DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt found probable cause that a defendant was the perpetrator in a homicide incident during a hearing on Sept. 29. .
George Mudd, 71, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 24-year-old Susan Cvengros on May 21, 1999, on the 400 block of F Street, NE.
According to court documents, Mudd entered Cvengros’ apartment, raped and stabbed her 13 times in the neck and torso. His DNA was allegedly found on her vagina and nightgown.
During the hearing, Judge Brandt alerted the parties that she found probable cause for Mudd’s involvement in Cvengros’ fatal stabbing, citing seven different factors, including his DNA evidence allegedly recovered from her body, the fact that Mudd lived near the scene of the crime, and Mudd’s reported habit of getting high and grabbing a knife while under the influence.
Judge Brandt cited a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective’s testimony, who stated that they knew that Cvengros was seeing a man from Massachusetts, and would practice safe sex due to a fear of contracting HIV.
The defense called on an investigative specialist working for the Public Defenders Service, who stated that an ex-boyfriend of Cvengros, who lived in Baltimore, had threatened to kill her between 1997 and 1998.
During arguments, the prosecution hammered at the fact that Mudd’s DNA had an extremely high probability of being on Cvengros’ vaginal wall and on her nightgown.
They also brought up Mudd’s prior convictions in 2000 and 2004 for similar crimes relating to assaulting women with “pointy objects.”
Mudd’s attorney, Terrence Austin, stated that since the DNA evidence was found to be a match in 2012, the prosecution was relying on one piece of evidence, compared to the numerous other things that could point to someone else, and argued that the prosecution did not have probable cause.
During arguments for release, Austin argued that since Mudd is 71 years old, has a variety of health problems, and has been out of trouble for the better part of a decade, along with the fact that a trial is far out in advance, Mudd should be released from jail.
The prosecution argued that since Mudd had committed two similar crimes in 2000 and 2004, and had been arrested for a DUI in 2019, Mudd should be held for now.
Judge Brandt ordered Mudd to remain held pending further procedures.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Dec. 9.
