A defendant pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge at an arraignment before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on June 16.
Christopher Taylor, 37, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing and killing 31-year-old Michael Alanzo Jackson on the 1600 block of V Street, SE, on April 10, 2025. Jackson sustained 5 stab wounds.
As of the arraignment, prosecutors had not yet offered Taylor a plea deal, but said they expected to do so by early September.
Taylor’s attorney, Gemma Stevens said she would wait to receive the plea deal and consider other “open matters” in the case before possibly setting a trial date.
The court formally arraigned Taylor on the charge against him. Stevens pleaded not guilty on Taylor’s behalf, asserted his rights to a speedy trial, and requested all evidence in the case.
According to court documents, witnesses in the general area of the crime told Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) investigators they recognized the suspect as someone who reportedly sold meat stolen from grocery stores.
MPD investigators allegedly verified Taylor’s identity by comparing CCTV footage near the crime scene to booking photos of people recently arrested for stolen meat offenses.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Sept. 4 to discuss the supposed plea deal.
