Jury Should Disregard Statements that ID Murder Defendant as Shooter, Defense Says

By D.C. Witness Staff - November 16, 2018
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

During closing arguments in a murder trial, the defense demanded that the jury disregard  statements that said a murder defendant was the shooter.

Kenneth Adams is charged with first-degree murder while armed, obstruction of justice and other firearms offenses for allegedly shooting 21-year-old Dante “Te” Kinard on the 1800 block of Benning Road, NE in 2016. According to court documents, Adams,20, walked toward a group of people on Benning Road, pulled out a gun and started shooting. Kinard was not the intended target in the shooting.

Adams’ defense attorney, Nikki Lotze, said the two witnesses, who identified Adams during trial, should not be trusted. She said one witness admitted to only being about 80-85 percent sure about her identification. 

“[She] said it was so dark that it looked like people were wearing masks,”  Lotze told the jury. “Everything was black.”

Another witness told police, days after the shooting, that he did not know who shot Kinard. Lotze said the witness changed his story because he made a deal with the prosecution. 

The prosecution denied making a deal with the witness. The prosecution also said the witness did not initially identify Adams as the shooter because he was afraid Adams “was still on the street.” 

Other witnesses, who initially identified Adams as the shooter, told the jury that police coerced them into making the identification.

The jury began deliberating Nov. 14.