Judge Sentences Man to 5.5 Years for 2015 Homicide

By D.C. Witness Staff - September 10, 2018
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man Sept. 6 to five and a half years in prison for fatally punching a 35-year-old man.

In May, a jury found Milkiyas Bayisa guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the death of Kassahun Edo on the 700 block of Fairmont Street, NW in 2015. 

According to court documents, a witness told police a man approached Edo when he was leaving Peace Lounge Club, located on the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Fairmont Street, and punched him once in the face. Furthermore, the witness said Edo’s head hit the concrete and “made a loud noise.” Another witness, who saw the exchange, was able to identify Bayisa as the man who punched Edo.

Edo was brought to a nearby hospital where he was diagnosed as being brain dead. His wife removed him from life-support the next day. 

According to a press release, Edo, who was a Texas resident, was in DC for a wedding.

Multiple members of Edo’s family were present Sept. 6 for Bayisa’s sentencing. Edo’s cousin spoke on behalf of the decedent’s two daughters, who were two and four-years-old. The cousin explained that Edo’s senseless murder left his wife to raise the girls alone.

“Christmas is not the same anymore, someone is missing,” the cousin said. “Father’s day is the worst.”

Edo’s wife also spoke. Amidst tears and outcries, the wife spoke of the pain her family endures every day. During her translated impact statement, she told the court that she is buried with her husband.

“He (Bayisa) may get his sentence today and it (will) be over for him, but it will never be over for me and my kids,” the translator said on behalf of the wife.

The prosecution asked for the maximum sentence of seven years and noted that Edo’s hands were in his pockets when he was viciously attacked. In short, the prosecution said that Bayisa was unprovoked and any notion of self-defense is unfounded.

Furthermore, the prosecution added that Bayisa still fails to accept responsibility for his actions and cited recent jail calls where he talked of plans of partying and that he’ll be out by September.

Bayisa’s defense attorney, Steven Kiersh, asked the judge to disregard Bayisa’s jail call and said his client was trying to be upbeat. Kiersh later added that his client may be subject to deportation. Bayisa is originally from Ethiopia.

“I’m not here to minimize anything, but he will suffer very significantly,” Kiersh said.

Subsequently, Bayisa apologized to Edo’s family and said he was ashamed for the pain he put Edo and his family through.

Prior to sentencing, Judge Judith Bartnoff said Edo’s death was “beyond tragic.” She also noted that Bayisa’s actions were impulsive and therefore unplanned.

Bayisa will serve five years on supervised release following his prison term.