Jeffrey Neal, 25, was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the double-murder of his roommates in 2014.
Neal was arrested on June 13, 2014, and charged with first-degree murder while armed for the murder of Leon Young, 22. Young was found dead on June 12, 2014 in the attic of a house located in the 1800 block of Eighth Street NW, with a black plastic bag tied around his head.
Four days later, officers returned to the house and found Delano Wingfield, 23, buried in a shallow grave in the backyard. He was discovered only wearing socks.
Officers learned that Young and Wingfield were childhood friends of Neal. Neal said he killed Young in an act of self-defense, after Young allegedly said he killed Wingfield.
An autopsy later revealed Young had been hammered in the head over 26 times, with some of those strikes happening after the black plastic bag had been tied around his head. Wingfield’s blood was also found in various locations in Neal’s bedroom.
Neal first said he left a pair of socks on Young’s body, however it was Wingfield’s body that had on a pair of socks.
Neal was found guilty in July 2017 for two counts of first-degree murder while armed. He will be placed on five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
