Best Friend Identifies Suspect in Murder and Conspiracy Trial

By McKenna Bryant , Anthoine Godin - March 20, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On March 19, a witness identified a defendant in several phone calls and a photo in connection to a 2020 homicide trial before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt. 

Koran Jackson, 23, Tyiion Kyree Freeman, 24, and Stephen Nelson, 33, are three of five individuals charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, assault with the intent to kill while armed, first-degree murder while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection to the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020 on the 600 block of S Street, NW. The shooting also left a second juvenile victim located in the vicinity suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the right leg.  

The case also involves alleged co-conspirators Reginald Steele, 24, and Aaron Brown, 27.

Throughout the trial, the prosecution has tried to connect Jackson, Freeman, and Nelson to additional shootings that occurred on Feb. 22, Feb. 24, and a second shooting on March 1, 2020.

The prosecution called in a longtime friend of Nelson’s to identify the suspect in phone calls and a photo. 

The witness acknowledged that she had been Nelson’s best friend for 22 years and also shared his child.

The prosecution asked her to confirm Sprint records of a phone she bought for Nelson’s brother in 2019. The prosecution alleges the phone had been used to send photos of Nelson and Steele to Steele’s phone on Feb. 28, 2020.

The prosecution had the witness do an identification of Nelson as a defendant in the courtroom, and pinpoint him as one of the men in a photo sent to Steele’s phone. The photo allegedly depicted Nelson standing in a kitchen with Steele while both men held firearms. 

Lisbeth Saperstein, Nelson’s defense attorney, objected to the “prejudicial” element of showing the photo, to which the prosecution replied they believed the photo is relevant because it speaks to the firearm conspiracy charge against Nelson. 

Judge Brandt allowed the prosecution to display one of the images sent to Steele’s phone to the jury. The witness identified Nelson in the image. 

The prosecution also asked the witness about her phone number in 2020 to show they remained in communication following the incidents. Later, the prosecution confirmed with another witness from the Department of Corrections that jail call records Nelson made to the witness.

To authenticate the DC Department of Corrections records who confirmed that Nelson, Freeman, and Jackson, as well as co-conspirators Steele and Brown, each have telephone accounts at the DC jail.

In review of a subpoenaed recorded jail phone call from Nelson’s account in April 2021, a female voice, identified as Nelson’s best friend, is heard saying “Hey Boogie.” 

From that the prosecution was able to establish Nelson’s nickname as “Boogie”, which is allegedly Nelson’s contact name in Steele’s phone records obtained by the court. Prosecution alleges that the “Boogie” contact is Nelson, and the information will be used later to point toward a conspiracy.

Parties are slated to reconvene March 20.