Judge Doesn’t Find Probable Cause in Murder, Case Dismissed 

By Joseph Wolf - October 24, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan ruled the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to rule on probable cause, and dismissed the charges against a shooting defendant on Oct. 22.

James Rice, 26, was charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Thomas Carlos Felder, 32. The incident took place on May 1 on the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.

According to court documents, the shooting was captured on surveillance footage from surrounding buildings. 

At a previous hearing, a detective testified that Rice was deemed a suspect after a witness identified him in surveillance footage based on his build and clothes the suspect was wearing. 

During the hearing, the prosecution asked Judge Raffinan to find probable cause based on identification from eight witnesses, video evidence, and items seized from the crime scene.

The prosecutor stated the video depicts a Black man wearing a black hoodie shooting Felder, and running toward G Street, which is near where Rice lives. In the video, the suspect is seen wearing white shoes with colorful stripes on the sides. 

Out of the eight witnesses, six witnesses say they saw the crime unfold. The six that were there all agree that the suspect was Black and was wearing a black hoodie at the time of the shooting. Furthermore, they all agree that the suspect was running toward G Street.

The seventh witness, according to the prosecutor, was not there at the time of the shooting, but knew of Rice and greeted him before the witness walked away from the scene. 

Another witness, who helped the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) identify Rice as the suspect, told MPD the “be on the lookout” (BOLO) they released showed Rice, and stated he knew him from the area, and saw him walking away from a McDonald’s on the day of the incident. 

According to the prosecution, shoes that matched the descriptions provided by witnesses were recovered from Rice’s home during a search warrant. They argued the shoes should play a role in probable cause.   

Rice’s defense attorney, Joseph Yarbough, asked Judge Raffinan to not find probable cause, arguing that all eight witnesses do not clearly identify Rice.

Yarbough argued that the witnesses failed to mention that the suspect has either neck or face tattoos, which he argued is extremely important, since Rice has them. 

Yarbough contended that the witness who helped MPD identify Rice through the BOLO was unreliable, arguing he had a special interest in Rice’s arrest and the circumstances of his identification.

Additionally, Yarbough argued the witness had a financial interest in ensuring Rice gets arrested and convicted of murdering Felder as he was hoping to get a reward. According to Yarbough, the witness texted the lead detective’s phone requesting money for identifying Rice.

According to the prosecution, a search of Rice’s residence yielded a pair of shoes that looked consistent with the shoes the suspect was wearing in the video. Yarbough argued the shoes do not look alike, saying the shoes taken from Rice were a completely different color and size compared to the black and white shoes shown in the video.

Judge Raffinan found the evidence inconclusive and that there is no probable cause for Rice’s arrest and thus dismissed the case. However, she said the prosecution can file charges again if they obtain more evidence linking the crime to Rice.

There are no future dates set for the matter.