Brielle Handy had earned a phlebotomy certificate and was preparing for nursing school before her death, her grandmother said.
BALTIMORE — The family of an 18-year-old woman fatally stabbed outside a southwest Baltimore church is remembering her as a young woman preparing for a career in health care as a murder case moves forward.
Brielle Handy died after she was found wounded July 25 in the 3200 block of West Baltimore Street. Baltimore police later arrested 34-year-old Dasianne Richardson, who faces murder and other charges in connection with the death.
Handy’s grandmother, identified by FOX45 News only as Miss M because of safety concerns, said she raised Handy and spoke with her almost every day. She described the teenager as her first grandchild and said the loss had devastated the family.
Handy had recently earned a phlebotomy certificate, which prepared her to draw blood for medical testing, her grandmother said. She was also getting ready to attend nursing school. No further details about her planned studies were released.
Police said officers responded at about 8 p.m. to the block where Handy was found near the Love of God Apostolic Church. Emergency personnel treated her before she was taken to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, where she was pronounced dead.
The church’s pastor, Ruby Ferguson, said members of the congregation were grieving after the violence occurred just outside the building. She described the death and the arrest that followed as a tragedy affecting everyone involved.
Richardson was arrested Aug. 1 by Warrant Apprehension detectives and taken to the Central Booking Intake Facility, police said. Court records list charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, assault and reckless endangerment. The charges are allegations, and Richardson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Court documents allege Handy and Richardson were involved in a confrontation in an alley beside the church before Handy was stabbed. Police have not publicly announced a motive or explained what may have caused the confrontation.
Handy’s grandmother said she was grateful an arrest had been made but remained without an answer for why her granddaughter was killed. Richardson’s case remains pending, and information about her next court appearance was not available in the reports reviewed Wednesday.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 5, 2026.