Donnie Andrews

Larry Donnell "Donnie" Andrews (April 29, 1954 – December 13, 2012) was an American armed robber, murderer, and anti-crime advocate. He was one of the inspirations for the character Omar Little on the HBO series The Wire.

Early life Andrews grew up in a housing project in West Baltimore, Maryland. He was physically abused by his mother and became addicted to heroin, easily obtainable in the crime-ridden environment of his childhood, at a young age. As a 9-year-old boy, he witnessed a man being beaten to death over 15 cents.

Life of crime Andrews became an armed robber who robbed drug dealers, Andrews used his own experiences to encourage Boyd to get clean.

Andrews was paroled from prison in 2005. He married Boyd in 2007.

The Wire By 1998, Burns and Simon, as well as the lead prosecutor who obtained Andrews' conviction, began to lobby for Andrews' release from prison.

Andrews was released from prison in 2005. He performed youth outreach after his release from prison. His foundation, Why Murder?, attempted to steer children away from a life of crime. Wedding guests included Simon and The Wire cast members Dominic West, Sonja Sohn, and Andre Royo.