Entire Investigation is Based on ‘hunches,’ Defense Says

By D.C. Witness Staff - November 22, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

During closing arguments of a trial, the defense said the investigation of a murder defendant was based on “hunches”

Leonard Smith, 33 is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Leonte Butler, 26, on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, SE in 2017. According to court documents, Smith and two other individuals  were seen on surveillance footage, covered in blood and changing clothes after the incident.

Smith’s defense attorney, Anthony Matthews, said the entire investigation was based on, “hunches,” because the only source all the information came from was an eyewitness, who Matthews said,  became the prosecution and police’s source after tests showed no evidence of Smith’s DNA.

“No one even saw the blood on Mr. Smith’s hand, not even the eyewitness to the crime saw blood,” said Matthews.

Matthews said both the prosecution and the police department needed a witness to corroborate the “hunches.”

He said the prosecution did not ask any of the witnesses that knew Butler if he actually had a stutter that would corroborate the prosecution’s theory that Smith stabbed Butler because Butler stood up for himself after Smith continually bullied him that night.

The prosecutor said that, according to the eyewitness, Smith had been picking on Butler the entire night because Butler had a stutter.

He also said that when Butler finally had enough of the teasing, so he and Smith got into and argument which turned physical. When Butler tried to break free of Smith’s grip, he hit Smith in the face which, then cause Smith to stab Butler more than 45 times.

The prosecutor said there were six reasons why Smith should be convicted of first-degree murder while armed and those reasons were the eyewitness testimony, the apparent motive; video footage of Smith with what the prosecution called “a bloodied hand;” blood on the eyewitnesses’ jacket, which the prosecution said comes from Smith putting his hand on the witnesses’ back and the possible murder weapon being discovered in Smith’s possession.

The prosecutor also said the eyewitness’ testimony was all the jury needed to convict Smith because the witness had proven himself credible. The witness told the jury exactly what he recalled from the night of the murder, including not recalling Smith with bloody hand.

After closing statements, DC Superior Court Judge Dana Dayson read jury instructions to the jurors and dismissed them for deliberations.

The jury began deliberations on Nov. 21.

This article was written by Jaylin Hawkins