Maurice Bellamy held without bail in what prosecutor and police call ‘senseless’ murder

By D.C. Witness Staff - March 29, 2016
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

A judge ordered the 17-year-old charged with the murder of Davonte Washington held without bail in an emotionally charged courtroom Tuesday.

Maurice Bellamy, will be tried as an adult is charged with second-degree murder while armed while allegedly shooting Washington, 15, when he stood on a metro platform with his mother and two young sisters Saturday.

There were no empty seats in the emotional courtroom, packed with both the Washington and Bellamy families for Bellamy’s first appearance.

When Bellamy was brought forward in court, Bellamy’s mother jumped out of her seat and shouted “my son,” and was soon restrained by family and friends.

U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner said Bellamy’s case “gives new meaning” to the word “senseless” and requested him held without bail.

The judge said there was probable cause for Bellamy’s arrest and had not heard anything sufficient to rebut the arrest. His next court date is April 22.

According to an affidavit for Bellamy’s arrest, police reviewed surveillance footage at the Deanwood metro station following the shooting that left Washington dead, at around 4 p.m. According to the document, Washington, his mother and two younger sisters are seen sitting on a bench enclosed in glass. The document says it appears as though one of the sisters looks at Bellamy, who walks onto the platform with friends. The man police identified as Bellamy is seen pulling a gun from his waistband, and shooting at Washington, who stood up from the bench.

Police created a photo of Bellamy from the video, and compared it to a list of juvenile offenders, which matched with Bellamy, according to the document.
Bellamy is seen in the footage running out of the metro station.

Police also identified Bellamy as the suspect using Facebook. According to the affidavit, police found photos of Bellamy on his Facebook identifying himself as “SHOOTA MOE, AKA, MOE CITY” and “KENTLANDMO.” According to the document police reviewed other arrest paperwork for Bellamy where his nickname is “Moe” and had a prior address in the Kentland neighborhood of Maryland.

Witnesses included in the document told police Bellamy and Washington had a short dialogue before Washington was shot.

The first witness, presumed to be Washington’s mother, said they were sitting on the bench when Bellamy got Washington’s attention. Washington had been preoccupied on his cell phone, and the suspect allegedly rapped on the glass to get his attention. The witness couldn’t hear what began the conversation, but said Washington walked away from the enclosed bench, and Bellamy said “What’s up?,” to which Washington also replied, “What’s up?” The witness said they believed Bellamy was about to begin a fight when he pulled a gun out and shot Washington. The witness said feathers came out of the back of Washington’s jacket when he was shot. The witness said Bellamy was armed with a revolver.

According to the medical examiner’s report quoted in the document, Washington was shot twice in the torso which lead to his death. Police could not find any casings at the scene of the homicide, which also led them to believe the murder weapon was a revolver.

A second witness who had accompanied Bellamy to the metro station identified the shooter as “Mikey B” or “Moe.” This witness told police the alleged shooter engaged Washington, asking “What the [sic] you keep looking at me for, you know me from somewhere?,” with his hand in his pocket. The alleged shooter then again said “What?” When Washington got off the bench and said “What?” he was shot by “Mikey B,” according to the witness. Throughout the interview, police reportedly pushed the witness to find out the suspect’s “real name” and were later told his real name is “Moe.”

A third witness also interviewed told police that “Moe” had been living with him and another witness, a second companion at the metro station for a while. This witness also confirmed Bellamy’s photo and identity as “Moe.”

Outside the courthouse, Victor Leonard, Washington’s grandfather, said he couldn’t believe the shooter was a “kid” around the same age as his grandson.

Leonard said Washington’s mother recognized Bellamy as the shooter when he took the stand and said, “Yeah, that’s who killed my baby,” during the presentment.

“I can’t say how I feel,” he said. “It is a new meaning to a senseless act. That’s what everybody wants to know – ‘For what reason would you do this?’ I can’t find a reason.”

Leonard said he is relieved Bellamy is off the street and that somebody is in custody and will be held accountable for the murder of his grandson. He said he hopes Bellamy receives some type of penalty or “what ever it is he needs.”

Leonard said the Washington family was “tight-knit” with both the mother and father’s side of the family there along with nieces, cousins, uncles and many more. He said his daughter is “very distraught” about Washington’s death.

Leonard said he would tell the Bellamy family to pray and wished to Bellamy to understand why he killed Washington.

“It is shocking and scary to see that somebody would look at another person and think their life is meaningless,” he said. “This could really happen.”

[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2779590-Charging-docs-Maurice-Bellamy.html”]