Homicide Defendant Accepts Plea Deal

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On Jan. 22, a homicide defendant accepted a plea agreement in front of DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan. John J. McRae, 46, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a prior convict, for his involvement in the shooting death of 22-year-old Marty McMillan on March 23, 2017. The incident occurred on the 1900 block of 13th Street, SE.

According to court documents, McMillan, and the woman McRae was in a relationship with, were having sex at his apartment. McRae walked into the apartment and caught the pair in the act. McMillan and the woman met on Plenty of Fish (pof.com), a dating website.

During the hearing, McRae accepted a deal extended by prosecutors, which required him to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed and tampering with physical evidence. The parties agreed to a sixteen year sentence with a five-year supervised release period.

The prosecutors stated they believe had they gone to trial, they would have proved McRae’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

McMillan’s grandmother requested Judge Raffinan consider the pain of her family, and stated they, “looked for [McMillan’s] remains for nine months”. She reminded the court that McMillan “did not get an opportunity to plead his case.”

Parties are slated to return for sentencing May 3.