DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan found probable cause that a defendant was the perpetrator in a homicide, overruling concerns about DNA evidence during a hearing on June 16.
Jerry King, 40, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of Jonathan Reeves, 70, that took place on the 4600 block Livingston Road, NE on Sept. 10, 2024.
According to court documents, King and Reeves arrived at the scene together, where King allegedly stabbed Reeves 16 times in the chest and neck. King then allegedly attempted to flee in Reed’s car but crashed into a telephone pole and ultimately escaped on foot.
The lead Metropolitan Police Department detective on Reeves’ case testified in court, identifying Reed as the suspect seen throughout multiple clips of CCTV footage which depicted the homicide and the subsequent car crash.
While describing the surveillance footage, the detective testified that Reeves was seen driving a silver car with King allegedly in the passenger seat. After parking, both men exited the vehicle and walked calmly together for a short distance. Then, seemingly unprovoked, King allegedly attacked Reeves, stabbing him multiple times before taking his car keys and driving away in Reeves’ vehicle.
The footage ends with King allegedly crashing the car into a small telephone pole and the air bags deploying, after which King escapes on foot.
During cross examination, defense attorney Hannah Claudio called attention to the victim’s vehicle. MPD recovered DNA evidence from its deployed airbag, which they linked to King by way of a national DNA database called Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
The CODIS database stores DNA found at different crime scenes. A CODIS hit indicates that the sample submitted matches another sample in their database, not to the actual individual.
Claudio noted the fact that no confirmatory testing was done by the detective after the CODIS hit was obtained, despite the fact that, by the detectives own admission, CODIS is meant to be used as an investigative lead.
The prosecutor pointed out that King’s CODIS-hit matched him to a 2010 robbery to which King pleaded guilty. Nevertheless, Claudio maintained, “that is simply not enough to rise to the level of probable cause here.”
Claudio brought up how the only evidence that connects King is the DNA. No witnesses identified him, none of the clothes seen on the suspect from the footage were ever found, and the footage is too blurry to make out the face of the suspect.
Judge Ryan rejected the defense’s argument and determined that probable cause was present by virtue of the CODIS-hit.
Claudio requested that King be allowed home confinement and to parrticipate in a drug treatment program while this case progresses. However, Judge Ryan disagreed based on the brutality of the stabbing.
King is being held in custody without bond.
Parties are slated to reconvene on August 5.
