Judge Finds Substantial Probability in Murder Case that Occurred Earlier This Year

By Bersabel Ephrem [former] - July 14, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee ruled that a fatal shooting case has enough evidence to go to trial. 

On the night of Jan. 21, Metropolitan Police Department detectives located 20-year-old Marquette White Jr. suffering from an apparent gunshot wound on the 3800 block of Commodore Joshua Barney Dr, NE. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital the same night. 

On April 28, Maurice Williams, 19, and Seaun McDowney, 18, were arrested in Georgia and charged with first-degree murder while armed.

“The elements in front of me give me little doubt about who was in that car,” Judge Lee said. “Mr. Williams has repeatedly told people that he was the one who shot Mr. White. The decedent is heard saying Moe several times and a third voice is heard in the audio saying ‘get up.’ The evidence is substantial.”

During the defendants’ preliminary hearing on July 12, video footage from the front of a residence on the 3800 block of Commodore Joshua Barney Dr, NE showed a man, who officers identified as McDowney, walking away from the residence and getting into a dark colored vehicle. Minutes later the same vehicle is seen parallel parking into a parking spot in front of the home. 

Another person, who is identified as the victim, is seen walking around the front of the residence on the cellphone. 

“Seaun be starting shit bruh,”White said to another unidentified individual.“Seaun said you said that I was a bitch ass nigga, I’m tryna see whats up with that.” 

In another video from another angle, an individual , who officers identified as White, is seen entering the dark colored vehicle that was parked at the front of the residence. 

The lead MPD detective testified that through the course of the investigation witnesses said McDowney, Williams, and White were all in the vehicle during the homicide. 

In another clip, White is heard begging for his life. “I can’t breathe, stop, no.”

The car horn is heard going off at least twice as well as a gunshot.