Judge Schedules Murder Hearing to Resume in Late September

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During a Sept. 13 preliminary hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun scheduled a preliminary hearing for a homicide case to resume in later in the month.

JD Wheeler, 23, is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting 23-month-old Legend King Wheeler on the 2300 block of Chester Street, SE on Nov. 24, 2021.

During the hearing on Sept. 13, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective said he received a radio call to respond to a residence where a minor was suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. MPD arrived on the scene to find a blood trail from the stairwell to an apartment, where they then found one of the witnesses holding the victim on the stairwell.

According to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office (OCME), the cause of death was a single gunshot to the right side of Legend’s head just above the teeth line. The gunshot fractured the base of the brain, injuring the brain stem before exiting the right side of the head.

The prosecutor showed surveillance footage that identified Wheeler entering the apartment building before and after the shooting. According to the detective, Wheeler’s clothes were in bags in the area of the actual crime scene where they then found a loaded magazine cartridge but no gun.

According to the prosecutor, although a gun wasn’t retrieved from the scene, it is believed that the gun was disposed of due to surveillance footage of Wheeler going into an alley away from the cameras and reappearing empty-handed.

During cross-examination, defense attorney, Jacqueline Cadman, emphasized the discrepancies between the witnesses’ testimonies.

Parties were not able to finish the hearing, so Judge Okon scheduled the proceedings to resume on Sept. 20.