Juvenile Wasn’t Worried About Murder Charge, Witness Says

By D.C. Witness Staff - June 14, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

A cooperating witness for the prosecution told DC Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz that a juvenile defendant wasn’t worried about being charged with homicide because the defendant would be released at 21.

The juvenile is charged with first-degree murder while armed and carrying a pistol without a license for allegedly shooting 23-year-old Jamal Kwame Crump during the afternoon hours on the 1300 block of Monroe Avenue, NW in February. The juvenile is currently being held at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).

“Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be alright,” the witness, who was testifying as part of a plea deal to attempted robbery in connection to the homicide, said the defendant told him. “I’ll just go down to the C (Youth Corrective Services) and get out when I’m 21,” the witness said the juvenile told him.

Apparently, the defendant, witness and another individual planned to rob Crump for a silver Smith & Wesson .40 caliber automatic hand gun. Court documents state that Crump was a known drug dealer who possessed two guns.

According to the witness, the juvenile orchestrated the plan to rob Crump for his gun, saying “If he grab one of y’all, I’ll shoot him.”

Apparently, the group met up with Crump, walked to a grassy piece of land near a dumpster, engaged in small talk while one of the three placed Crump in a chokehold from behind.

The witness said he and the juvenile defendant began searching for Crump’s gun. Once the gun was found, the juvenile and the individual who choked Crump ran away. The witness said he ran, but saw a phone he believed to belong to one of the members of the group and went back to retrieve it.

While picking up the phone, the witness said Crump grabbed him.

According to the witness, the other two members of the group saw the altercation and ran back to the scene. Even though Crump let the witness go, saying “It’s cool bruh,” the juvenile shot him multiple times, the witness said.

An expert from the Department of Forensic Sciences said eight casings, belonging to the same gun, were found on the scene.

In an attempt to impeach the cooperating witness, the defense showed the judge a video recording of the witness while he was talking to his mother about the case. During the recording, the witness is heard saying, “I lie anyways.”

During the homicide investigation, two officers identified the juvenile in a photo released to authorities. Apparently, the officers had numerous interactions with the juvenile.

Even though defense counsel objected to the credibility of both officers’ identifications, Judge Leibovitz accepted them.

There were also two eyewitnesses to the homicide. However neither witness was able to clearly identify the shooter or the individuals in the group that allegedly attacked Crump.

The case’s lead detective said that when the juvenile was arrested, the defendant was in possession of a 9mm gun and two phones, one of which belonged to Crump.

Counsel rested their cases on June 12. Closing statements are scheduled on July 16.