Key Witness Admits to Lying

By D.C. Witness Staff - February 4, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

During a murder trial on Feb. 3, a witness said he lied to the jury because he was too scared to tell the truth.

Mason Binion, 32, is charged with first-degree murder while armed after allegedly shooting Michael Francis Taylor, 21, on the 600 block of Farragut Street, NW on June 22, 2008. Apparently, Binion and Taylor were friends. Binion’s co-defendant, Victor Carvajal’s case was dismissed the day before opening statements. Carvajal was also charged with first-degree murder while armed. 

Joshua Massaquoi, who was Binion’s co-defendant and present during Taylor’s murder, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, carrying a pistol during a crime of violence and accessory to second-degree murder.

During the morning on Feb. 3, Massaquoi told the jury that he couldn’t remember if Binion was with him, Carvajal and another person during the homicide or not.

However, Massaquoi, who returned to the stand in the afternoon, said that everything he said during the morning was a lie.

He said he recalled that not only was Binion in the car with him, Carvajal and another person but that Taylor said, “No, Mason, don’t,” right before he heard gunshots and saw sparks from a gun.

Massaquoi said Binion asked him to get a gun after he heard that a drug deal went wrong.

According to Massaquoi, he and Binion drove to Massaquoi’s sister’s house, where he retrieved and .22 caliber Luger.

He said that he and Binion then drove back to Binion’s house when Carvajal arrived.

Massaquoi said he drove the men to a community center in Maryland where they picked up Taylor.

According to Massaquoi, he was driving, Binion was in the front, Carvajal was behind Binion and the other man was behind Carvajal. Taylor was in the middle of Carvajal and the other man. A fourth person was not arrested in connection to the homicide.

Massaquoi said he drove onto Emerson Street, NW, where Binion, Carvajal, Taylor and the other man got out of the car while he remained in the driver seat.

He said he didn’t hear much talking but saw Taylor go from a standing position to falling on the ground.

Massaquoi said Carvajal and Binion were standing over Taylor. Massaquoi said he was unsure of the other man’s position.

Massaquoi also said he did not see Binion shoot Taylor. However, Massaquoi said Binion was the last person with the gun, so he thinks that Binion was the shooter.

After Taylor was shot, Massaquoi said he drove everyone back to Binion’s house. He said Carvajal left Taylor’s truck in an apartment complex in Hyattsville, Md.

According to Massaquoi, he hid the gun in the woods near his sister’s house. He said that when he went back to retrieve the gun, it was not there.

However, Massaquoi said, during his testimony on Feb. 4, that he eventually found the gun and turned it over to the Metropolitan Police Department in 2015. But, the prosecutor on the case told D.C. Witness that Massaquoi never turned in the gun.

Closing statements are expected to occur on Feb. 6.

Jaylin Hawkins wrote this article.