DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan found probable cause that a defendant was the perpetrator of a homicide allegedly witnessed by her son during a hearing on Sept. 22.
Anna Hyman, 20, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for her alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 63-year-old Robert Dent on July 26 in an apartment complex at the unit block of Galveston Street, SW. Dent suffered 55 sharp force trauma injuries to various parts of his body.
Throughout the hearing, Hyman’s mental state and that of a witness, Hyman’s 5-year-old son, were often questioned. Judge Ryan acknowledged the child would have trouble explaining the violent incident that would strongly impact the boy.
Judge Ryan agreed with the defense that the things the child said in an interview with the investigation team lined up with Hyman’s, though he could not determine whether his verions was his own words or what Hyman told him to say.
Judge Ryan found Hyman’s interviews unclear. At times, she claimed to be “chilling” with the victim and at others, she claimed that he became aggressive and grabbed her by the neck. She also claimed at one point that she was stabbed in the thigh. While she did have various cuts on her arms, no thigh wound was found.
The inconsistency between Hyman’s and her son’s testimony challenged Judge Ryan. He raised numerous concerns about Hyman’s mental stability, as her tone ranged from frantic to abstract.
Elizabeth Weller, Hyman’s defense attorney stated that Hyman is a single mother who may be suffering from postpartum depression and has gone many months only sleeping two-to-three hours per night. She argued it would take little more than skilled therapy and “a good night’s sleep” to return Hyman to a more stable state of mind.
Weller also argued for self-defense or defense of a third party, as Hyman’s testimony and her child’s lined up on that issue. Weller asserted that Hyman felt like she was in danger and thought that the victim was planning to come after her child.
Judge Ryan disagreed in that the victim had more than 50 stab wounds–actions that seemed to beyond self-defense.
Weller argued that, assuming probable cause, Hyman could get the help she needed under house arrest with family that did not include her children and that they would report any aberrations. She would also have GPS monitoring.
The prosecution argued for Hyman’s detention, stating that she could not trust Hyman’s family to accurately report her behavior and that there’s no guarantee that she would continue getting therapy at home.
Judge Ryan found probable cause for Hyman, and she is to be held until the next hearing.
Judge Ryan assured that Hyman would get better mental health support in the DC Jail than under house arrest.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Nov. 11.
