Detective Says GPS Tracking Places Murder Suspect Near Shooting

Thank you for reading D.C. Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.

Donate Now

The lead Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective investigating a homicide case testified that GPS monitoring allegedly places the suspect of a fatal shooting near the incident during a preliminary hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan on Oct. 28.

Nelson Bryant, 32, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the death of Townsend Reginald Sowell, 46, on Sept. 2 on the 2800 block of 7th Street, NE.

During the hearing, the prosecution provided the data from Bryant’s GPS tracking device, which was implemented due to charges of carrying a pistol without a license and unlawful possession of a firearm, for the MPD detective to review. The detective confirmed that the data allegedly corroborates video evidence of Bryant on the day of the incident and his being near the scene and then heading to the associated address.

The detective also testified to photos extracted from Bryant’s phone. He identified pictures of a person identified as Bryant with a gun on him and pictures of the gun individually. However, the detective could not definitively say whether the gun pictured is the same gun associated with the cartridge casings recovered from the incident.

Due to time constraints, the detective was unable to conclude his testimony. 

Parties are slated to reconvene on Dec. 10.