3 Defendants Still Await Trial for ’08 Homicide

By D.C. Witness Staff - August 14, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

Three murder defendants still wait to be tried in court for a crime that occurred nearly 11 years ago.

Mason Binion, 32, Victor Carvajal, 33, and Joshua Massaquoi, 32, are charged
with first-degree murder while armed for their alleged role in the shooting of Michael Francis Taylor, 21, on the 600 block of Farragut Street, NW, on June 22, 2008.

DC Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman scheduled co-defendants Binion and Carvajal for a hearing on Aug. 22. Their trial is set to begin on Jan. 21, 2020.

DC Superior Court Judge Hiram E. Puig-Lugo scheduled Massaquoi, whose case was separated from the other two defendants, for a status hearing on Aug. 28. Massaquoi’s trial date has not been set, yet.

According to court documents, the defendants picked up Taylor after he failed to acquire marijuana that Binion and Carvajal gave him money to purchase. Taylor was supposed to sell the marijuana and then pay back Binion and Carvajal.

The documents said Massaquoi was the driver when Taylor was picked up at a recreation center in Silver Spring, Md. Massaquoi drove everyone to an alley in the Brightwood Park neighborhood in DC, approximately 5 miles away.

Carvajal and Binion stepped out of the car with Taylor. Carvajal then struck Taylor in the head with a rock, and Binion allegedly shot him in the head with a pistol that belonged to Massaquoi.

According to court documents, Massaquoi approached the police with information about the murder in August of 2015, seven years after the murder took place. Apparently, he confessed to his role in the murder in subsequent interviews.

Massaquoi also told the police that when he picked Taylor up he expected Binion would shoot and kill him.