Judge Addresses Multiple Motions in Triple Homicide Case

By Chloe Wayne [former] , Isabelle Chiu [former] - June 7, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

A DC Superior Court judge severed one of the defendants charged in connection with a 2019 triple homicide case.

Rakeem Willis, 31, and Johnathan Winston, 32, are each charged with three counts of first-degree murder while armed for shooting 26-year-old Sean Shuler, 26-year-old Javon Abney and 24-year-old Tyrik Hagood on Jan. 26, 2019. MPD officers responded to the crime scene at approximately 10 p.m. and located the victims near and inside a car parked in the 1500 block of Fort Davis Place, SE. All three were suffering gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.

Jeffrey Felder, 34, is charged with accessory after the fact in connection to the incident.

All three defendants were indicted for conspiracy on Sept. 22, 2021. In addition to murder, Willis and Winston are charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm during an act of violence.

Willis is also charged with fleeing a police officer. Fugitive task force officers located Willis in Maryland on June 11, 2019, at a mall. When officers tried to arrest him, Willis fled in his car at a high speed toward D.C. with police in pursuit. He left his car and continued to flee on foot, but was located by K9 units under a low-hanging deck in the 4000 block of D Street, SE. Willis was found carrying almost $6,000 in cash, according to court documents.

Defense attorney Michael Madden filed a motion to sever Felder’s case from his co-defendants, which was discussed during the most recent hearing in June 6. His reasoning was because Felder was arrested much later and allegedly does not play as significant a role in the incident as Willis and Winston did.

Felder, who was indicted in 2021, joined the case after his co-defendants, who had been imprisoned for three years. Felder remains on pretrial release through the High-Intensity Supervision Program with a curfew. 

“It’s unfair to the government to sever these cases,” the prosecutor said, noting all three defendants are charged with conspiracy under the same indictment. “Chopping the various pieces of the case is inefficient.” 

DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee granted the severance, citing his concern over the length of Willis and Winston’s imprisonment.

In light of Felder’s employment, which includes on-call obligations outside his typical work hours, Madden also asked the court for a curfew extension.

Superior Court Judge Milton Lee granted the oral motion, emphasizing to the defendant the work-related extension is the only exception to the curfew.

Winston’s defense lawyer Kevin Irving raised concerns during the same hearing about a deputy warden at D.C. Jail, where Winston is held. He alleged that Winston was spitefully kept under restrictive custody even when criteria for his transfer back to General Population was met. 

Irving said when Winston brought these concerns, he was given the option to either return to General Population or regain possession of his medically-prescribed walking cane.

A lawyer for the Department of Corrections (DOC) was present at the hearing. He clarified the deputy warden in question held no personal animosity towards Winston. Judge Lee noted his own notes reflected Winston experienced recurrent behavioral problems. 

The DOC lawyer said he did not have information on whether Winston was offered his walking stick as a substitute for moving him back to General Population, and will be further investigating.

Judge Lee did not take any action on the matter.

Willis and Winston are scheduled for a motions hearing on June 17. Felder is scheduled for a status hearing on Jan. 16. Jury selection in this case is scheduled for August 10.