Convicted Murderer Refused to Get Off the Bus for Sentencing

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After being found guilty of murder, Terrell Poe failed to appear for his sentencing hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe on May 31.

Poe, 37, was convicted by a jury on Feb. 15 of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegal possession of a firearm with a prior conviction greater than one year for his involvement in the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Christopher Washington on Sept. 23, 2020, on the 400 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

On the morning of the sentencing, Poe took the bus from the jail to court, but a US Marshal reported that “[he] refused to get off the bus.”

Poe’s attorney, Marnitta King, told Judge O’Keefe that Poe was also refusing to meet with her.

King stated that Poe’s family had been receiving threats, and that hostile individuals had found Poe’s Presentence Investigation (PSI) report publicly available online and posted it to Poe’s Instagram account.

At King’s request, Judge O’Keefe agreed to seal Poe’s PSI report.

The prosecution argued that Poe should be assigned a criminal history score of five, based on prior convictions for burglary and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. King told Judge O’Keefe that she plans to respond to the prosecution’s argument in writing.

The parties are slated to meet again on June 14. If Poe does not show up to this sentencing hearing, they will have to push the date back again.