Judge Continues Murder Defendant’s Preliminary Hearing, Again

By D.C. Witness Staff - September 25, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

A DC Superior Court judge granted the defense a continuance for a preliminary hearing in a murder case.

Lance Ammons, 42, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 62 year-old Robert Bolich on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on Aug. 22.

During a preliminary hearing on Sept. 25, Ammons’ defense counsel, Ieshaah Murphy, requested a continuance for third week in October.

Murphy did not say why she wanted to continue the hearing.

Judge Todd Edelman granted a continuance. a new preliminary hearing is scheduled on Oct. 22.

This is the second time the preliminary hearing has been continued. The first hearing was rescheduled because Ammons was unable to appear in court because court forms were not filled out properly. 

Ammons is being held without bail.

According to court documents, Ammons, who was homeless at the time of the murder, allegedly stabbed Bolich multiple times after hearing the “devil’s voice” urging him to do it. Bolich was working on renovations to the bridge at the time. He worked for HNTB Corp, an infrastructure design firm with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo.