Judge Orders Transfer of Homicide Defendant to St. Elizabeths Hospital

Thank you for reading D.C. Witness. Help us continue our mission into 2024.

On Dec. 17, a DC Superior Court judge ordered the transfer of a homicide defendant to St. Elizabeths Hospital.

Jaykell Mason, 20, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of Terence Dantzler, 29, on Feb. 13 on the 700 block of 8th Street, NW.

Mason is also charged with assault on a police officer while armed for allegedly engaging in gunfire with officers as he tried to flee the scene on foot.

According to a report from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), doctors could not make a definitive finding on Mason’s competency to stand trial. Judge Michael Ryan transferred Mason to St. Elizabeths for an additional competency screening.

A mental observation hearing is scheduled for Jan. 25 to check on Mason’s progress.

This article was written by Yasmeen McGettrick.

Follow this case