A homicide defendant’s release motion pre-trial was denied by DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt, during a detention hearing on July 3.
Avery Taylor, 20, Rayon Davis, 19, and Quintin Reed, 18, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, robbery while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business for their alleged involvement in the Dec. 20, 2023, fatal shooting of 39-year-old Dwayne Barbour on the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE.
Judge Brandt, who weighed evidence from the prosecution after a hearing earlier in the week, said the evidence showed Taylor is a serious threat to the community. The trio is alleged to have robbed Barbour, taking his Rolex watch and fatally shooting him in the process before fleeing.
“The weight of the government’s evidence is strong,” Brandt said.
Information provided by the prosecution outlined Taylor’s apparent callousness allegedly wearing the watch for months after the homicide, in what they described as a brazen act. The prosecution said that Taylor frequently brandished the watch on his Instagram account, even using a picture of him posing while wearing it for his profile.
Prosecutors say he also posted a number of images of unauthorized firearms on social media.
The prosecution also outlined several open cases including charges for possession of a controlled substance and a conspiracy involving Taylor and two other co-defendants attempting to obtain fentanyl.
“It is unjust that those involved should have the opportunity to enjoy any freedom,” Barbour’s daughter wrote in a letter to the court, highlighting the painful effect the loss of a father has had on her and her six siblings. Some had signed into the proceeding virtually.
Judge Brandt’s decision followed a hearing on July 1, where the prosecution presented more than 50 slides showing Taylor’s alleged connection to and involvement in the fatal shooting.
The prosecution said that of the three co-defendants he was the likely shooter.
“The facts are pretty damning,” the prosecutor said, adding “I think this is gonna be an overwhelmingly strong case against all three.”
They showed conversation threads between Taylor and the other co-defendants, as well as other associates. There were texts leading up to less than an hour before the crime, and finally a minute before. Subsequent texts pointed to an alleged pattern of behaviour, where weeks after Barbour’s death, Taylor was looking to continue to poach high-end watches and sell them.
“I don’t know what is more brazen than that,” the prosecutor said.
More than half a dozen members of Taylor’s family were sitting in the stands at the July 1 hearing and heatedly objected to the prosecution’s characterizartion of the defendant. Ultimately, Judge Brandt had them removed from the courtroom. Additional security was present for the hearing on July 3.
The judge said certain family members had been “treating the courtroom as interactive,” engaging disruptive conversations.
At the initial hearing, Taylor’s attorney, Andrew Ain, suggested that the prosecution mischaracterized Taylor. He told the judge they were reaching to trying to fill gaps in evidence with speculation.
“They have a lot of holes in the dam where they are trying to put their fingers,” Ain claimed.
He asked Judge Brandt for home-release for Taylor, at his mother’s home in Howard County, Maryland. He said he would accept, as terms of release, 24 hour GPS monitoring and attested Taylor would not leave the home. Ain told the judge that Taylor had been a help around the home, fixing broken hardware. He said he was also a strong presence for his younger brothers, who he had been spending time with.
“At this point Mr. Taylor is innocent,” Ain reiterated. He said Taylor should be treated as such until proven otherwise.
Judge Brandt ordered that Taylor be held without bond.
Parties are slated to reconvene Sept. 12.
