutors did not act recklessly in a way that would bar another trial.
The court ruled that the trial judge’s determination was supported by evidence and could not be overturned.
Santana is already serving life sentences in a separate case involving the 2016 murder of Thomas Tibbs in Waldorf.
The ruling clears the way for prosecutors to retry Santana on the remaining charges related to Wood’s killing in Charles County Circuit Court.
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