Defendant’s Baby Mama Takes Stand in Murder Trial

Thank you for reading D.C. Witness. Help us continue our mission into 2024.

On Nov. 17, two eyewitnesses testified about a shooting and subsequent arrest in a 2017 co-defendant murder trial.

James Mayfield, 23, and Robert Moses, 23, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill, conspiracy, and aggravated assault while armed as well as other charges in connection to the murder of 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor on Aug. 10, 2017, at the intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues NE. Sydnor later succumbed to her injuries. This shooting also wounded three bystanders that were standing at the intersection.

The first witness was the mother of Phillip McDaniel’s two children. McDaniel is an accomplice, who was also initially arrested and charged for Sydnor’s murder. He pleaded guilty for second-degree murder.

The witness testified about being present for McDaniel’s arrest along with the mother of McDaniel’s other child.

She also explained she was acquainted with the co-defendants for over 10 years.

However, Mayfield’s defense attorney Veronice Holt, questioned the accuracy of this statement as the witness did not know either defendant for that exact amount of time.

“Didn’t you say that you’ve known Mr. Mayfield for 10 years to convince the police that you knew him well,” asked Holt.

Ultimately, the witness admitted to embellishing this length of time.

Next, a witness shared his first-hand experience of the incident at the intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues, NE.

The witness described hiding under a truck during the shooting. Th prosecution displayed Body Worn Camera (BWC) pictures of the scene showing where the witness hid.

“All you saw was one shooter, correct, ” Moses’s defense attorney, Steven Kiersh, asked during the cross examination.

The witness agreed with the statement.

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan set the trial to continue on Nov. 21.

Follow this case