March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 49 F

Pasadena man gets 30 years for second degree murder

Joseph Patrick Soule
Joseph Patrick Soule

Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams announced today that Joseph Patrick Soule, 28, of Pasadena, was sentenced by Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Laura S. Kiessling to 30 years in prison for the Second Degree Murder of Christie Pelland.

“Fueled by his addiction to heroin, Mr. Soule committed a crime of unimaginable brutality,” said Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams. “Christie Pelland did not deserve the death that was forced upon her, and for that reason I am grateful to Judge Kiessling for giving Mr. Soule the maximum sentence and providing justice to the victim’s family.”

On the morning of May 12, 2014, the body of Christie Pelland was found at the Medical Arts Building in Glen Burnie, where she worked as an overnight cleaner. Ms. Pelland was stabbed 66 times and cut an additional 20 times.

In the week prior to her murder, Ms. Pelland became associated with Joseph Patrick Soule, to whom she supplied drugs in exchange for access to his car.

On May 11 at approximately 10:30 pm, Soule informed an associate that he was going to meet Ms. Pelland. Approximately three hours later, at the time of the murder, cell phone tracking data places Soule in the area of Ms. Pelland.

Police recovered bloody shoeprints near the victim’s body. These shoeprints are consistent with a pair of Nike Air Visi Pro IV shoes Soule was observed shoplifting on May 11. The shoes were never recovered. On the morning of May 12, Surveillance video captured Soule at a Glen Burnie mall without any shoes on. He hurried into a store and purchased a new pair of Nike shoes.

DNA evidence related to the crime was found in Soule’s vehicle on the interior of the driver’s door.

Joseph Patrick Soule was found guilty of Second Degree Murder by an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court jury on May 12, 2017.

Judge Laura S. Kiessling presided over the case. Assistant State’s Attorneys Jason Steinhardt and Anastasia Prigge prosecuted the case on behalf of the citizens of Anne Arundel County.

 

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