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By
Brigette Bagley
- March 25, 2025
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Suspects
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Victims
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DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt heard a homicide defendant officially reject a plea offer during a hearing on March 21.
Thomas Fields Jr., 37, is charged with first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, kidnapping while armed, and three counts of tampering with physical evidence. These charges stem from his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of Marquita Lucas, 24, on Aug. 17, 2019, on the 3700 block of Horner Place, SE.
Fields rejected a plea offer that has been open since last November. The deal required him to plead guilty to first-degree murder while armed and kidnapping in exchange for a dismissal of all other charges. The deal would have guaranteed a 30-year sentence.
By rejecting the plea offer, Fields could be facing life in prison as a maximum sentence if found guilty in the June trial.
Parties are slated to reconvene on June 6.