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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- July 6, 2018
Court
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Homicides
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Suspects
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After a previous mistrial and being held in jail for more than three years, a man was found not guilty of murder on June 28.
Andre Joyner was charged with second-degree murder while armed for the stabbing death of 31-year-old Jamie Washington on the 700 block of 18th Street, NE in 2014. Joyner, 28, was also charged with tampering with physical evidence for getting rid of his clothes from the night of Washington’s murder.
After four days of deliberation, a jury unanimously agreed that Joyner was not guilty of second-degree murder while armed for Washington’s death. However, they did find Joyner guilty of tampering with evidence.
According to the voluntary sentencing guidelines, Joyner could face a maximum of two years in prison for tampering with evidence.
Throughout the two week trial, multiple witnesses, including Washington’s mother and Joyner’s ex-girlfriend, testified about the events leading up to the murder.
During closing statements, the prosecution attempted to convince the jury of Joyner’s guilt by alluding to the testimony of one of their cooperating witnesses. According to the cooperating witness, who was housed in the same jail unit as Joyner, the defendant confessed to Washington’s murder.
Subsequently, Joyner’s attorney, Kevin Mosley, attempted to place doubt in the minds of the jury by shifting the blame to the defendant’s ex-girlfriend, who testified as part of a plea agreement with the government. She also faces charges related to Washington’s murder.
Mosley told the jury that the girlfriend was the “aggressor” based on her intoxicated state and because she was motivated by her stolen laptop, who she believed Washington stole.
The prosecution cautioned the jury not to be “blinded” by the “scorned woman” stereotype that Mosley was implying.
Joyner is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 6.