Homicide Defendant Sentenced After Considering Withdrawing Guilty Plea

By Beatriz Olivares [former] - July 28, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

During a July 28 hearing, a homicide defendant was sentenced to two concurrent sentences of 12-years for voluntary manslaughter for the shooting death of 22-year-old Michael Taylor and one year for carrying a pistol without a license for the death of 21-year-old Dion DeMarco Boyd. 

Stephon Evans, 22, was one of five men charged with Taylor’s death and one of two men charged with Boyd’s death. Taylor was killed on the afternoon of Jan. 12, 2019, and Boyd was killed on the evening of July 30, 2018. Both men were shot in Northeast, DC. 

Evans was initially scheduled to be sentenced during a July 11 hearing, but DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun granted continuance after defense attorneys Jesse Winograd and Thomas Healy said they would like to consult with their client on whether Evans would like to withdraw his guilty plea. 

On Thursday, defense counsel said that Evans is not seeking to withdraw the guilty plea but will maintain his innocence in the death of Boyd. 

“Mr. Evans was very remorseful for the killing of Mr. Hunter,” Winograd said to the court. “[but] he maintains his innocence in the case of Mr. Boyds.”

Judge Okun agreed to move forward and imposed his original sentence. Evans will serve 12 years in prison, which will be followed by 5 years of supervised release and registering for a gun offender upon release. 

Judge Okun also recommended that Evans complete his GED, receive mental health treatment, and enroll in anger management classes upon release. 

“I hope for your sake and the community’s sake that you can comply with the conditions of supervised release,” Okun said.