Counsel delivers closing arguments in 2015 murder trial

By D.C. Witness Staff - March 7, 2018
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

The jury for a three-week homicide trial began deliberations March 5 after counsel delivered their closing arguments on the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Marcus Manor.

The prosecution argued that Kevin Chase and his friend, Demetrius Brandon, both 30, premeditated the murder of Manor on Oct. 20, 2015. Manor was Chase’s sister’s boyfriend.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou, video footage obtained by the Metropolitan Police Department suggests Brandon not only picked Chase up after the shooting, but also gave him a gun. The prosecution said Brandon and Chase spoke six times on the morning of the murder, which gave them enough time to plan the shooting.

Additionally, the prosecution referenced a text message where Chase asked his mother, about a month before the homicide, if she wanted him to shoot Manor. Apparently, Manor and Chase’s sister had a violent relationship.

The prosecution also said eyewitnesses saw Chase running down the street and getting into Brandon’s car by a nearby gas station before the two ran a red light and sped off. Dedjinou said Chase disposed of the gun in a sewer and stayed with a friend for a few days, which shows consciousness of guilt.

The defense told a vastly different story. According to the defense, Chase acted solely in self-defense and Brandon did not know anything about the shooting.

The defense said Chase’s fears about Manor were validated from witnesses who testified about Manor’s violent past. According to the defense, Manor threatened to kill Chase, which prompted him to shoot when he saw Manor reach for an object, which, at the time, Chase believed was a gun. Manor was not armed.

The defense said that short phone calls between Brandon and Chase did not give them enough time to plan a murder. The defense also said that it wouldn’t make sense to premeditate a murder in public during the day.

Chase is charged with first-degree murder, assault with significant bodily injury, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a license. Brandon is charged first-degree murder, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and accessory after the fact in an assault with the intent to kill while armed.

The jury began their deliberations on March 6.