More Witnesses Called in Homicide Case

By Kiliane Gateau [former] , Audrey Staudacher [former] - February 13, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Feb.12, DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe presided over the testimony of five additional witnesses, each shedding light on their expertise and involvement in a fatal shooting case. 

Terrell Poe, 37, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a prior convict for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 30-year-old victim, Christopher Washington, on September 23, 2020, on the 400 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

Prosecutors called four witnesses, beginning the proceeding with a DNA analyst to verify the results of DNA swabs taken from a truck suspected to be involved in the shooting. 

The analyst testified that most of the evidence was inconclusive, but a phone found in the truck had two distinct DNA profiles on it, adding that one match was unidentified, and one was an almost certain match for Poe. 

During cross-examination, defense attorney Marnitta King probed the analyst regarding the last person to handle the phone. The analyst admitted the impossibility of definitively determining whether Poe or the unidentified DNA profile had last possessed the device.

The next witness called by prosecutors was an investigator for the DC Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS), who testified collecting DNA evidence from the interior of the truck, confirming the presence of DNA.

The prosecution then called the Chief Deputy Examiner from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office (OCME), who had performed an autopsy on Washington in 2020. 

The witness testified that Washington had been shot four times to the chest, buttocks, wrist and left foot. The prosecution showed the jury pictures from the autopsy, a diagram of the injuries, and a sheet that listed projectile fragments recovered from Washington’s body. 

The witness testified that the multiple gunshot wounds that he sustained caused his death.

Following the examiner’s testimony, prosecutors proceeded to call an officer of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

The officer pulled Poe over for his alleged involvement in the shooting. 

The prosecution presented the officer’s body camera footage, showing Poe getting out of a white truck that matched the description of the suspected white truck involved in the shooting. After he was identified, Poe was arrested and taken into the precinct for questioning.

On cross examination, King presented the officer with a photo from the body camera footage and asked him to testify to Poe’s height and weight, and if it was accurate to Poe’s current appearance. The officer testified that it appeared the defendant had lost weight in the four years since his arrest.

On redirect, prosecutors were quick to clarify that the body camera footage had a fish-eye lens. The officer agreed and testified that the round lens tends to distort the footage, creating an image that is slightly inconsistent with the actual view.

Following the officer’s testimony, the prosecution rested their case. 

The defense then called their first and only witness, a former lead detective on the case. He testified to receiving information about Poe allegedly standing outside a witness’ house a few days after the shooting. 

King emphasized the absence of this information in the detective’s reports, casting doubt on the coherence of his testimony. King argued that the detective had meticulously documented all conversations with witnesses and fellow officers during that period but had inexplicably omitted this particular piece of information.

“None of the notes that you turned over, or in the 140 pages from your report, states that you received this information,” King asserted.

Following the detective’s testimony, the defense rested their case. 

Parties are slated to return Feb. 13 for their closing arguments.