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By
Ashley Brown [former]
- October 25, 2022
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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D.C. Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo presided over parties during a three co-defendant murder trial as three expert witnesses testified before jurors regarding DNA and ballistic evidence.
Derek Turner, 31, and Ronnika Jennings, 44, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and conspiracy in connection to the shooting of 28-year-old Andrew McPhatter on March 5, 2017, on the 3500 block of Wheeler Road, SE.
The third co-defendant, 33-year-old, Duan Hill, is charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice in this matter.
Turner is also charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 23-year-old Devin Hall on Jan. 7, 2017, on the 3500 block of 6th Street, SE.
During the Oct. 24 trial, an expert witnesses tested a black mask and a navy-blue jacket that were retrieved from the defendant’s car. DNA extracted from the mask matched Turner, while the jacket could not be analyzed.
“Due to the complexity of the mixture, a comparison could not be made,” an expert said.
Turner’s defense attorney, Michael Madden, cross-examined the witness, inquiring how a comparison could not be made if a sufficient quantity of DNA material was acquired.
The witness said the DNA obtained from the jacket endured environmental degradation, rendering it uninterpretable.
The prosecution then redirected the conversation, displaying photographs captured by one of the expert witnesses depicting cartridge casings and magazines scattered around the parking lot of an apartment complex where one of the shootings occurred.
More pictures obtained from the scene revealed a blood trail from the outside of the parking lot to the inside of the apartment. It also showed a black and gray North Face jacket from inside the apartment that the forensics team collected.
One of the expert witnesses displayed the black and gray North Face jacket to jurors, which bore suspected blood stains and a hole she presumed to be formed by a gunshot.
Before Madden could cross-examine the new witness, Judge Demeo adjourned the trial.
Judge Demeo ordered parties to reconvene on Oct. 25 to continue the proceeding.