Judge Continues Trial Readiness Hearing for Murder Defendant

By D.C. Witness Staff - March 25, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | stabbing | Suspects | Victims |

A DC Superior Court judge continued a trial readiness hearing for a murder defendant who has been held in the case since 2014. 

Mark Bowser, 42, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a dangerous weapon for allegedly stabbing 39-year-old Tracy Womack on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE on Sep. 20, 2014. He is also charged with obstructing justice for allegedly delaying testimony in 2018. 

Defense attorney Betty Ballester said the judge assigned to the case has not acted on her motion to withdraw from the case. 

Judge Juliet Mckenna said she will contact the case judge to see if they are in process of assigning the case to a different attorney. If not, Ballester will pick an attorney to take her place. 

A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for May 3. 

Bowser has been detained since he picked up the charges in 2014. In 2019, he rejected a plea offer.

He was scheduled to have a trial in July, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ballester is withdrawing due to obligations that prevent her from having the time needed to spend on the case. In her motion to withdraw as counsel, she said that even though Bowser is frustrated that his case has not been able to go to trial, she explained to him that it is better for her to withdraw.

During the March 25 hearing, the prosecution expressed interest in picking trial dates. However, Judge Mckenna sided with Ballester, saying it would be more appropriate to do that after a new attorney is assigned to the case.