Jury Finds Defendant Guilty of Murder

By D.C. Witness Staff - October 10, 2018
Court | Featured | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

Hours after counsel delivered closing arguments, a jury found a murder defendant guilty of first-degree murder while armed.

Babajide Pittman killed Anthony Young on the 600 block of L Street, SE in 2016. He was originally charged with second-degree murder while armed. 

Pittman, 31, was also found guilty of assault with the intent to kill, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.

During closing statements, Pittman’s attorney, Anthony Matthews, emphasized that Pittman acted in self-defense. He noted that both Young and Pittman were carrying guns on the day of the murder and said Young wanted to confront Pittman.

But, the prosecution mocked the defense’s theory, saying Young did not want to confront the defendant, referencing the decedent’s last words, “Don’t call me again; I don’t want anything to do with what y’all got going on,” which indicated that he did not want to be involved in anything the couple had going on.

Closing statements concluded on Oct. 3, a week and a half after the trial began on Sept. 24.

During the trial, the defense made multiple unsuccessful requests for a mistrial.

According to the defense, the defendant’s ex-wife tainted the jury because she disclosed Pittman’s previous incarceration. The judge specifically told her that she could not mention any previous jail time the defendant served. The defense said the jury’s objectivity was compromised because of emotional outbursts from Young’s family.  

“Late in the afternoon, I noticed two different times the jury did react to what was going on in the audience … Almost every juror turned around and witnessed that,”  DC Superior Court judge Danya Dayson said. However, Judge Dayson said she could not justify having a mistrial solely for those reasons.

The defense also motioned for a mistrial because none of the witnesses could identify Pittman as the shooter. 

Case Details

On the day of the murder, Pittman and Young were talking at the intersection of 7th and L Street, SE. Moments later, as Young was entering his girlfriend’s car, she said she heard gunshots. She said she began to move the car forward but then realized that she had been shot in the leg.

According to the defendant, the confrontation between the men began when Pittman’s ex-wife accused him of statements he allegedly told a doctor regarding a medical procedure. Young apparently overheard Pittman’s conversation with the doctor and told the ex-wife.

Surveillance footage captured Pittman pacing and allegedly waiting for Young minutes before the homicide. Footage also captured Pittman shooting at Young eight times, pausing briefly, and then shooting at him four more times.

“I just shot until he stopped moving,” Pittman told the jury.

Pittman said when Young opened the passenger door of the vehicle, he thought Young was reaching for a gun. A witness for the defense told the jury that Young was involved in an unrelated shooting between warring neighborhoods in 2015. 

Pittman fled the scene after the shooting. 

Pittman is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 13.