A defendant pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for the death of his child in front of DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on July 21.
JD Wheeler, 26, is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree cruelty to children, second-degree cruelty to children, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, tampering with physical evidence and contempt of court. All charges were committed while the defendant was on release for two previous charges relating to firearms in 2021. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of his son, 23-month-old Legend Wheeler, on the 2300 block of Chester Street, SE, on Nov. 24, 2021.
The hearing was originally scheduled for Judge Kravitz to rule on whether evidence obtained through the Instagram social media platform would be admissible in court.
However, Wheeler decided to waive his right to trial, and entered a plea deal. In addition to the manslaughter charge, Wheeler also pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license in connection to a separate gun case that happened in 2024.
All other charges in both cases were dropped as part of the plea.
Wheeler faces a sentence between four-to-ten years of incarceration and will be held until sentencing, which is scheduled on Oct. 31.
