Defendants Charged in Transgender Woman’s Death Reach Plea Agreement

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Two defendants charged in the fatal shooting of a transgender woman entered guilty pleas on Sept. 30.

Metropolitan Police Department officers found 22-year-old Deeniquia Dodds suffering from a gunshot wound during the early hours of July 4, 2016, on the 200 block of Division Avenue, NE. She died the following July 13.

Co-defendants Jolonta Little and Monte Johnson went on to be indicted on 16 counts, including felony murder while armed in a bias-related (hate) crime, robbery while armed, robbery while armed in a bias-related (hate) crime, conspiracy in a bias-related (hate) crime, assault with a dangerous weapon in a bias-related (hate) crime, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm and assault with intent to commit robbery while armed.

The two went to trial in 2019. A jury found them not guilty of several gun-related charges, but found Little guilty of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, D.C. Witness previously reported. A DC Superior Court judge declared a mistrial for the defendants’ felony murder, conspiracy, robbery and assault charges because the jury was deadlocked.

Back in June, the defendants were scheduled to go before a jury once again in early 2022. However, they ultimately resolved the case with a plea deal.

According to court documents, Little and Johnson agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter in this case. Johnson also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of contraband in a penal institution in a separate case he picked up earlier this year.

The plea deal also included an agreement between parties that an appropriate sentence in this case would be eight years of incarceration.

DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee scheduled the defendants to be sentenced on Dec. 10.

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