‘I Felt Like He Was Trying to Set Me Up,’ Witness Says

By D.C. Witness Staff - March 6, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

A witness told a jury March 5 that she felt her boyfriend was trying to set her up after he allegedly committed a murder.

Nyekemia Everett and Malik Hewitt are charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, attempt to commit robbery while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for their alleged roles in the murder of 37-year-old Christopher Heard on the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE in 2017.

Everett’s ex-girlfriend took the stand for the second day in a row. She detailed her experience of being pulled over by Prince George’s County Police officers and questioned about Heard’s murder. She said she started feeling like she was being set up by Everett because he left all the evidence of that night with her or in her house.

She said the officers placed her in the back of a squad car while they searched her vehicle. “What you’re looking for is in the glove box,” she said she told the officer sitting in the car with her. She said she was making reference to the murder weapon.

She then was taken to an MPD station where she identified both Everett and Hewitt through a photo array.

She said she also signed three consent forms for police to search her two cell phones and her house.

According to the witness, she was then escorted back to her house where police took pictures and items pertaining to the night of the murder, including the purse she was carrying, a camisole, sweatpants and a hat she was wearing. Police also took the jacket and pants Everett was wearing that night.

After the murder, she said she discovered that Everett was cheating on her and attempted to send herself screenshots of him talking to other women.

Instead of sending herself the screenshots she said she accidentally sent them to her mother who then texted Everett the screenshots and asked, “what is this?”

According to the witness, after Everett saw the texts. He made a phone call where she specifically recalled him saying, “that’s conspiracy to murder.” She said after he hung up the phone he asked her to take him to a park near the woods somewhere in Hyattsville, Md. where she lived.

She said she ended up in an alley in Capitol Heights, Md. Once they arrived in this alley, she said he asked her to get out the car and she saw him reach under his thigh for a gun.

Immediately, she got back in the car and drove back to her house she said.

She also testified that after MPD released a person and vehicle of interest, Everett suggested they change the color of her BMW and take off one of the license plates.

She said she took off her front license plate and threw it away.

DC Superior Court Judge Anita Josey-Herring instructed the jury not to consider Hewitt’s innocence or guilt based upon Everett’s ex-girlfriend’s testimony about changing the color of the car and removing the front license plate.

This story was written by Jaylin Hawkins