Fahlteich

Major Richard "Rick" Fahlteich

Major Richard "Rick" Fahlteich served the Baltimore Police Department with distinction for over three decades, rising from patrol officer to Major of the Homicide Unit. Known for his loyalty to his officers and relentless pursuit of justice, he left an indelible mark on the department.​

Early Career

Fahlteich joined the Baltimore City Police Department in 1974 after serving in the Army at age 17 and a brief stint at Norris Industries. Starting as a patrolman, he quickly advanced through the ranks, earning a reputation for sharp investigative skills. By the 1980s, he served as a detective in the Homicide Unit, featured in David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, where he worked alongside detectives like Tom Pellegrini and Oscar "The Bunk" Requer on gritty street cases.​

Rise Through the Ranks

Promoted to Sergeant, Fahlteich contributed to key department initiatives, including training committees alongside Sgt. Deborah Owens and Officer Ray Hodgins in the mid-1990s. His leadership shone in high-stakes investigations, such as preparing search warrants for Northwest Baltimore homicides in 1987. Colleagues remembered him as a hands-on leader who prepared meticulously and supported his team through long hours and tough cases.​

Homicide Unit Leadership

Fahlteich reached the rank of major and commanded the Homicide Unit, retiring in 2004 after 32-33 years of service with numerous commendations. That same year, he answered the police commissioner's call to return as commander, showcasing his unwavering commitment before fully retiring in 2006. His tenure emphasized officer welfare—he went above and beyond for his people, ensuring they kept their ranks and badges even in hardship.​

Legacy and Honors

Inducted into the Baltimore Police Department's Hall of Fame, Fahlteich embodied resilience and dedication. He inspired younger officers as an instructor and prioritized his team's well-being, turning potential career setbacks into successes through personal intervention and high-level advocacy. Fahlteich passed away on January 13, 2023, remembered as a true guardian of his fellow officers.

Trinh Suspect Arrested 
DNA sample leads police to 27-year-old man 'not a stranger' to campus

By Greg Rienzi
The Gazette

Baltimore City Police announced on March 23 the arrest of a 27-year-old male Baltimore resident charged with the murder of Johns Hopkins undergraduate Linda Trinh. The capture of the suspect effectively ends a search that included two months of forensic laboratory investigations and hundreds of interviews by detectives.

University officials attended the news conference, held at Baltimore Police headquarters, where Maj. Richard Fahlteich announced the apprehension of Donta Maurice Allen, a non-Hopkins affiliate who was a "close friend" of one of Trinh's sorority sisters. According to Fahlteich, Allen was "not a stranger" to the Homewood campus, and a lot of students, including Trinh, were familiar with him.

"He was readily accepted in the community and had access to the building where Trinh and her fellow sorority sisters lived," he said.

Trinh, a 21-year-old senior biomedical engineering major and former president of her sorority, was found dead on Jan. 23 in her residence in the Charles Apartments, a privately owned building across Charles Street from the Homewood campus.

Allen has a criminal record that includes possession of a controlled and dangerous substance and malicious destruction of property. Police said that he was identified very early on in the investigation among a group of nonstudents who frequented the Charles Apartments. However, it was only last week that they received the results of the DNA tests that tied Allen to the crime.

"The evidence we have recovered clearly, categorically, and unequivocally says that Mr. Allen is our suspect," Fahlteich said.

Allen has been seen on video surveillance records entering and leaving the Charles Apartments, but police declined to say whether he was caught on video surveillance on the day Trinh was killed.

Police said that although Allen would have been an "unwelcome guest," they do not believe he broke into Trinh's apartment.

Fahlteich also said there was no "direct evidence" of a sexual assault in this case and that investigators do not know, or would not release, what Allen's motive may have been. The cause of death is said to be asphyxiation.

Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm opened the briefing by saying that the department takes every homicide very seriously and that all are tragic, but because of the special circumstances involved in this case, a news conference was deemed appropriate.

Trinh was a well-known and widely admired student, and her death led to an outpouring of support for her family and friends. A memorial service held for her on Feb. 2 drew nearly 1,200 members of the Johns Hopkins community.

President William R. Brody, who spoke at the news conference, thanked Commissioner Hamm and his officers for their aggressive pursuit of the case and the many man-hours they devoted.

"I want to say how especially grateful we are to every detective, every officer, every forensic investigator, and everyone who contributed in any way to the successful conclusion of this investigation," Brody said. "Not only as president but as a parent, I can tell you that the safety and security of our students are of paramount importance to us at Johns Hopkins. We have been working very hard—often in close cooperation with the community, the police, and the city—to enhance that safety and security. I pledge today that we will not let up in our dedication to that effort of making the community safe for all."

Allen was charged with first-degree murder. He was scheduled for a bail review on Friday.

On Thursday, Allen's defense attorney, Warren A. Brown, told The Baltimore Sun that his client informed police interrogators that he had forced his way into Trinh's apartment and hit her, but that he did not kill her. According to the article, which appeared on Friday, Allen's statements to detectives came in the hours after his Wednesday arrest.

Trinh's death marked the second time in less than a year that Johns Hopkins' undergraduate community and the university at large suffered such a tragic loss. The day after an early morning attack by an intruder in the off-campus building that his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, occupied, junior Christopher Elser passed away from knife wounds on April 18, 2004.

In response to the two deaths, President Brody enacted a 15-point security action plan in late January, a series of new initiatives intended to enhance the safety and security of students on the Homewood campus and in the neighboring community. Implementation of the plan is proceeding at a rapid pace. The first phase of the "smart camera" video surveillance system is expected to go live this week.

The police said they continue to believe there is no connection between the two student deaths. A $50,000 reward remains in effect for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect in the Elser case.

 Go to MARCH 28, 2005 table of contents
 Go to the GAZETTE front page. Full Article HERE