Credibility of Expert Witness’s Testimony in Drive-By Murder Case Called Into Question

By Rachel Benck [former] - April 13, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Juveniles | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

The credibility of a forensic scientist’s testimony was called into question during an April 12 hearing given her termination from D.C’s Department of Forensic Science.

Gregory Taylor, 26, Quentin Michals, 25, Qujuan Thomas, 24, Darrise Jeffers, 23, Isaiah Murchison, 22, and Marquell Cobbs, 21, are six of 10 defendants charged with first-degree murder, criminal street gang affiliation, conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill, and other charges regarding a fatal drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson. The shooting happened on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE on July 16, 2018.

A former employee of D.C.’s Department of Forensic Science (DFS) who processed evidence related to the case testified in court, but the defense tried to block her testimony prior to her taking the stand.

The witness was terminated by DFS in 2021 due to her back-dating the distribution dates of forensic reports. She testified that although she did back-date the reports, she and several of her colleagues were permitted to do this and fired because of it.

The defense argued that her malfeasance should have been disclosed earlier and that her credibility was affected by her termination. DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun allowed her testimony regardless.

He said the prosecution wasn’t required to disclose her termination until they intended to call her to the stand, which they didn’t until Murchison’s attorney, Elizabeth Weller, filed a motion on April 9 requesting she testify.

The witness lifted multiple fingerprints from firearms recovered from the trunk of a Honda Accord, as well as the interior and exterior of the vehicle itself.

The Accord was not directly involved in the execution of the drive-by shooting that killed Wilson but is registered to an individual the defendants are known to associate with regularly. Matches to the fingerprints has not yet been revealed.

Trial is slated to continue on April 13.