Case Acquitted: Five Witnesses Testify in a Fatal Stabbing Case

By Hunter Odom [former] , Ying He [former] - August 7, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | stabbing | Suspects | Victims |

This case was acquitted on Aug. 15, 2023.

On Aug. 7, five witnesses testified in 2021 homicide case before DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe.

Jermaine Washington, 39, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the stabbing of 40-year-old Keon Terrell Bonner on Oct. 26, 2021 in an alley on the 1500 block of Ogden Street, NW. 

According to court documents, the pair was seen arguing and Washington was brandishing a knife.

The prosecution called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer to describe body-worn camera footage of a footpath where he discovered Bonner’s body.

Bonner’s cousin testified that he along with Washington and Bonner would frequently go out as a group to sporting events.  They all lived in the same building.

The prosecution also introduced closed circuit surveillance camera video taken in an apartment lobby that captured a male wearing all black clothing, believed to be Washington, entering and exiting the building several times.

The cousin stated Bonner was at his apartment the night of the murder when Washington knocked on the door about 1:40 am to see if anyone wanted to “hang out.” Bonner left the apartment with Washington but Bonner’s cousin stayed behind.

Later, the apartment security officer knocked on the cousin’s door to say police were at a nearby building investigating a killing. Bonner’s cousin and the apartment security officer allegedly picked Washington’s image out a photo array of possible suspects presented by police.

Bonner’s cousin says he sent a string of text messages after the crime trying to locate Washington. Finally, a message came in a 3:00 am saying, “I’ll call you back.” But that didn’t happen. Washington claimed he was at a hospital visiting his brother, but police were unable to verify Washington’s account.

During the cross-examination, Washington’s attorney, Stephen Lofergo, asked Bonner’s cousin if drugs he was taking for mental health issues that might have caused him to misidentify Washington as the perpetrator. Bonner’s cousin couldn’t recall if he had taken medication around the time of the incident. 

Another witness, who lived at a nearby apartment, testified he saw two men arguing and an object which he presumed to be a knife. Then, he watched a man wearing red and white colored pants, later identified as Bonner, fall to the ground during the fight.

He said one of the men wearing black clothes wiped both his hands and a knife in the dirt.  He then called the 911 saying “Someone is stabbing another person with a knife.” 

Prosecutors also called the lead MPD detective who presented call detail records which allegedly show multiple communications between Washington and Bonner, including one shortly before Bonner’s death. 

However, he admitted that issues with the surveillance cameras prevented the police from getting all the relevant footage.

Parties are expected to be back on Aug. 8 to resume the trial.