‘Judge, Jury, and Executioner,’ Prosecution Says of Murder Suspect

By Lily Engel [former] , Shea Carlberg [former] - July 25, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Before DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe, the prosecution made opening arguments followed by three witness’ testimony on July 24 in a murder trial that may have been fueled over social media.

Bernard Matthews, 44, is charged with first-degree, premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, and carrying a pistol without a license for his alleged involvement in the shooting of 22-year-old Diamonte Green. The incident occurred on Feb. 16, 2021, on the 300 block of 33rd Street, SE.

“Judge, jury, and executioner. Those are the roles that this man played on February 16, 2021,” the prosecution said in an opening statement. 

According to the prosecution, Matthews’ son lives in an apartment complex down the block from where Green was murdered. 

Green’s friend lived at the apartment building where the incident took place. He allegedly went over to play video games and check on his friend’s mom who was recently injured, a prosecutor claimed.

According to the prosecution, Matthew’s son and Green were allegedly involved in a disagreement carried out on Instagram and in some phone conversations the day of the incident. The prosecution said the son’s mother called Matthews to alert him of the disagreement, which is why he went over to the apartment.

The prosecution played a compilation of videos that allegedly showed Matthews walking into his son’s apartment, before leaving and making his way to the apartment Green was visiting. 

According to the prosecution, Green unknowingly let Matthews into the locked building while on the phone with the son. Matthews walked to the top of the stairs directly behind the front door, turned around, and allegedly fired 12 shots at Green, eight of which struck him.

“At the end of this trial, you will know that he is guilty,” the prosecution told the jury during opening statements.

Marnitta King, Matthews’ defense attorney, reserved her right to present opening statements at a later time. 

The prosecution called on Green’s older sister, who identified Green’s nickname as ‘Monte’ and verified his appearance in 2021 through an image.

Matthews’ defense attorney, Marnitta King, asked Green’s sister if she threatened the life of Matthews after the incident and tried to run him over with her car as revenge since she thought he killed her brother.

The witness adamantly denied that this ever happened.

The prosecution also called Green’s friend, who lived at the apartment where the killing occurred.

According to the witness, while Green was visiting, he was on Instagram and became increasingly agitated with whoever he was texting. 

At one point, Green left the apartment to get on a video call, the witness testified. He went downstairs and stood on the threshold of the front door, holding it open with one hand, and his phone in the other.

The witness said that the front door is kept locked and Green did not have a key to get back in, which is why he did not go outside. 

That’s when he heard the shots.

“I was in shock, I wasn’t expecting to hear it,” he said. The witness waited until the shots stopped before looking out the peephole of the door and saw Green “laying on the ground.”

The witness then called 911 and told the operator, “He’s breathing…hurry up.”

On cross examination, King questioned why the witness didn’t try to perform any lifesaving procedures. The witness said that he did not have any medical training and no wounds were visible. 

King said the witness was once a suspect in this case. The police searched his apartment and King claimed that he did not let the police search one of the rooms.

The witness said that the room was his mother’s, which she kept locked and he didn’t have the key.

Prosecutors also called a responding officer from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), who was the first one to the scene. The officer told King that the witnesses were “visibly distraught.”

The parties are slated to reconvene on July 24.