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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- January 11, 2019
Court
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Homicides
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Policy
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Suspects
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A DC Superior Court judge sentenced Jan. 11 a man to eight years in prison for murdering another man in 2015.
Rodney Baggott pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed on Oct. 17, 2018, for shooting Donald Franklin Bush on the 2300 block of 15th St., NE. He was initially charged with second-degree murder while armed and other gun possession offenses.
As part of the plea, Baggott’s charge for the murder case of 23-year-old DeAngelo Barr, on Nov. 20, 1995, on the 1600 block of Montana Ave, NE, was dismissed along with the firearm charges.
Baggott’s eight year sentence spanned from an agreement between the prosecution and the defense. According to the District’s plea agreement procedure (11 c1c), both the prosecution and the defense can agree on a specific sentence or sentencing range that is an appropriate disposition of the case.
I “deeply regret being responsible for causing [the family] enormous amounts of pain and grief,” Baggott, 51, told the Bush,44, family.
Judge Judith Judith Bartnoff said there was no sentence that could have made things right again, but the sentence closed a chapter. She said she believed Baggott was genuinely remorseful during his apology to Bush’s family.
According to court documents, Bush, 44, was stabbed in the neck after he and Baggott had gotten into an argument. Baggott said Bush disrespected him. Apparently, the two had known each other for a long time.
In addition to serving eight years, the defendant would also be required to serve five additional years on supervised release. In addition to his time, Baggott is required to get mental health and substance abuse treatment and attend anger management classes.
Even though both sides agreed on the sentence, the Bush family was not satisfied. According to a victim impact statement from Bush’s sister, Baggott did not seem remorseful and deserved the maximum penalty possible for the crime.
Even though Baggott has been sentenced, the judge continued execution of the sentence to give Baggott time to finish a class he is currently taking at DC Jail. Apparently, Bush has excelled in programs at the jail, including a reading and writing program for inmates called the Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop. The sentencing is expected to be enacted on April 30.