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By
Emily Nordberg
, Elizabeth Price - February 6, 2025
Daily Stories
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Suspects
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Victims
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A mother testified about her son’s his death in a fire linked to longstanding rental code violations, before a jury and DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on Feb. 5.
James Walker, 61, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the deaths of 40-year-old Fitsum Getachew Kebede and nine-year-old Yafet Solomen at the 700 block of Kennedy Street, NW. Solomen and Kebede were transported to the area hospital with life threatening injuries on Aug. 18, 2019. Kebede succumbed to his injuries on the same day, and Solomen on Aug. 20, 2019.
The prosecutors told the jury that the defendant was the property’s landlord who converted it from a pharmacy into a residential rental space. They claimed that Walker had 26 fire code violations in total and chose to ignore them, stating “he knew what he built.”
With the help of two Amharic interpreters, Solomen’s mother told of her journey from South Africa carrying him on her back through multiple countries before reaching the U.S. in search of a better life for her son.
The witness testified to renting a basement room from Walker that had no windows, smoke detectors, or smoke alarms, where she lived with Solomen during the time of the incident.
Kebede lived in a separate room on the same level. The witness described Kebede as a quiet church devotee whom she trusted to watch over her son. She described Solomen as a smart, open-minded nine-year-old that deeply cared for his mother and had dreams of becoming a lawyer.
On the day of the incident, the witness was at work when she received a phone call from Walker informing her of a fire and that Solomen had been taken to a children’s hospital. Through tears, she described rushing to the hospital, where she found her son unresponsive. Despite efforts to save him, he later succumbed to his injuries.
Overcome with emotion, she broke down in tears as the prosecution presented a blown up picture of Solomen, repeatedly crying, “My son.”
A toxicologist testified about his examination of the victims. Kebede’s screening revealed the highest possible level of a blood product consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning, typical in fire victims.
Prosecutors also called on an employee from the DC Department of Buildings, who testified Walker had several certificates of occupancy and a home occupation permit, but nothing for the rooms he rented out.
An eyewitness who attempted to help get the victims out of the building testified he used a pipe to pry open the exterior gate with bystanders and police. The witness stated he “heard a loud boom” and a “little boy hollering” once he arrived on scene.
A responding Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer additionally took the stand, stating he heard intense banging and screaming within the property, stating it “sounded like anguish.” The MPD officer noted the absence of smoke alarms or beeping noises during the fire.
Trial is set to resume Feb. 6.