Homicide Defendant Acquitted of all Charges in Retrial

By Rhiannon Little [former] - August 15, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | stabbing | Suspects | Victims |

On Aug. 15, a jury delivered a not guilty verdict before DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe following a two-week homicide retrial and extended deliberations.

Jermaine Washington, 39, was charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the stabbing of 40-year-old Keon Bonner on Oct. 26, 2021, on the 1500 block of Ogden Street, NW.

After deliberating four days the jury delivered a not-guilty verdict for the murder charge against Washington.

His first trial was argued before DC Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz in March and ended with a hung jury. The case was transferred to Judge O’Keefe and the retrial began on Aug. 3.

The prosecution relied heavily on circumstantial evidence in this case. They presented Washington’s cell phone records as well as surveillance footage capturing Washington and Bonner leaving an apartment complex 11 minutes before a witness called 911 regarding the shooting.

In their closing statement, the prosecution told the jury that “common sense” is what tells them Washington was the one who killed Bonner.

The defense highlighted the lack of DNA evidence, discrepancies in physical descriptions from witnesses, and potential avenues of the investigation that were never explored as reasons to doubt the prosecution’s story.

In the defense’s closing statement, Washington’s attorney, Stephen Logerfo, said the prosecution relied on speculation and only documented evidence that fit within their narrative.

Both parties rested on Aug. 9 and jury deliberations began the following day.

On the first day, the court received a note from the jury saying it was deadlocked and members were not willing to change their opinions based on the evidence presented.

The court instructed the jury to deliberate further, which led to three more days of deliberations before a verdict was reached.

Following the verdict, Washington was released from custody after nearly two years in prison.

No further dates are set in this case.