Posted on: November 18, 2025, 04:22h.
Last updated on: November 18, 2025, 04:22h.
- Reginald Lively sentenced to life without parole for the murder of his neighbor.
- Victim John Hall III was stabbed 88 times following a casino victory.
- Convicted murderer had prior convictions for two similar homicides.
A Baltimore man who brutally attacked a casino patron with a knife, inflicting 88 wounds, has been labeled a “serial killer” by prosecutors, resulting in a life sentence without possibility of parole.
Reginald Lively, aged 68, is sentenced to life imprisonment without the chance for parole for the brutal murder of John Hall III, who was also 68 and lived in the same apartment complex. Hall had recently won $1,000 at a local casino.
Third Murder Charge
John Hall became Lively’s third murder victim. In 1986, Lively pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the killing of Eleanor Williams, a woman from Annapolis, Md., who was found bludgeoned and fatally stabbed in May 1983.
At that time, Lively fled and was later apprehended by the FBI in North Carolina. He received an eight-year sentence for that crime out of 20 years.
In 2000, he confessed to another second-degree murder in North Carolina, that of Willy Mae Arrington. He was sentenced to 30 years but only served around 12 years before being paroled again.
“This is a serial killer and he should not be on the streets,” stated Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates. “This violent offender should never have been released.”
Chilling Crime Scene
On May 28, 2021, Baltimore police responded to a distress call reporting that a maintenance worker had discovered Hall “bloody and unresponsive,” covered with a blanket in his apartment. He was declared dead on the scene.
The medical examiner discovered Hall had suffered at least 17 blunt-force trauma wounds along with 88 sharp-force injuries. His death has been ruled as homicide.
Investigators soon learned about Hall’s casino winnings but found no cash within his apartment. They also discovered that Hall had previously reported to others that Lively had been stealing from him.
Suspicious Actions
Security cameras in the apartment building captured Lively behaving suspiciously, as prosecutors pointed out. He was recorded exiting the elevator holding a plastic bag with an unknown item, which seemed stained with a red substance. DNA testing confirmed that Lively had been inside Hall’s apartment shortly before the murder.
“The motive remains unclear other than the fact that money was missing from his apartment,” stated Cold Case Unit Chief Kurt Bjorklund to WBAL News. “This was a senseless act of violence. We have provided some measure of justice to John’s family.”
Lively initially denied involvement, claiming he was sleeping during the murder. He later confessed to the killing once presented with photographic evidence from the crime scene.