Fight Breaks Out After Murder Defendant’s Hearing

By D.C. Witness Staff - February 27, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

A fight broke out in the hallway of a Washington, DC Courthouse on Feb. 27. Apparently, it was in reaction to the death of a 19-year-old girl.

Robert Theodore Smith is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Nya Howard-Reynolds in a townhouse on the unit block of 57th Place, SE in 2018.

Shortly after the hearing, a fight broke out between Howard-Reynolds’ family members and a man whose identity could not be confirmed before publication. The fight forced marshals to clear the vicinity at the District of Columbia Courts H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse.

During the altercation, a woman who seemed to know the victim made comments about Howard-Reynolds’ death being wrong, saying she “can’t be brought back.”

According to court documents, multiple witnesses told police that they heard a gunshot and found Howard-Reynolds lying on the floor in Smith’s bedroom. Apparently, Smith told witnesses that Howard-Reynolds shot herself.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe gave the prosecution another sixty days for further investigation.

Smith, 22, is pending a grand jury. He is also scheduled to have a felony status conference on May 3.