DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced a defendant to 28 years and eight months after he accepted a plea agreement for two murders he committed when he was 16-years-old during an Oct. 31 hearing.
On Sept. 5, Michael Mason, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder while armed for his involvement in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Brea Moon on the 3900 block of Alabama Avenue, SE, on April 7, 2020 and 18-year-old Antwuan Roach on the 3800 block of East Capitol Street, NE, on May 22, 2020.
Through the deal, parties agreed to a sentencing range of 27-to-31 years of incarceration total.
According to court documents, the offenses were committed just weeks after Mason turned 16 and days after he was released from incarceration for an earlier crime.
The prosecution welcomed three of Moon’s loved ones to deliver victim impact statements for the court. Her mother shared that Moon was the captain of her high school’s cheerleading team, and would frequently cheer everywhere she went, including in parking lots and stores.
Her father shared that his life was changed forever by the death of his little girl, and that they had just made plans to go somewhere sunny after her 21st birthday. Moon was her parents’ only child.
“She was magnetic in spirit,” her godmother said. “Her absence isn’t felt, it’s lived.”
The prosecution read a statement from Roach’s mother. She shared that she will not hold hate for Mason and encouraged him to ask for God’s forgiveness.
The prosecution argued that Mason should serve the maximum sentence of 31 years. They argued that these murders were completely separate incidents where Mason acted as the “main instigator” and “followed, stalked, and ambushed his victims.” He was the one who pulled the trigger in both incidents, according to the prosecution.
The prosecution explained that Moon was just a passenger in a car. She was accidentally killed when Mason shot at the vehicle, injuring the driver as well.
The prosecution explained that Mason discovered Roach’s location, planned out what he was going to do in a series of text messages, and shot Roach when he was walking home. He then followed Roach’s family members on Instagram, liked their posts, and held an Instagram live stream where he said, “I seen a roach and I stepped on it.”
The prosecution also argued that Mason should receive the maximum sentence as deterrence because he committed the crimes only days after being released for separate crimes.
“He had a second chance but within days he got a gun, shot Roach, and six weeks later shot Brea Moon,” the prosecution said.
The prosecution argued that Mason’s violent streak continued into his time in custody. Mason is accused of stabbing someone in the DC Jail, puncturing his lung and sending him to the hospital.
Defense attorney Andrew Ain argued in his sentencing memorandum, or his recommendation, that the court should consider the average sentence of 16-year-olds charged with second-degree murder, which is 12 years.
The prosecution argued that the data presented by the defense is misleading because typically, two counts of second degree murder usually happen during one incident. They emphasized the significance of Mason’s convictions being for two completely separate incidents six weeks apart.
“This isn’t one plus one,” the prosecution said. “What the defendant committed was repeated, horrifying conduct. Reducing the victims to 12 plus 12 is simply not right.”
The prosecution also explains that the defense’s math does not include the victims who were not accounted for in the plea agreement. The prosecution reminds the court of Mason’s original charges for shooting at the driver of the car Moon was in, allegedly shooting five times at people on bikes, and allegedly engaging in two weeks of violence where six shootings were reported that involved his gun.
Ain argued that Mason should receive the minimum sentence of 27 years. He used the average sentence of 12 years to argue that the court should consider 24 years as guidance for a reasonable lower bound.
Ain argues that Mason grew up in a violent environment, explaining that he was “sucked into conflict that no young person should be a part of.” He explained that, in the community Mason was part of, anyone could be either a defendant or a victim. Ain shared that the people on the bikes are now charged with felonies as well.
Andrew Ain, Mason’s attorney, argued that the prosecution misread the text message conversations that framed Mason as the “main instigator.” He argued that Mason was not the leader of these events.
“Michael, very misguidingly, was trying to prove himself to people who are not worth proving himself to,” Ain said.
In response to the prosecution discussing Mason’s alleged stabbing in the DC jail, Ain argued that the DC Jail is known for being extremely violent. Mason was also stabbed six times the first time he was in the DC Jail.
Ain argued that Mason is remorseful for his actions. He argued that Mason refused to give a false set of facts when he accepted the plea deal to make him look better. He wanted to assume full responsibility for everything he was guilty of, guided by his strong religious beliefs.
Mason expressed to the court that the families do not deserve the pain he has caused. He thinks of his sisters when he thinks of Moon, and is regretful that his actions resulted in her death. He also shared his gratitude for Roach’s family finding peace in him accepting the plea agreement.
Judge Edelman sentenced Mason to 28 years and eight months with five years of supervised release after thoughtful deliberation. He explained that his role in the sentencing was small considering he has a “narrow band of discretion with a 10 percent difference” in the sentencing range.
Judge Edelman recognized the significance of the murders being two separate incidents that took two very young lives. He explained that he met Moon before during her testimony in an unrelated trial, and highlighted that she was never involved in criminal activity and her role in her family’s life.
He expressed the difficulty of sentencing Mason for committing the crimes when he was just 16-years-old, recognizing his immaturity and inability to weigh risks and benefits. He shared that he considered Mason’s age, testimony, additional victims, and stabbing of someone in the DC Jail, when sentencing him.
“You will be released into the community and you have an opportunity to make amends,” Edelman said to Mason referring to the opportunities Mason has once he is released.
Parties are not slated to reconvene.
