A jury in DC Superior Court’s Danya Dayson’s courtroom convicted one homicide co-defendant and acquitted the other on June 5.
Alonzo Brown, 29, and Naquel Henderson, 28, were initially charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed, first-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The charges stemmed from the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Michael Taylor on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE on Jan. 12, 2019. Two others were injured in the incident.
After less than three days of deliberations, the jury found Brown guilty of all charges, and acquited Henderson on all counts.
The prosecution claimed that the motive for the fatal shooting was “revenge and retaliation” to avenge the murder of a mutual friend and associate, 19-year-old Shamar Marbury, who died on Jan. 1, 2019 on the 4200 block of Barnaby Road, SE.
Brown and Henderson were two of five men charged with Taylor’s death. Stephon Evans, 25, and Tavist Alston, 32, previously pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed, while Carlos Turner, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Brown and Henderson first faced a jury trial in May 2025, but DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park declared a mistrial when the panel could not reach a unanimous verdict.
In their retrial that began on May 12, the prosecution called a former co-defendant of Brown and Henderson’s as the key witness. His plea deal included terms to testify against the pair.
Lisbeth Sapirstein and Julie Swaney, Henderson’s attorneys, as well as Steven Kiersh, Brown’s attorney, accused the key witness of lying under oath and to law enforcement officers, citing his plea deal as a reason to doubt his word. Kiersh also said there is no forensic evidence against Brown, and urged the jury to decide based on the presumption of innocence.
The prosecution reminded the jury that the witness was not explicitly required to implicate the two defendants to receive a plea deal. They asked the jury to use their common sense and trust the evidence when deliberating.
Brown’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15.
