Eyewitnesses Testify That They Did Not See Homicide Defendant Fighting at Crime Scene

By Rebecca Connor [former] , Ayoola Fadahunsi [former] - June 13, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Documents | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On June 13, defense attorneys continued their arguments in a first degree homicide case, bringing forward both eyewitnesses to the incident and associates of the defendant. 

Victor Coley, 60, is charged with first-degree murder for his alleged involvement in a shooting that occurred on Nov. 6, 2013 on the 3900 block of Minnesota Ave, NE, that left four individuals suffering from gunshot injuries.  

65-year-old Dennis Foster, one of the shooting victims, passed away on Dec. 3, 2021. 

On June 7, a medical examiner testified that the cause of Foster’s death was complications from his gunshot wounds, and ruled the manner of death as a homicide. 

The defense called a close friend of Coley’s to the stand, who attributed the bond between them to that of “brothers.” The two have now known each other for over 15 years. 

When asked by the defense if he would ever lie on the stand, however, he confirmed that he would “not lie for Coley.”

The witness testified about seeing Coley on Nov 6. 2013, shortly before the shooting on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE. He had made plans to meet up with Coley later that day. 

Shortly after, a woman came up to the witness and said, “They got your brother on the ground,” referring to the police arresting Coley.  

The witness noted that he did not see Coley in an altercation with or speaking to anyone on that day. 

The defense also included prior testimony from Coley’s 2015 original trial, where a witness stated that he saw a 5’5” – 5’6” man running away from the scene with a dreadlocks hairstyle, a description that did not match Coley at the time of the incident. 

Several members of the community who lived and worked near the site of the incident also testified that, while the neighborhood had some issues, it was overall not a “bad” neighborhood. 

The defense attempted to introduce evidence regarding the defendant’s poor health at the time of the incident, implying he would have been unable to flee the scene as described by the prosecution. 

However, the prosecution objected, and only some information about Coley’s health, such as the witness mentioning that she noticed a breathing problem, were able to be entered into the record. 

The witness stated that the defendant would sometimes come to her home exhausted and out of breath. He would then ask for water or something to drink. 

Prosecutors objected, stating that the defense would need to call an expert witness to discuss evidence regarding Coley’s health.

The prosecution began their rebuttal case by calling forth a retired medical examiner as a witness. 

She testified that the medical examiner who had first examined Foster’s body was correct in determining the manner of death as homicide and the cause as complications from multiple gunshot wounds.

Trial is set to resume before DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan on June 14.