DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced a homicide defendant for a shooting that left another victim paralyzed in a sentencing on Nov. 7.
On April 7, Dawayne Smith, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed and aggravated assault knowingly for his involvement in the murder of Antonio Riley, 44, on the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, on Oct. 23, 2024. Another individual was paralyzed as a result of the shooting.
During the sentencing, two members of Riley’s family gave statements. His mother told Judge Edelman that Riley’s death “has left a devastating mark” on her life.
“The only way I see my child is if I visit him in the cemetery,” she said. She explained how her whole life changed after the incident, along with the lives of his two kids. She asked Judge Edelman not to give Smith a “slap on the wrist” like other defendants received, which she said was “a slap in the parents’ face.”
Riley’s sister also gave a statement. She explained that she and Riley would talk “every other day.” She told the judge that her nephew was set to graduate this year, and asked who was going to make sure his tie was straight.
Riley’s sister told Judge Edelman that Smith “destroyed a big family.” Regarding a sentence, Riley’s sister said that Smith “took the breath from me and my brother,” and that she wanted to do the same to him.
The prosecutor called the murder “callous, brazen, and cold-blooded,” and said that it created a “sea of harm” for Riley’s family, as well as the surviving victim of the shooting who was paralyzed.
He also discussed Smith’s dangerousness, noting how Smith committed the murder months after completing his sentence for a robbery. He claimed that Smith was “repeatedly putting people in danger,” and that it was “what the court can expect” when Smith is released.
The prosecution reprised Riley’s mother and told Judge Edelman that “some folks get a slap on the wrist, and it’s really a slap to the face.” He asked the judge to sentence Smith to 264 months of incarceration for the murder charge and 72 months for the assault charge.
Defense attorney Madalyn Harvey told the court that Smith was “very much aware of the pain he’s caused.” She responded to the prosecution’s allegations by saying that Smith was “neither callous nor cold-blooded.” She claimed that Smith’s upbringing had been difficult and that people are more likely to imitate and engage with the behaviors that they grow up around.
Harvey asked the court to give Smith hope and claimed that the court’s decision could allow him to be “the better person he’s struggled to be.” Harvey asked for the bottom of the “harsh” sentencing range, which was sixteen-and-a-half years of incarceration.
Judge Edelman credited Smith for accepting the early plea offer before his preliminary hearing. He also noted Smith’s age. Smith “just turned twenty-three” and was even younger at the time of the offense. Judge Edelman said that Smith’s actions and the nature of the offense “reflect that immaturity.”
Despite claiming that Smith’s age “weighs on me,” Judge Edelman said that he had to take into account the “violent and destructive nature” of the offense. He called footage of the murder “staggering,” and said that the first words that came to mind were “execution style.”
Judge Edelman said that “incarceration is necessary” for Smith, citing the brutal nature of the offense and his past criminal history as proof of his dangerousness.
Judge Edelman sentenced Dawayne Smith to 216 months of incarceration and five years of supervised release for second-degree murder while armed, and 72 months of incarceration with three years of supervised release for the aggravated assault charge. The charges are slated to run consecutively to each other, totaling 24 years of incarceration.
No further dates were set.
