Jurors in DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz’s courtroom heard an acquaintance testify that ahomicide defendant fled the scene with “eyes open like he had just seen a ghost,” on Jan. 20.
Malik Seltzer, 30, also known as “Freak,” is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction greater than a year. Seltzer was allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Paris Odemns on the 400 block of 1st Street, SE on Sept. 15, 2021.
According to court documents, Odemns sustained five gunshot wounds.
The acquaintance, who was brought in by US Marshals to testify due to his detention in an unrelated case in Maryland, depicted Seltzer’s arriving at an apartment, while Odemns remained in a stairwell leading to the apartment.
The acquaintance testified he was inside the apartment with two women, one answered the door while he remained seated nearby. The acquaintance claimed he saw Seltzer ‘lip-talk,’ meaning whisper.
According to the acquaintance, Seltzer told the woman “I’m gonna bag him,” referencing Odemns.
Seltzer apparently left with Odemns. No longer than three minutes later, the acquaintance heard five-to-eight gunshots. The acquaintance testified he didn’t call the police because he was high on marijuana and Molly, street slang for the mood-altering drug MDMA, which he stated he smokes everyday.
According to Kevann Gardner, Seltzer’s attorney, the acquaintance told detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) that he saw Seltzer “running fast as sh*t” back to the apartment. The acquaintance claimed Seltzer’s “eyes were bugging” and Seltzer repeatedly said “I just bagged his a**.”
Gardner presented video evidence of a conversation between the acquaintance and detectives where he apparently contradicted his current testimony saying to detectives “I don’t know what the f**k Freak said when he was at the door.”
“You essentially saw what he said, you did not hear what he said,” Gardner continued to the witness, “after you told the detectives you began to change your story.”
“Maybe he shot someone, maybe he didn’t. I don’t know,” said the acquaintance.
The acquaintance reported another friend arrived at the apartment and pulled out the only gun amongst the party, asking “where the drugs at?”
The acquaintance said on the interview footage in an apparent reference to the defendant, “Shorty ain’t got no gun” and “he ain’t do it, he a flunky.”
The defense argued the acquaintance’s involvement in the case and testimony as means to achieve a “get out of jail free” card. The acquaintance currently has pending armed robbery charges in Maryland and Virginia.
According to Gardner, on a call from jail, the acquaintance recorded as “not worried about that Virginia sh*t,” and he is “gonna get them to run this sh*t together.”
The prosecution argued the testimony was not affected by the acquaintance’s desire for leniency regarding his pending charges. The prosecution asked whether the acquaintance had been promised “anything at all” regarding his future cases by the United States Attorney’s Office or law enforcement, which he denied.
The acquaintance was asked whether he even wanted to be involved in the incident or this trial and he said “no, I did not want nothing to do with it,” in response.
Parties are slated to reconvene Jan. 21.
