A witness claimed she overheard a homicide defendant confess to shooting the victim and fleeing the U.S. in front of DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on April 28.
Ranje Reynolds, 28, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Tarek Boothe on Jan. 31, 2022, on the 3200 block of M Street, NW.
A witness testified that she overheard Reynolds confessing to shooting Boothe and fleeing the U.S. at her cousin’s house in Jamaica. Her cousin and Reynolds were close friends and she saw Reynolds a number of times at his house.
She testified that she was in the living room while her cousin and Reynolds were on the verandah, a porch style outdoor space common in Jamaican architecture. The living room and verandah were connected making it easy for her to hear what they were saying clearly.
This witness later told U.S. Marshals in Jamaica about the incident and gave a description of Reynolds’ car which led to his arrest.
The witness testified she is now seeking asylum in the U.S., alleging someone threatened her with a gun at her home to “shut your mouth” after she spoke with authorities. While there is no evidence the warning was related to this case or specifically Reynolds, the witness believes it is. Neither party brought up the asylum issue in court.
Reynolds’ attorney, Cheryl Stein, mentioned the witness was paid $1,500 dollars for giving information that led to Reynolds’ arrest. However, the witness said she did not know about the money until after reporting what she heard. She noted the experience has been distressing and she is not enjoying testifying or the aftermath of coming forward.
A special agent from the FBI described his training as an expert member of the Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST) and confirmed that he is CAST certified.
The agent went over call detail records in this case showing that after 4:30 pm the day after the shooting, no calls were made from Reynolds’ phone. The testimony will continue April 29.
The court also discussed a potential scheduling issue for a jury member who has to leave town on Friday, probably not before 3:30 pm, but would be back by lunchtime the following Monday.
Stein moved for this juror to be excused, but the prosecution stated that would be premature as there would not be much time lost. The prosecution also stated there is a higher standard needed for dismissing a juror this late into the case. Judge Park concluded that if the juror could be in court for most of the day on Friday and Monday there is no reason to excuse him.
Parties are slated to reconvene on April 29.
