A matricide defendant’s attorney claimed his client’s confession to police was not to be taken seriously during a trial on Nov. 25 before DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan.
Seth Andrews, 38, is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of assault on a police officer, and destruction of property, for his alleged involvement in the death of his mother, 67-year-old Hazel Evans, on the unit block of 35th Street, SE on July 16, 2020.
During the hearing, prosecutors called on a now-sergeant from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to testify about Andrews’ confession during his arrest in August of 2020.
The then-detective testified that Andrews was arrested Aug. 20, 2020 and taken to MPD’s Homicide Branch for an interview. There, surveillance footage showed Andrews told detectives he did not want to speak to them and wanted to hear his Miranda rights and call a lawyer.
The sergeant testified that officers gave Andrews water multiple times as they processed paperwork. At one point, when the sergeant offered Andrews more water, Andrews asked “Am I being charged with anything?” The sergeant could be heard responding, “Yeah, we’ll talk about all that.”
“Just charge me and give me some water and get me to jail,” Andrews could be seen telling the sergeant.
A while later, the sergeant once again offered Andrews more water, when he snapped at him, stating “I’m a murderer, I killed my mother. That’s something you would never want to help. Leave me alone, I’m going to hell. Just take me to jail.”
Following the sergeant’s testimony, Andrews waived his right to testify. “I choose to remain silent, your honor,” he said to Judge Ryan.
Prosecutors claimed Andrews “wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed,” in the early morning hours of July 17, 2020. “As she fought for her breath, for air, he continued to squeeze.”
The squeezing, they claimed, caused hemorrhaging on Evans’ neck and eyes. The prosecution insisted that Andrews strangled her “until her breathing stopped, until her heart stopped beating, until she died.”
“She died at the hands of another– his hands,” exclaimed the prosecutor, pointing at Andrews in the courtroom.
According to the prosecution, Andrews had been upset in the days leading up to Evans’ death because he suspected his then-girlfriend had been cheating on him. When he was kicked out of her house, he went back to Evans. However, while he was upset with his girlfriend, he called one of his sisters and complained about their mom.
“She was never there for me… she left me” he told his sister. The prosecution alleged “he was mad. Mad at his mom,” for abandoning them when they were younger and for her drug addiction. An addiction that the defense claims had an impact in her death.
However, prosecutors disagreed, stating the toxicology report from Evans’ autopsy came back clean. “She definitely did not overdose,” the prosecutor exclaimed.
Prosecutors highlighted DNA found on Evans’ nail clippings, which were from a male contributor, and more than likely Andrews in comparison to other men. This, the prosecutor insisted, proved the struggle Evans endured as she attempted to stop Andrews.
“She died from being constricted. She was strangled to death. She was killed by the defendant,” the prosecutor asserted.
Prosecutors argued Andrews not only confessed to MPD, but also confessed to his sister. According to the sister’s testimony, Andrews got down on his knees and showed her how he strangled Evans – an act that the sister could not believe.
“He said, ‘I choked our mother to death’,” the prosecutor reminded the jury of the sister’s testimony.
“What happened is what he told his sister,” the prosecution insisted, once again playing his confession to MPD. “I’m a murderer, I killed my mother.”
“He had been caught, so he admitted it,” the prosecutor stated, adding that Irving tried to downplay it as a joke. “Who jokes about that?” she said.
“Despite [their love and good relationship], he killed her,” the prosecution insisted, demanding the jury convict him of all charges.
“Hazel Evans gave the defendant his first breath, and he took her last. Hazel Evans gave him life, and the defendant took hers,” the prosecutor ended.
“Contradiction after contradiction by witnesses,” Irving claimed, stating the prosecutors had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Andrews was guilty. He claimed that Evans died from natural causes.
Irving highlighted Evans’ health, stating she was obese, had high blood pressure and an enlarged heart, and had nephrosclerosis – a kidney disease caused by the high blood pressure.
“This is what caused her death, because she was at a high risk of a cardiac event at any time,” Irving insisted. “It could’ve happened. It did happen.”
“They [the prosecution] have zero motive. Zero,” he stated, highlighting Andrews and Evans’ great relationship. However, Irving stated the allegations of his involvement started from rumors created by Andrews’ sisters.
“The jealousy… it’s sometimes petty,” he said, stating that they had left Andrews out of the obituary, despite him being the one that spent the most time with Evans and provided for her. “Why is he going to kill his mother out of the blue?”
As for the witnesses the prosecution allegedly paid, Irving highlighted the medical examiner. She previously testified she charges $600 an hour for any court appearance, and $500 an hour for pretrial work. “You don’t think she has her own interest?” Irving questioned, adding “Of course she does.”
He went on to argue that both of Andrews’ confessions should not be considered as the truth, stating he “was sarcastic” with the cops and had been force fed two Ambien, a sedative, before he confessed to his sister.
“This man, who did nothing but love his mother, did not kill her,” Irving insisted.
Prior to closing arguments, Irving filed a motion for judgment of acquittal, which was denied by Judge Ryan, who stated a reasonable jury could find him guilty, highlighting the video where he admitted to killing his mom at MPD’s office.
Parties are slated to reconvene when the jury reaches a verdict.
