Thank you for reading D.C. Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.
By
D.C. Witness Staff
- March 15, 2019
Court
|
Daily Stories
|
Homicides
|
Suspects
|
On March 14, the defense raised concerns that their client’s sixth amendment right may have been violated during the investigation.
El Hadji Toure is charged with first-degree murder while armed, first-degree sexual abuse and robbery while armed, among other offenses, for his alleged role in the death of Corrina Mehiel in an apartment on the 600 block of 14th Street, NE in March of 2017.
According to the defense, their client’s sixth amendment right was violated when the prosecution failed to investigate IP addresses that visited Mehiel’s website after her death.
The prosecution said they received a list of IP addresses who viewed the website after a grand jury subpoena, but they don’t know who conducted the original investigation or why the IP addresses were not looked into further.
“Why the grand jury takes certain actions is not warranted here,” the prosecution said.
Apparently there was a website that featured a photo with a “striking” resemblance to the crime scene, showing Mehiel on the floor, face-down with a pile of clothes on top of her. The website was owned and operated by Mehiel.
The prosecution called a detective to the stand who worked on Mehiel’s case. The detective said he had prior knowledge about the investigation of the website. However, it seems that he learned of the website investigation while talking to the prosecution the night before his testimony.
“We are entitled to confront every person who reviewed this information,” the defense said, requesting to reopen their case.
However, DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna denied the request. She said the defense was able to cross-examine the detective about his knowledge of the website and address any misinterpretation left with the jury after his testimony.
The trial is scheduled to continue on March 18.