“It’s one piece to the puzzle,” Final Witness Says

By D.C. Witness Staff - February 3, 2020
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On the last day of arguments, the prosecution tried to assess the position a murder defendant held in dealing drugs on the street. 

Marquette Tibbs is charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, robbery while armed with a firearm and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Cinquan Cartledge, 25, is also charged in the homicide with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, robbery while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, first-degree murder while armed while committing or attempting to commit a robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. The men allegedly shot Orlando Silver III, 37, on the 1300 block of Howard Road, SE, in 2016.

As the last witness called during the prosecution’s rebuttal, a Metropolitan Police Department sergeant reviewed a week of text messages from 27-year-old Tibbs’ phone to determine whether he was a corner street dealer, distributer, lieutenant, lookout or drug buyer. 

The sergeant said it was impossible to conclude Tibb’s role from the small sample of text messages given to him by the prosecution. 

“It’s one piece to the puzzle,” the sergeant, who was a qualified expert, told the jury on Feb. 3. 

On Jan. 30, Tibbs said he met Silver four months prior to the incident. The men met outside of a store where Tibbs sold marijuana. He said the two became business associates —  Silver supplied Tibbs with marijuana.

Closing statements are scheduled to begin on Feb. 4.