Case Acquitted: More Witness Testimony in 2017 Murder Trial

By D.C. Witness Staff - October 5, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

This case has been acquitted.

On Oct. 5, the defendant’s ex-wife concluded her testimony and a digital expert took the stand in a 2017 homicide trial before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun.

Cedric Alexander, also known as Tony White, 52, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, robbery while armed, two counts of possession during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license outside the home or place of business with a prior felony for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Daquan Hooks on the 1900 block of 13th Street, SE on March 23, 2017. 

Following the prosecutor’s questions, Alexander’s ex-wife was cross-examined by defense attorney Sellano Simmons.  He asked her about prior conflicts she had with Alexander, including Alexander’s alleged affair with her coworker. More specifically, Simmons asked why the witness changed her mind and decided to cooperate when, according to Simmons, originally she didn’t want to participate. 

In follow-up questioning by the prosecution, the witness emphasized the sole reason she chose to testify is because she had to do what she knew was right. “This is who I am,” she said.  In addition, she said, “something happened to a person’s family member”, and she wanted to do right by Hooks’ family. 

The witness said she hasn’t received anything from prosecutors for participating in the trial.

Then, the prosecution called a digital forensics expert to discuss text messages between Hooks and Alexander that took place shortly before the murder based on digital “receipts” from the conversation.  

The expert noted  even though messages are deleted their electronic signature is still present on a phone, and based on that he concluded that Alexander had deleted some of the texts the day of the murder. 

When defense counsel Simmons suggested the prosecution may have gone too far in providing information that could influence the expert, he responded that was “dramatizing” the situation and he had no prior knowledge of the case.  

Trial is set to resume Oct. 10.