McDuffie Not Guilty of Murder

By D.C. Witness Staff - December 21, 2018
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

After being held in jail for nearly three years and undergoing a mistrial, a man was found not guilty of murder on Dec. 20.

Eric McDuffie was charged with first-degree murder while armed and a related gun offense for allegedly shooting 23-year-old Antonio McCallister on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE in 2015.

McDuffie, 27, was initially tried in April; however, the jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision. According to DC Courts, the second trial was nearly declared a mistrial. Apparently, the jury submitted a note indicating they were at a deadlock hours before delivering their not guilty verdict.

Throughout the nearly six-day trial, the prosecution sought to bolster the testimony of two eyewitnesses while the defense poked holes in their credibility.

McCallister’s mother told the jury that on the night of the murder she was within feet of her son when he was shot. Apparently, she saw McDuffie behind him. She also added that she caught her son and that he said he loved her.

However, a medical examiner from the Office of the Chief Medical of the District of Columbia said McCallister’s injuries were consistent with him falling “flat on his face.” She also said the victim couldn’t have spoken after he was shot because his spinal cord was injured.

During her testimony, the medical examiner walked the jury through the defendant’s injuries, including the single gunshot wound to the back of his head. The examiner’s testimony directly contradicted the testimony of another eyewitness, who said she heard two gunshots and saw two muzzle flashes.

The same eyewitness said she received threatening messages when it became public knowledge that she was going to testify.

But, both the victim’s mother and the eyewitness used PCP, a mind-altering drug, which was repeatedly mentioned throughout the trial. Apparently, both witnesses have a history of smoking dippers, cigarettes laced in PCP. 

The mother, who is diagnosed with manic depression, was apparently prescribed multiple medications. However, she wasn’t taking them on the night of the murder. A physician said that if the mother’s diagnosis went untreated she could experience confused thinking and hallucinations. Coupled with PCP and alcohol, the doctor said the mother’s symptoms could have been exacerbated.

The prosecution addressed the mother’s inconsistencies by saying she was in denial when her son died. The prosecution also argued that it was “wishful thinking” that the mother heard her son speak, but that it doesn’t discredit the rest of her testimony. The prosecution further added that the physician never treated the mother and was basing his testimony on outdated health records.

Prior to delivering closing arguments, the defense told the jury that the police failed to fully investigate another potential suspect. According to the defense, a 6-year-old boy gave a police officer the name of the alleged shooter. Multiple detectives on the case, including the lead detective, said they didn’t follow-up with the 6-year-old boy.

Read more about the McDuffie trial, here.