At an Oct. 5 hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe addressed a defendant’s request to withdraw his guilty plea and cancel sentencing in connection to a 2019 homicide.
Darius Murphy, 29, was originally charged with second-degree murder while armed for his involvement in the fatal stabbing of 39-year-old Jason Wood on the 1600 block of Benning Road, NE, on February 22, 2019.
According to Judge Iscoe, Murphy filed a request to withdraw his guilty plea on Feb. 28, 2022 and acknowledged that the motion would be discussed at a later date.
Murphy stated his previous lawyer, Dana Page, told him he would get the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter in return for pleading guilty to second-degree murder, but that didn’t happen. His indictment was waived on September 13, 2019, when he accepted the guilty plea.
According to Murphy’s current attorney, Kelsey Penna, they plan on calling Page and Murphy to testify at the next hearing on behalf of the motion to withdraw the guilty plea.
Parties are expected back on Dec. 5.
