Judge Accepts Plea Deal in Homicide Case on Conditional Basis

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DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt accepted a conditional plea deal after the son and brother of a homicide victim gave in-court statements.

Nelson Davis, 19, is charged with second-degree murder while armed and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence allegedly committed during release for allegedly shooting 45-year-old Jason Ford on the 1700 block of West Virginia Avenue, NE on June 25, 2022.

Davis entered into a plea agreement on April 13 that would reduce the charge to voluntary manslaughter while armed if accepted by Judge Brandt.

However, Ford’s son and brother gave victim impact statements, saying they were unhappy with the proposed deal.

Ford’s son said that the maximum sentence of 12 years in the deal is not enough to rehabilitate Davis, and that “he needs to be held accountable” as the man who murdered his father. Davis would face a 30-year maximum sentence if the case went to trial.

Ford’s brother said that he doesn’t think the plea deal fits the crime and that the charge “trickled down to manslaughter to get a conviction.” He also said that their father recently had a seizure triggered by stress that was caused by the murder.

Davis’ guilty plea won’t be officially accepted until his sentencing, which is scheduled for July 7.