Judge Denies Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss for Alleged Police Misconduct

By Kiliane Gateau [former] - April 30, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

A homicide defendant filed an unsuccessful motion to dismiss his case based on alleged police misconduct before DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo.

Lorinzo Thompson, 18, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 14-year old Niko Estep on the 2600 block of 14th Street, NW, on Nov. 3, 2023. The incident left another juvenile male suffering from gunshot wounds. 

Thompson, who was 17 at the time of the incident, is being tried as an adult under Title 16, which allows prosecutors to charge juveniles as adults for serious crimes like murder.

On April 30, Thompson’s defense attorney, Joseph Yarbough, told the court there were instances of alleged misconduct committed by detectives during during Thompson’s interrogation on Nov. 9, 2023, when he was arrested, and on Feb. 12, when Yarbough alleges detectives interrogated Thompson at the DC Jail about two other homicides from 2023 without informing him of his right to counsel.

In addition, Yarbough claimed detectives kept questioning him after Thompson invoked his right to silence.

According to court documents, on Nov. 29 detectives told Thompson he was being arrested on an outstanding warrant for murder and, despite his age, he would be sent to adult jail.

Yarbough argued telling a juvenile, who is relatively inexperienced in the criminal legal system, that he is charged with murder and will be sent to adult jail could elicit self-incriminating comments.

According to Yarbough, police interviewed Thompson without counsel present about the murder of 16-year-old Mylaki Young, who was fatally shot while walking on the 200 block of V Street, NW on April 13, 2023.

Yarbough also contended detectives told Thompson that his current case was forensically linked to the murder case of 18-year-old Keni Edwards, who was shot and killed in the 2000 block of 10th Street, NW.

The defense requested the recorded interview of the interrogation where detectives mentioned that Thompson’s DNA was linked to Edwards’ case.

Yarbough called a Metropolitan Police Officer (MPD) from the Homicide Branch who was present during both interrogations.  She stated that she questioned Thompson about Edwards and Young’s homicides, and mentioned that her superior had informed someone from the prosecution about the interview.

She testified that she did not recall mentioning shell casings or forensic evidence that possibly linked Thompson to Edwards’ case.

During cross-examination, the prosecution asked the witness whether Thompson was a suspect in both cases during his initial interrogation on November 9, 2023, which she denied.

After hearing both parties’ arguments, Judge Demeo acknowledged the potential seriousness of the alleged violations, but determined that they did not warrant immediate release. 

Therefore, the judge denied defense’s request.

However, Judge Demeo granted the defendant’s motion to compel the prosecution to provide a portion of the recording of Thompson’s interrogation at the jail.

The parties are scheduled to reconvene on July 11.