Defense Grills Prosecution’s ‘Star Witness’ in Fatal Shooting

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A witness who the defense claimed was motivated by self-interest testified he saw a suspected murderer shoot a victim in cold blood.

During hearings on May 13 and May 14, before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman, the defense chipped away at the man’s credibility and challenged the truthfulness of his account.

Anthony Green, 39, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Terence Akindo on the 2300 block of 13th Place, NE on July 30, 2023. Akindo died from two gunshot wounds to his head and chest.

Akindo’s older sister said the family, including seven siblings, had immigrated from Cameroon in 2007. “He was loved by everyone,” she said of Terence.

Prosecutors built much of their case around a person who said Green was a resident of a house at the crime scene where the two were living and doing drugs. The 40-year-old witness said he didn’t know Green’s actual name but referred to him as “Black.” Green, according to the witness, was part of a circle of drug users living there.

The witness also said he knew the victim as “Tre,” or “T” from an encounter the previous year.

“He was a good kid,” said the witness, although he was dealing drugs. The witness said he was aware that Green and Akindo had a “beef” over money and saw Green and Akindo talking in the street the day of the incident.

As the confrontation escalated, the witness said he tried to get the group which had assembled for a meal out of harm’s way.

According to the witness, another aspect of the dispute was an earlier episode in which Akindo supposedly “jumped” Green’s live-in girlfriend as well as the witness’ romantic partner at a Home Depot.

The witness claimed he heard Akindo say to Green with his hands up, “I didn’t do it!” As Akindo was backing away in fear, the witness said he saw “Black” shoot Akindo, then stand over him and shoot him again.

“Everytime he breathed, I guess, blood kept going out of his stomach,” said the witness.

The next day, he said, he went to the police along with his girlfriend and tried to talk her out of getting involved. Meanwhile, he did identify “Black” as the killer in a letter to police. That was substantiated by a video interview in which he told a detective that “Black” was the shooter and that he was “carefree” about the killing.

“No impression he had taken someone’s life. He had a smile on his face,” said the witness. All of which infuriated the witness who said he contemplated killing “Black.”

In cross-examination, defense attorney Sylvia Smith went on the attack, pointing out that the witness has pending cases in Arkansas, Virginia, New Jersey and Philadelphia. There are other charges in Montgomery County, Maryland for weapons and drug violations as well as assault and battery.

She wanted to know why the witness didn’t call 911 for an hour after the shooting. He replied that he wanted to make sure his girlfriend was okay. Smith also wondered why he didn’t tell police initially that he saw the shooting.

“Hey, hey, hey, I saw a body,” said the witness.

Smith pressed on, suggesting that the witness could have been drug impaired when he talked to police.

“You were stealing everything under the sun to pay for those drugs,” said Smith who brought up an episode in which the witness allegedly threatened to kill employees in a store robbery.

“How did you become the star witness?” asked Smith sarcastically. “You’re using this case to help yourself,” she said, in particular that the witness had asked for a $25,000 reward for information.

“The truth Mr. Sanders is that you shot Tre,” said Smith.

On the prosecutor’s redirect, the witness said he smiled when Smith asked the question because of the ”absurdity of it. It didn’t make sense.”

Prosecutors called another witness who saw the shooting’s aftermath from her front porch.

“I heard shots, bam, bam, bam, bam,” she said. Trained as an Army medic, she went to the victim in a futile attempt to help. “There was a young black man lying in the street,” she said with no signs of life.

The trial is slated to continue on May 15. .