DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson sentenced a man convicted of murder to 22 years in prison on Oct. 24.
Damon McQuarters, 44, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on May 30 for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Michael Simpson, 49, that occurred on Aug. 24, 2024 on the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue, NW, at a gas station.
A family member, who said Simpson was like a brother to her, remembered him fondly.
“If anyone needed something, they would call him first,” she said during the hearing. “That peace of mind is no longer available.”
She also recalled McQuarters’ attitude during hearings.
“He looked each one of us in the face and smirked at every hearing,” she said. “But not today.”
Simpson’s sister said she wrote a statement, but wanted to “speak from the heart” during the sentencing. She spoke about Simpson’s character and the impact his death has had on her since last year. She said she feels numb and has not been able to recover since McQuarters’ actions.
“He took my life too,” she said.
Simpson’s aunt, on whose birthday the murder occurred, said Simpson was never able to wish her a happy birthday that day. She said McQuarters is the reason she cannot celebrate her birthday in the same way again.
In a particularly emotional impact statement, Simpson’s youngest sibling spoke to the court briefly, before breaking down. Another family member stood beside her as he finished reading her written statement.
She recounted watching him dance and joking about the rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders.
“I miss those silly little moments,” her statement read.
The prosecutor asked for the harshed sentence allowed by the plea deal, which was 25 years in prison. She argued that even though McQuarters accepted responsibility, the circumstances of the murder warrant a high sentence.
“It was just a blatant execution in broad daylight,” she said.
Defense attorney Madalyn Harvey agreed that McQuarters caused harm, but that his value as a human being justifies a lower sentence. She also said that the loss of his mother at a young age led to hyper vigilance and paranoia, which contributed to the murder.
“This was not a cold-blooded act,” Harvey said.
She recommended 21 years, the low end of the sentencing range, and that he be placed in programs and treatment to address his substance use and trauma.
McQuarters did not give a statement during his sentencing.
Judge Dayson said she was concerned about how serious the case is.
“His criminal history does show an escalating pattern of behavior,” she said.
Taking this and the fact that he took responsibility, Judge Dayson sentenced McQuarters to 22 years in prison with five years of supervised release.
No further dates were set.
