Key Witness Says Prosecution Pressured Her to Lie

By D.C. Witness Staff - November 22, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

A murder defendant’s former roommate admitted, during a jury trial Nov. 21, that she lied during her grand jury testimony.

Sean Baker, 40, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 35-year-old Robert Wiggins on the 300 block of 37th St., SE on Jan. 31, 2016. Baker is a transgendered woman. She was initially charged with assault with the  intent to kill.

A key witness for the prosecution, who was Baker and Wiggins’ roommate leading up to the murder, said she lied about having contact with Baker during her grand jury testimony because she felt pressured by the prosecution.

During a meeting with detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department and the prosecution, the witness initially said she did not talk to Baker after the murder. The witness said she only messaged Baker on Facebook.

She said the detectives and prosecution kept asking her about her contact with Baker.

“At first I told them the truth. That I did not have contact with Ms. Baker outside of the messages but, they kept telling me they felt like I wasn’t telling the truth,” said the witness.

She then told the jury that she had a history of mental illness and that she began to cry during that meeting.

“I suffer from anxiety and I was ready for it to be over so I felt like if I told them what they wanted to hear I would be able to get this over with faster.”

She said she told the prosecutor and detectives that she had a phone conversation with Baker after the Public Defender Service hired investigators to search for the murder weapon.

She said once she told that lie to the parties, she was escorted to the grand jury room where she lied under oath. The witness testified in front of the grand jury in July of 2016.

The witness said she was not living in the apartment at the time of the murder.

The witness said she was not close with Baker or Wiggins.

The witness said she only lived with the couple for four days. She said that she would always try to stay out of Baker and Wiggin’s relationship.

Texts between Wiggins and ‘Keke’ were also read to the jury.

“After I cop this shit, I promise we going fight,” Keke, which is Baker’s nickname, said.

“I’m about to show you how crazy I’m about to get,” read another text ‘Keke’ sent Wiggins on Jan. 17, 2016.

Baker’s trial is scheduled to continue on Nov. 25 with testimony from two or three more witnesses for the prosecution.

Siena Rush and Jaylin Hawkins wrote this article.