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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- June 20, 2018
Court
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Homicides
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Suspects
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During a 2014 murder trial, the defendant’s ex-girlfriend gave inconsistent testimony while detailing events leading up to the murder of Jamie Washington.
According to court documents, Andre Joyner, his girlfriend at the time and her cousin went on a hunt for the girlfriend’s stolen laptop. The prosecution and defense said the girlfriend believed Washington stole the computer.
Together the trio questioned Washington’s mother about her son’s whereabouts. Joyner and his girlfriend subsequently confronted Washington, 31, in an alleyway on the 700 block of 18th Street, NE, where police found him dead.
Joyner, 27, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Washington. Joyner is also charged with tampering with evidence for getting rid of the clothes he wore on the night of the homicide.
Joyner’s ex-girlfriend pled guilty to being an accessory to Washington’s murder. As part of her plea agreement, she testified about the events leading up to Washington’s death. Committing perjury or lying under oath would violate her agreement.
During her testimony, Joyner’s ex-girlfriend told the prosecution that Joyner was involved in a physical altercation or “fight” with her cousin the day Washington was murdered. When questioned by the defense, she changed her answer and said the “fight” only consisted of arguing. There were various other instances when the girlfriend’s statements contradicted her grand jury testimony.
Noting the discrepancies, defense attorney Kevin Mosley asked the girlfriend if she knew the definition of perjury and reminded her of the consequences associated with lying on the stand.
Mosley accused Joyner’s ex-girlfriend of “sugar-coating” the facts in an attempt to shift the focus from herself to Joyner. During his opening statements, Mosley said the girlfriend was responsible for Washington’s murder.
Following cross-examination, the girlfriend told the prosecution that she knew her testimony implicated Joyner, but she was also further incriminating herself. During her testimony, the girlfriend admitted to devising and executing a plan to get rid of Joyner’s bloodied pants from the night of the murder.
The trial is scheduled to resume on June 20.