Cousins Charged With Murder Will Have Separate Trials

By AsiaDee Williams [former] - August 3, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | stabbing | Suspects | Victims |

A DC Superior Court judge severed the cases of two cousins charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old boy.

Cousins Kurt and Demonte Hewitt, 21 and 19, respectively, are charged with second-degree murder while armed in the death of Tyshon Perry on May 1, 2018, on the 1300 block of 2nd Street, NE. 

Judge Neal Kravitz granted the motion by Demonte Hewitt’s attorney, Jessica Willis, to sever the cases, with no objection from the prosecution. Because of this, the defendants will be tried separately.

Nov. 1 through 19 has been set aside for Kurt Hewitt’s trial. Demonte Hewitt’s trial will be scheduled as soon as possible, according to court documents. 

In a statement supporting Willis’ motion to sever, Kurt Hewitt’s attorney, Sean Hennessy, states that his client would be willing to provide certain testimony on his cousin’s behalf if the cases were tried separately, but not if the two had a joint trial.

According to court documents, the testimony in question asserts that, after walking away from a 7-Eleven convenience store on the day of the homicide, someone confronted Demonte Hewitt before punching him in the face. It goes on to assert that other people then joined in attacking Demonte Hewitt, at which point he began to defend himself and that Kurt Hewitt intervened, but did not see his cousin with a weapon during the confrontation.

During the Aug. 2 hearing, Judge Kravitz scheduled hearings to rule on six pending motions for both defendants on Oct. 21, Oct. 25 and Oct. 26. 

Both defendants are also charged with simple assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a  firearm during a crime of violence and conspiracy.