Judge Accepts Defense’s Request to Delay Murder Trial

By D.C. Witness Staff - May 13, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

On May 13, per defense counsel’s request, a DC Superior Court judged pushed a murder trial back by nearly four months.

Denzel Grandson is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting 36-year-old Simwone Milstead on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE in 2014. Grandson is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

The new trial date is scheduled on Sept. 30. It was initially scheduled to begin on May 28.

Andrea Antonelli and Charles Murdter, Grandson’s defense counsel, requested that Judge Juliet McKenna push back the trial date because more time was needed to review additional evidence. Defense counsel also said they were still looking for an expert with knowledge on cartridge case markings.

Defense counsel also requested that Grandson, 26, be released to the high intensity supervision program (HISP). However, the prosecution objected to the defendant’s release because of his prior firearms convictions in Washington, DC and Maryland.

Grandson has been held without bail at DC Jail since May of 2018. According to court documents, he was transferred from Maryland while serving a sentence for an unrelated conviction.

Judge McKenna denied the defense’s request for Grandson’s release because of his criminal history and prior convictions, including his convictions in DC for carrying a pistol outside a home or business, unlawful possession of a firearm with a previous conviction and armed robbery.

Grandson is scheduled for a trial readiness hearing on Sept. 13.