Did a Police Officer Corrupt a Murder Scene?

By D.C. Witness Staff - August 6, 2018
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

During a murder trial, a Metropolitan Police Department reserve officer admitted to moving a cell phone at a crime scene before he realized it was evidence.

Sean Green is charged with felony murder while armed in connection to the 2015 death of Derrick Black on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

According to the reserve officer, who volunteers with the police,  he picked up the cell phone after other officers arrived, thinking it belonged to another officer. When it occurred to him that it might have been evidence, the witness said he set it down several feet away from where he had found it.

Subsequently, Green’s defense attorney, Steven Kiersh, asked the witness why he did not put the phone back where he found it. The reserve officer said that would have only corrupted the scene more.

Another witness from the MPD said he used a software called “Cellbright” to extract information from the phone. In court, the prosecution displayed contact info, photos and texts pulled from the device.

There were several outgoing messages to an individual listed in the phone’s contacts as “Damen.” According to another witness, Damen is also the name of Green’s brother.

The trial is scheduled to resume Aug.  7.