LEONARDTOWN, MD (July 28, 2026) – State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that Peyton James Robert Curtis, 22, of Lexington Park, Maryland, was sentenced to LIFE plus LIFE plus 20 years in prison, with 29 years of active incarceration, for his role in the 2025 attempted murders of four St. Mary’s County men.

On May 3, 2025, deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of Chancellors Run Road and Pegg Road in Lexington Park after hearing multiple gunshots. Deputies immediately located a vehicle that had crashed onto the curb and observed numerous bullet holes along the passenger side. Two occupants of the vehicle had sustained gunshot wounds to their legs, a third occupant suffered a graze wound, and a fourth occupant escaped physical injury. Investigation revealed that the victims had been involved in an earlier confrontation with another group, including Curtis, at a gas station located on Three Notch Road in California.

In March 2026, Curtis was convicted of two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence.

“The decision to escalate a verbal exchange into life-threatening gun violence put countless lives at risk,” said State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling. “By pursuing another vehicle and opening fire on a busy roadway, the Defendant and his associates endangered innocent members of the public and demonstrated a complete disregard for human life and the safety of everyone nearby.”

Deputy State’s Attorney Alena Mosier prosecuted the case on behalf of the citizens of St. Mary’s County.

Detective Warren Forinash of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office was the lead investigator.

The Honorable Joseph Stanalonis presided over the case.