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By
Jay McDonald [former]
- January 28, 2022
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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A defendant pleaded guilty to manslaughter more than two years after a marijuana deal ended in tragedy.
Knico Wheaton reached out to Tavon Cox over Instagram to purchase marijuana, according to the proffer of facts. The two met on Jan. 11, 2020, on the 700 block of 24th Street, NE. Wheaton asked to smell the marijuana, which Cox agreed to. The encounter ended with Wheaton reaching into his coat pocket, grabbing a firearm and shooting Cox. The 41-year-old succumbed to his injuries the next day.
Wheaton, 24, was arrested the following April. He went on to be indicted on charges of first-degree murder while armed, armed robbery, obstructing justice and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
During a Jan. 28 hearing, Wheaton accepted the prosecution’s offer to plead down to voluntary manslaughter while armed. In exchange for his guilty plea, the prosecution agreed to dismiss a separate case involving a gun charge.
DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee scheduled Wheaton to be sentenced on March 22.