Grand Jury Indicts Defendants for Murder

By D.C. Witness Staff - July 26, 2018
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

Two murder defendants were indicted July 25 by a grand jury for allegedly murdering a teenage girl and wounding several others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia.

Robert Moses and James Mayfield are charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill while armed and aggravated assault while armed for allegedly shooting 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor and wounding three other bystanders on Aug. 10, 2017. Moses, 19, was also charged with obstructing justice and committing offenses while on release for an unrelated gun charge.

According to a press release, Moses and Mayfield, 18, fired more than ten rounds at individuals at the intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues, NE.

At the time, Sydnor, who was the daughter of a DC police officer, was driving through the intersection with her 12 year-old cousin when she was struck in the head by a bullet. According to news reports, she died at a local hospital two days later.  Sydnor was a recent graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Northwest DC, and was on her way to beginning classes at Florida A&M University. Her passenger sustained non life threatening injuries. 

The shooting is believed to have occurred from an on going feud between young men from the Langston and Saratoga neighborhoods, according to the reports.

Moses and Mayfield are scheduled for an arraignment on July 27 before DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe. According to the District Attorneys office, the defendants could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison if they are convicted of the charges.