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By
Allyson Nelles
- February 24, 2025
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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An incarcerated witness in a homicide trial refused to answer questions and faced the threat of being held in contempt of court before DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on Feb. 24.
Darrell Moore, 47, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Julius Hayes, 37, on April 3, 2021, at the 300 block of 18th Street, NE.
The jailed witness testified he knew Moore and Hayes, and allegedly was on the scene of the shooting. However, the witness initially refused to answer questions asked by the prosecution.
Calling the trial unfair, the witness said, “I never agreed to none of this.” After speaking with his attorney about the consequences of being held in contempt of court, the witness complied.
The prosecution talked the witness through an interview in April of 2021 with the lead detective on the case. The witness testified that he remembers the interview, but admitted to lying throughout much of it to protect his family. When asked about many of the events of April 3, 2021 in court, the witness stated he did not remember.
During the interview the witness allegedly said that Moore “was out there that day” and identified him from a photo array.
“I lied, man. I lied,” confessed the witness in testimony listening to a series of clips from the interview detailing the afternoon of the homicide.
The witness said he remembers so little from that day, revealing his drug addiction problem and saying he only does things ,“to get to his next hit.”
Due to time constraints, the defense will conduct their cross-examination of the witness on the next trial date.
The prosecution also called a forensic pathologist from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) who identified the five gunshot wounds that resulted in Hayes’ death highlighting the lethality of each shot. One bullet in particular entered and exited the right side of Hayes’ torso, injuring the liver and the main artery of the heart resulting in massive blood loss.
The witness ruled the cause of death of Hayes to be multiple gunshot wounds from a homicidal shooting.
Trial is scheduled to continue on Feb. 25.