Multiple witnesses described prior reported altercations between the defendant and victim in a homicide trial before DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson on July 29.
Rayvon Slye, 34, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 30-year-old Andrea Bond on March 7, 2023, on the 1000 block of D Street, NE. Bond sustained one stab wound to her upper left chest.
According to court documents, Slye and Bond were in a romantic relationship and had a child together at the time of her death. The couple was reportedly physically violent with each other on multiple occasions.
The prosecutors called a close friend of Slye’s to testify, who established that they had known each other for over 15 years. Slye’s friend was unable to recall the night before Bond’s death, although he previously stated in a 2022 grand jury that he was with Slye and Bond that night.
When asked if what he had said in his grand jury testimony was true, he claimed that, “I said whatever I said to get y’all out of my face.” He also stated that he did not know he was under oath at the time.
Slye’s friend reported to the grand jury that he picked up Slye and Bond in his Mercedes-Benz to get wine. The witness said at that time that Bond allegedly left his car and went to her home with friends. Slye’s friend claimed to the grand jury that Bond returned to the car and acted as if she was on drugs, but the witness was unable to confirm if that was true.
To the grand jury, Slye’s friend characterized Bond’s behavior as aggressive, but clarified that she did not get in a fight that night and there was no blood on his car.
When asked in the trial, Slye’s friend claimed that he had never seen Slye with a weapon and did not see Bond with a weapon the night prior to her death. The witness reported in the trial that he learned about Bond’s death after Slye told him personally that someone else killed her in Trinidad.
Slye’s attorney, Kevin Mosley, told the jury that Slye’s friend was unable to remember the events of March 6, 2023, and had to be reminded through his grand jury testimony. He also clarified that the witness was unaware of any details related to Bond’s death.
Prosecutors also called Bond’s childhood acquaintance who witnessed a previous altercation between Bond and Slye on June 2, 2022. Around 2 a.m., the witness claimed that Bond was screaming for help as she ran to the passenger side of the acquaintance’s vehicle and asked her to call the police.
The witness described Bond as “disheveled, covered in blood [and] frantic.” Prosecutors showed images of Bond with a wound on her forehead and blood on her face and clothes.
The acquaintance indicated she told Bond she and her children should leave the tristate area if she felt unsafe. According to the witness, Bond seemed to agree.
Slye’s other attorney, Kayla Wyatt, confirmed that the acquaintance had no personal knowledge of Bond’s death.
The prosecution also called Bond’s adoptive brother, although she referred to him as her uncle. The witness lived in the same house as Bond and testified about witnessing her on his couch “laying there not breathing.”
The witness described Bond as “bubbly” and “smart.” He claimed that he had only met Slye a few times and confessed that he “didn’t care for” him.
Bond’s adoptive brother reported that he had been out late the night before Bond’s death and was awakened by his mother between 12:59 p.m. to 1:43 p.m. He said that he typically would have gone back to sleep, but stated, “by looking at [his mom], I knew what was going on” and went into the living room.
The witness recalled that Bond’s forehead and shoulder were “ice cold.” He claimed that he then saw Slye enter the room with takeout food and told him to call 911.
In cross-examination, Mosley asked how much Bond’s adoptive brother knew about her drug use and relationship with Slye. The witness said that Bond did not tell him much but knew that she enjoyed drinking alcohol. Mosley pointed out that the witness previously said that Bond frequently drank alcohol and used methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), a powerful hallucinogen also known as Molly.
According to Mosley, Bond’s adoptive brother reportedly told police that he did not see any blood in their house and therefore concluded that she was stabbed elsewhere.
Prosecutors then called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer who responded to a prior reported domestic violence incident between Slye and Bond on Feb. 26, 2022. The officer reported that Bond had swelling on her face, and Slye had a scratch on his face.
Prosecutors played the officer’s body-worn camera footage from the domestic dispute scene. Slye confessed in the video that he and Bond had an altercation.
The trial is slated to continue on July 30.
