Jury Partially Acquits Homicide Defendant

By Mia Febles - February 4, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Feb. 2, following a multi-week long trial, a homicide defendant was partially acquitted of all charges before DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein. 

Elhadji Ndiaye, 24, was acquitted of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, tampering with physical evidence, and destruction of property, in connection to the death of 21-year-old Travis Ruth on the 2700 block of Jasper Street, NE on Jan. 18, 2019.  

However, the jury was hung on the robbery while armed charge and the obstruction of justice.

Throughout the trial, Ndiaye’s defense attorney, Nikki Lotze, said that Ndiaye was not on the scene when the incident occurred and that two other eyewitnesses tried to cover the murder and pin it on the defendant. Lotze gave three reasons on why the jury should doubt the prosecution’s case. She claimed that there was a lack of forensic evidence, a lack of evidence that proves Ndiaye was in the alley at the time of the shooting, and that the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) failed to investigate this case thoroughly. 

Prosecutors tried to prove Ndiaye’s guilt by presenting witnesses who delivered emotional testimonies. The prosecution’s rebuttal to defense’ claim that two eyewitnesses were the ones who pinned Ruth’s murder on Nidaye was that they were very close friends of the victim. The two eyewitnesses spent a lot of time with Ruth and his family and have had dinner with the Ruth family on several occasions, the prosecution claimed. 

During the prosecution’s closing statement, they referenced the second day of trial, when the victim’s mother greeted one of the eyewitnesses outside of the courtroom with a hug. The prosecution argued, how could the mom of a son who was brutally murdered hug their killer?

After the intense trial and days of deliberations, a jury of 12 found Ndiaye not guilty of murdering Ruth, and were unable to conclude if he was involved in the robbery and obstruction of justice. 

Parties are slated to reconvene Feb. 23 to see how prosecutors want to proceed with the charges.