Jury Convicts Murder Defendant on All Charges

By Jai Bajaj [former] , Adriana Marroquin - December 20, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | stabbing | Suspects | Victims |

On Dec. 19, following a week-long deliberation, a jury found a homicide defendant guilty of all charges in front of DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt.

Marquette Jordan, 32, was charged with second-degree murder while armed, assault, and carrying a dangerous weapon outside of a home or business with a prior felony, for his connection to the fatal stabbing of 48-year-old Ivan Lynch on April 30, 2018 at the 900 block of 5th Street, SE.

Throughout the trial the prosecution centered their case around two eyewitnesses who said they saw Jordan stab Lynch.

Prosecutors stated that, on the day of the murder,  Lynch and his friend went to a barbeque for Lynch’s birthday. They then went back to his friend’s mother’s apartment, and on the way they stopped to pick up the aforementioned witness, her children, Jordan and Jordan’s friend.

According to prosecutors, an argument broke out between Jordan and Lynch on the drive over to the friend’s apartment. 

Once at the apartment, Jordan became very angry and started berating his ex-partner, threatening to hurt her. Prosecutors argue that’s when Lynch stepped in, and a fight broke out between him and Jordan. The fight resulted in Jordan’s stabbing Lynch fatally, prosecutors said. The events were corroborated by two eyewitnesses who were in the apartment when the murder took place.

The pair, an ex-partner and a friend, both testified in court and gave similar stories.

Throughout the trial, the eyewitnesses’ testimony was refuted by the defense. However, prosecutors explained that, “if they wanted to lie, they would lie about everything.” They told the jury, “[the witnesses] are just telling you what they saw.”

Jordan’s defense attorney, Michael Bruckheim, rebutted the prosecution saying, “[the prosecutors] have failed to provide sufficient evidence to convict in this trial.”

Bruckheim also said, “If you have any doubts about [the witnesses’] testimony it should be rejected.” Bruckheim centered his argument around the two witnesses who identified Jordan as the killer. 

Bruckheim, in his closing arguments, picked apart the testimony by Jordan’s ex-partner. He claimed the story she gave “makes no logical sense whatsoever.” 

In her testimony the witness said she was so scared for her safety she ran out, leaving her children in the apartment. Bruckheim said, “You don’t leave your kids behind with a killer.” He also questioned how long it took her to return to the apartment to find her children, she said she fell asleep under a car returning later in the morning.

Following the conviction, a sentencing hearing was scheduled for March 1, 2024.