Judge Sets Trial Date for Homicide Case

By Graham Krewinghaus [former] - October 13, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan set a date for a homicide case to go to trial during an Oct. 13 hearing. 

Johnwann Elliot, 29, was charged with first-degree murder on May 20 in connection with the March 15 shooting death of Nikia Young on the 2200 block of Minnesota Avenue, SE. Young, 37, was shot seven times in the body and face.

The case has yet to be indicted, Judge Raffinan noted, reminding the prosecutor she has until February to finalize the charges against Elliot.

Defense attorney Roderick Thompson said he would like to check in with the court once before the indictment deadline. Judge Raffinan scheduled the next felony status conference for December.

“The parties have never been in plea negotiations in this matter,” Thompson continued. “It’s my understanding that this will be a trial matter.”

He asked Judge Raffinan to set a trial date now, before the parties’ schedules for 2023 fill up with other matters. “The court’s schedule, I’m sure, is extremely packed. My schedule is packed. The government’s is packed,” Thompson said.

Judge Raffinan set a date for the trial to begin on Nov. 13, 2023.

Thompson also noted that the preliminary hearings revealed that witnesses had “conflicting accounts and reasons to curry favor.” At his request, Judge Raffinan reminded the prosecutor of her obligations to disclose any evidence she finds in her investigation that would contradict her case or suggest Elliot’s innocence.

Court documents, containing witness interviews and surveillance footage reports, give several conflicting descriptions of the suspect. The surveillance footage, according to the documents, depicted the suspect getting off a bus after seeing Young. Two minutes later, he is seen sprinting away from the scene of the shooting, catching up to the bus, and boarding it again.

Two days after the shooting, police detectives followed up with one witness, who identified Elliot as the shooter. The witness was friends with Young, according to court documents, and knew that Elliot “stayed strapped” and was mad at Young for taking one of his guns. The witness provided detectives with a photo of Elliot, which was identical to a photo that one of Young’s relatives had already shown them.

After obtaining a warrant, officers found and arrested Elliot in a hotel on May 19. After arresting him, they found clothes consistent with what the shooter was wearing in the surveillance footage.

The parties are scheduled to return to court on Dec. 17.