St. Mary’s jury convicts Mechanicsville man of murder

A Mechanicsville man was found guilty of murder by a jury of his peers for shooting a man dead last fall outside a liquor store.

Leroy Christopher Neal, 48, was found guilty of first-degree murder and related firearm charges for the killing of Scott Marvin Bernich, who was 46 years old, that occurred on Nov. 4, 2023. At approximately 12:30 a.m., patrol units were dispatched to St. Mary’s Fine Wine & Spirits at 20141 Point Lookout Road in Great Mills, where Bernich was found suffering from a gunshot wound.

Bernich was transported to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital and then flown to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.

“Preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting took place in the rear parking lot of the establishment and was not a random act,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Following a three-day trial earlier this week, Neal was convicted by a St. Mary’s County jury of first-degree murder, use of firearm in the commission of a crime of violence and having handgun.

Neal faces a maximum penalty of life plus 25 years in prison and will continue to be held without bond pending a sentencing hearing, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

A second suspect in the case, Britny Lee Blankenship, 34, of Bowie, was also arrested in connection with the killing and charged with first-degree murder and other charges. A trial on the charges Blankenship is facing is currently set for mid-August.

Bernich was a basketball coach for several recreational and school teams, according to an obituary. He was married and had four children and one grandchild.

Judge Joseph M. Stanalonis presided over Neal’s case. Detective Kortnie Marsch of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office was the lead investigator.

Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Jeff Maylor and Kirstin Riddle prosecuted the case.