Judge Finds Probable Cause in Homicide and Resulting Firefight 

By Hunter Krienke [former] - July 12, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On July 11, during a preliminary hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe found probable cause that Justin Borum was the perpetrator of a homicide..

Borum, 33, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the shooting death of Jayvon Jones, 21, on Feb. 21, around the 1400 block of Saratoga Avenue, NE.

Arriving at the scene, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) located three male victims suffering from gunshot wounds who were taken to nearby hospitals. Jones was pronounced dead, while the other two males were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

In court, a prosecutor presented video surveillance collected from an apartment building showing Borum and a second suspect allegedly shooting Jones as he attempted to flee.

Following the shooting , an exchange of gunfire erupted from others in the area.

A detective who was present at the scene testified in court that there were “99 shell cases recovered in this crime scene.”

When the prosecution played footage depicting Jones’ being shot while attempting to run, his family members responded emotionally and left the courtroom.

Based on the video, the prosecutor argued that Borum fled the scene in a vehicle identified by his own license tags.

The prosecutor also argued that earlier footage shows Borum entering the area in the same vehicle he used to flee, wearing the same clothing seen in surveillance footage of the shooting.

Stephen Logerfo,  Borum’s defense attorney, rebutted the claims about the footage on the grounds that a witness who identified Borum had a hostile relationship with the defendant. 

Logerfo also argued that the footage is blurred.

After the arguments, Judge O’Keefe determined that the evidence presented was enough to find probable cause and denied a request to release the defendant based on his extensive criminal record and his dangerousness to the community.

Parties are set to meet for a status conference on Oct. 13 before Judge O’Keefe.