Parties delivered opening statements before a jury in DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park’s courtroom on May 21.
Joshua Allen, 36, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence, and obstruction of justice.
The charges stem from Allen’s alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Delonte Johnson on the 4600 block of Hillside Road, SE on June, 11, 2021. There was one surviving victim who sustained gunshot wounds. Allen’s also charged with coercing a key witness to give false testimony during grand jury proceedings.
During the hearing, prosecutors claimed Johnson had “no idea he was being hunted” by Allen, who they argued was waiting for Johnson at the location. “He had no idea that the entire time they were being tracked–hunted,” prosecutors insisted.
Prosecutors stated Johnson and the surviving victim had walked over to “the candy lady’s,” where they said the victims purchased loose cigarettes. When they were walking back to an apartment building, prosecutors claimed, “This was the moment [Allen] waited for. And he shot, and shot, and shot,” and “[the victims] didn’t know they were walking into an ambush.”
According to the prosecution, both victims sustained gunshot wounds to their backs, while Johnson sustained additional wounds to his head, execution style.
“He stood no chance,” prosecutors argued, claiming Allen then sped off from the scene in a car, but crashed his silver Mercedes Benz at Bowen and Ridge Roads, SE. There, prosecutors stated, Allen ran from the scene, leaving his phone in the car, which they stated tracked his location throughout the day, ditching the murder weapon and a hoodie throughout his flight path.
As for the key witness, prosecutors stated she had originally agreed to help Allen with the murder, stating she was would guide him to Johnson.
Prosecutors also said after Allen’s arrest, he sent her a letter instructing her to lie at the grand jury. According to the prosecution, one of the key witness’ best friends had been murdered after Johnson’s killing, and Allen instructed her to blame Johnson’s shooting on him.
After the witness allegedly provided false testimony, she found out Allen had known about her best friend “having a hit out for them,” and failed to warn her. Then, prosecutors claimed, is when she changed her mind and told the truth.
“That was the limit,” they argued, and stated they provided her with immunity as long as she told the truth.
“Allen had such faith in his control [on the witness], he never thought she’d sit here telling the truth,” the prosecutor stated.
Sara Kopecki, Allen’s attorney, told jurors she was “sitting here with Mr. Allen,” and would do so until the end of the trial, where the jury would have to find him not guilty. “Be wary of tunnel vision,” she told jurors, claiming the lead detective from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) made up his mind before the investigation was over that Allen was the suspect.
According to the defense, the MPD’s investigation “cut corners and hinders on too many assumptions.”
“[Allen] is not guilty, and he will remain not guilty,” Kopecki asserted.
Parties are slated to continue their arguments. .
