Judge Denies Motion to Suppress Evidence Ahead of Murder Trial

By Justin Ancheta [former] - March 24, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

A DC Superior Court judge denied a motion to suppress evidence as attorneys in the case of 48-year-old Ivan Lynch‘s homicide prepare for trial.

Marquette Jordan is charged with first-degree murder while armed, armed robbery, threat to kidnap or injure a person, assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon and simple assault. The 30-year-old defendant is accused of stabbing Lynch multiple times on April 30, 2018, in an apartment on the 900 block of 5th Street, SE.

During a March 23 motion hearing, Judge Rainey Brandt heard testimony from a criminal investigator with the Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide unit. Body-Worn Camera footage from the night of Jordan’s arrest was also presented.

The defense is seeking to bar statements Jordan allegedly made shortly after his arrest from being admitted as evidence during his upcoming trial. A motion to suppress was filed by previous defense counsel in 2019 and later adopted by the defendant’s current attorney, Elliot Queen.

Queen argued that his client may have been put under pressure and it is not clear these statements were voluntary. The prosecutor argued that Jordan was not coerced at any point, as police did not cause him any physical harm, nor did they make verbal threats.

The prosecutor alleged that Jordan gave a fake name in his first encounter while being detained and lied that he has cancer.

Judge Brandt said the officer who interviewed Jordan “bent over backwards to extend courtesy.” She also called the defendant “no stranger to the criminal justice system.“

Jury selection for Jordan’s trial is set to take place on March 24.