Judge Finds Probable Cause in Homicide Case

By Bersabel Ephrem [former] - January 26, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

During a Jan. 25 preliminary hearing, D.C. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan found probable cause in a murder case.

Bernard Eddy, 23, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the shooting of Steffen Brathwaite on Sept. 10, 2019 on the 3000 block of 24th Place, SE.

The lead MPD detective in the case testified that Eddy and two suspects were seen getting into a vehicle and driving towards Ainger Place, SE.

When the detective interviewed a witness in the case, he told the detective that he didn’t know who the defendant was but a picture of the defendant and the witness was found on social media. In the picture, the witness is seen holding a Ruger firearm that was later confiscated and connected to the homicide.

According to the testimony of the case’s lead MPD detective, Eddy and two suspects were spotted getting into a car and heading in the direction of Ainger Place, SE.

The prosecutor added that Eddy was overheard saying repeatedly that he was smoking a “Steph pack” during an Instagram Live on his Instagram account.

“When a person kills someone, they name the substance they’re smoking after the person they kill and then smoke it,” the prosecutor said.

Although Eddy claimed responsibility for the shooting, according to a Langston Lane patrol officer, “HD” was the one who actually killed the victim.

Julie Swaney, the defense counsel for Eddy, asserted during cross-examination that despite the fact that “HD” is no longer alive, all the evidence leads to him as the actual shooter.

According to Swaney, “HD” threatened to shoot a witness and pop him as he did the deceased, and just before the murder, his car was shot at while his kids were inside.

She added that there were other witnesses who said “HD” and a person going by the name of “Mel Mel” were responsible for the murder.

“This case is based entirely on supposition,” she said. “Nothing is discernible.”

Judge Raffinan was urged to find probable cause by the prosecutor.

“There is probable cause that there is more than one shooter but for purposes to today, the defendant had motive, was around the area of the crime, and was celebrating after the murder,” Judge Raffinan said.

Judge Raffinan found probable cause in “at least aiding and abiding.”

“This isn’t as strong as other cases, but the ballistics point to a Ruger found in April of 2020. The photograph that was taken the same day as the murder with the Ruger firearm. Those items point to Eddy with the gun and the vehicle,” she said.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 28.