Judge Denies Murder Defendant’s Release

Thank you for reading D.C. Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.

Donate Now

During a detention hearing, a judge denied June 24 defense counsel’s request to release a murder defendant.

Eunise Roosevelt Melton is charged with first-degree murder with an unknown metal object for his alleged involvement in the death of Jerimi Meade on July 15, 2017.The crime took place on the 400 block of Burbank Street, SE.

The detention hearing was held because of a petition from defense attorney, Ieshaah Murphy, to re-address the issue of Milton’s release. The defense argued that a witness’s statement to investigators indicated that another person was responsible for Meade’s murder.

Even with the witness’s testimony, the prosecution argued in favor of keeping Melton, 62, detained until trial because a Grand Jury found him dangerous enough to indict him on violent crime charges. The prosecutor also said the defense’s argument wasn’t “clear and convincing evidence.”

DC Superior Court Judge Dayna Dayson agreed with the prosecution, saying the  “weight of the evidence hasn’t changed” from the witness’s testimony.

Milton is scheduled for a hearing on July 30.