Defendants’ Jail Calls About Guns, Police Linked to ‘Crew’ Members

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A witness from the DC Department of Corrections (DOC) testified about phone and video recordings of conversations from the DC jail among alleged co-conspirators on July 29 in front of DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun

Mark Price, 29, and Antonio Murchison, 31, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, five counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, seven counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy, and seven counts of criminal gang affiliation. 

The charges stem from their alleged involvement in a mass shooting on July 16, 2018, on the 5300 block of 53rd Street, NE in the Clay Terrace neighborhood. The highly publicized crime left 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson dead and four other individuals with gunshot wounds.

Price is also charged with first-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, threat to injure or kidnap a person, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict and first-degree burglary while armed. These charges are connected to the fatal shooting of 47-year-old Andre Hakim Young on July 30, 2018, on the 1500 block of 19th Street, NE. 

The third co-defendant, Quanisha Ramsuer, 31, is charged with obstruction of justice in connection to the homicide.

Six other defendants were convicted in 2023 of charges from the incident, including:

During the hearing, the prosecution called on a DOC monitoring specialist to testify about phone and video calls made from the DC jail in 2017 and 2018 by Price and Murchison.

The specialist explained that each person has a unique identification number that is tracked when making calls and video chatting with someone. 

Further, jail call video records indicate that convicted co-defendant Gregory Taylor called alleged Wellington Park Crew members who were not incarcerated at the time.

DOC records also indicated that Price made numerous video and call requests to speak with an individual who allegedly is strongly associated with the Wellington Park Crew.

Murchison’s records indicate that he was continually having calls and video calls with a female friend whom he mentioned “standing outside with guns and sh**.”

An MPD detective testified regarding body camera footage from Wellington Park in the 2500 Pomeroy Road, SE area. The footage showed multiple MPD officers walking around the front of an apartment building. 

Evidence was also presented about Instagram posts from 2018 and messages between Taylor and an account that the prosecution alleges is Price.   In one of the messages between them Price’s alleged account wrote, “can’t really say too much on here 12 [the police] can see that sh*t.” 

Another MPD officer testified about body worn camera footage from July 17, 2018 were Ramsuer is allegedly atop a picnic table on the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road, SE yelling, “f*ck 12 [the police], f*ck 13 too” to officers who were working around the area around her. 

Parties are slated to return on July 30.