Editor’s Note: Darryl Myers was acquitted of all charges by a jury on March 27, 2026.
The prosecution argued that two individuals weren’t bothering anyone before one was sexually assaulted and another stabbed in a trial before DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna on March 26.
Darryl Myers, 52, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, misdemeanor sexual abuse, and simple assault for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal stabbing at Dupont Circle near the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and 20th Street, NW on June 7, 2024. One victim sustained four stab wounds and another victim was sexually assaulted.
During her closing argument, another one of Myers’ attorneys, Kristin McGough, argued that Myers acted in self-defense. “The only reason there is stabbing is because [Myers] airway was being cut off,” McGough told the jury.
McGough described the stabbing victim putting Myers in a tight chokehold during the fight and argued that the stab wounds were consistent with Myers trying to escape. She pointed out that the victim told the grand jury he had his attacker in a chokehold but changed his story to say he only held Myers’ chin during his testimony earlier in the trial.
“Why are we telling lies?” McGough asked the jury.
She also stated that, even if Myers was the first aggressor in the situation, once deadly force was used against him, he had a right to self-defense.
McGough pointed out other inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony, including lies about being a Navy medic, the number of drinks he had that night, and the number of stab wounds he sustained. She noted that on their own, the lies might seem insignificant, but that together they build up on one another.
“Even feathers get heavy when you have enough of them,” McGough said and urged the jury to find Myers not guilty on all charges.
The prosecution said that the day turned “violent and disturbing” when Myers walked away from the stabbing saying, “I got that mother f*****.” They explained the victims were just sitting in the park, catching up on each other’s lives.
“They weren’t bothering anyone,” the prosecution stated. The prosecution argued that Myers was the aggressor and caused the fight, stating that he had no right to self-defense.
“If you come up to a woman in a park and sexually abuse her and something arises from that situation, you caused that to happen,” the prosecution told the jury.
They said that Myers’ arms were free during the fight and that he never tried to pull the victim’s arms away or retreat, choosing to stab him. The prosecution also emphasized the locations of the wounds, arguing Myers stabbed the victim in the neck, back, thigh and leg, going for the neck first.
“Those are decisions,” the prosecution stated.
The prosecution also asked the jury to consider why Myers didn’t initially claim self-defense when police questioned him. They pointed out that Myers initially claimed he didn’t know how he injured his hand and then a month later, he had a story for how it happened.
“That is not reliable,” the prosecution stated.
The prosecutor told the jury to focus on their recollections of the evidence, stating it wasn’t a coincidence that Myers “just happened to be out the night of the attack, blocks away, with a cut on his hand that he gave a false story about.”
“The evidence you have is beyond a reasonable doubt,” the prosecution told the jury and urged them to return a guilty verdict.
Prior to closing arguments, the prosecution cross-examined a retired emergency medicine doctor and asked the doctor questions about the locations of the stab wounds. The doctor indicated that the stab wound on the victim’s neck was near a major blood vessel.
According to the prosecution, the victim’s wounds were still bleeding long after he arrived at the hospital. Based on the victim’s medical records, the doctor stated he had a “significant elevation” to his lactate level, which is indicative of shock.
The prosecution also asked the doctor whether the victim was intoxicated and the doctor said according to medical records, the victim was. The doctor said that he believed the victim had four-and-a-half-to-seven drinks.
Additionally, the doctor stated the victim also had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 15, meaning he was alert and awake. The GCS is a scale used to measure a person’s level of consciousness.
On re-direct, one of Myers’ attorneys, Lauren Rennecker, asked the doctor to elaborate on the relationship between lactate levels and shock. The doctor explained that when the body doesn’t get enough oxygen, lactate levels increase. The doctor noted that lactate levels can increase for various reasons and that while high lactate levels are consistent with shock, it’s “hard to pin down.”
When Rennecker asked the doctor about the GCS score, he stated that “most people would have a GCS of 15 while intoxicated” and that it didn’t change his opinion on the number of drinks the male victim consumed.
The prosecution followed up with a question about the lactate levels after the defense’s re-direct. They asked if the shock could be caused by blood loss, to which the doctor said, “you can have a shock state and not an elevated level.” The prosecution asked the question again before the doctor answered yes.
Parties will reconvene when the jury reaches a verdict.
