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By
Natalie Tarby [former]
- November 1, 2022
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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During the Oct. 31 hearing, the prosecution requested testimony from the medical examiner who conducted the autopsies on each of the three victims regarding the wounds they received during the shooting.
Rakeem Willis, 31, and Johnathan Winston, 33, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the shooting deaths of 26-year-old Sean Shuler, 26-year-old Javon Abney, and 24-year-old Tyrik Hagood on Jan. 26, 2019, on the 1500 block of Fort Davis Place, SE.
During the Monday hearing, Willis shouted at DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan before the prosecution was about to call their first witness to the stand.
“Mr. Willis don’t ever do that again in front of the jury,” Judge Ryan said after excusing the jury from the courtroom. After taking a short break, the trial began.
A medical examiner from the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner testified before the jury and shared the results of her autopsy. On Jan. 27, 2019, the day following the shooting, she performed the autopsies on the victims.
She ruled Shuler’s, Abney’s, and Hagood’s causes of deaths as multiple gunshot wounds and ruled the matters as homicides. Shuler’s body had four gunshot wounds, Abney’s body had twenty gunshot wounds, and Hagood’s body had fourteen gunshot wounds.
Willis’ defense attorney, Howard McEachern, objected to the prosecution’s future witness, Willis’ probation officer.
McEachern told Judge Ryan that allowing the jury to hear testimony from a probation officer could potentially give them prejudice by letting them know Willis has a criminal record.
Winston’s defense attorney, Kevin Irving, mentioned to the judge that in another case of his, they referred to a probation officer as a government employee that the client was under obligation to contact.
Judge Ryan and the prosecution agreed to refer to the probation officer as a government employee.
The trial is scheduled to continue on Nov. 2.