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By
Jay McDonald [former]
- April 11, 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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One of the defendants who was charged in the fatal shootings of 21-year-old Michael Taylor and 21-year-old Dion DeMarco Boyd made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to a lesser homicide offense in the case of Taylor’s death and a non-homicide offense in the case of Boyd’s death.
Stephon Evans was one of five men charged with Taylor’s death and one of two men charged with Boyd’s death. Boyd was killed on the evening of July 30, 2018, while Taylor was killed on the afternoon of Jan. 12, 2019. Both men were shot in Northeast, DC.
Evans was 18-years-old when he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with Taylor’s death less than two weeks after the homicide. The following June, he was indicted on charges including first-degree murder while armed in connection with Boyd’s death.
After more than three years of pretrial detention, Evans entered guilty pleas in both cases during his most recent hearing on April 8. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in the case centered on Taylor’s death and carrying a pistol without a license in the case centered on Boyd’s death.
Parties agreed to recommend a sentence in the eight to 13-year range for the manslaughter charge as part of the plea deal. They also agreed to recommend that whatever sentence he receives for the pistol charge run concurrent to the sentence in the manslaughter charge.
The prosecution said Evans approached Taylor on the 1500 block of Benning Road, NE. He then fired his pistol in Taylor’s direction, striking the victim multiple times before fleeing the scene.
Carlos Turner, Naquel Henderson, Tavist Alston and Alonzo Brown were also charged with murder for their alleged roles in Taylor’s shooting. They are currently awaiting trial at DC Jail.
Kewon Hunter, who was charged alongside Evans in Boyd’s death, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in February.
Evans is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7.