Multiple Witness Testimonies Conflict in Murder Trial

By D.C. Witness Staff - July 23, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

On July 23, a witness told the jury information that conflicts with the testimonies of two other witnesses.

Devaun Drayton

Terik McLeod, 33, is charged with first-degree murder for shooting Devaun Drayton, 17, on the 700 block of 26th Street, NE on March 10, 2004. McLeod is also charged with first-degree murder while armed with aggrivating circumstances for allegedly shooting Carlton Fisher on Oct. 1, 2006, on the 1100 block of 21st Street, NE. McLeod’s first trial resulted in a hung jury.

Apparently, the witness’s testimony conflicted with the testimonies of a detective, a cooperating witness and another witness who confessed to the murder under an immunity order.

On July 23, the witness said he and his friends were at school on the day of Drayton’s murder. He said Spingarn’s principal called the “21st Street Crew” down to the office.

Carlton Fisher

However, a cooperating witness said he never heard the principal refer to a group of students as a “crew.”

Even if the principal did call the “21st Street Crew” down to the office, the cooperating witness said he would not have gone because it would have labeled him as being from 21st Street. The cooperating witness said that could have resulted in a fight because there are students from multiple neighborhoods attending Spingarn.

According to the witness on July 23, one of the people that was in the office was the man who confessed to killing Drayton.

The man who confessed to killing Drayton never said anything about being at school the day Drayton was killed. In fact, he was not even enrolled at Spingarn at the time, according to court documents.

A detective’s testimony also contradicted the witness from July 23.

The detective told the jury that the individual who confessed to the murder was picked up by police at the crime scene that morning, and was taken to the Violent Crime Branch (VCB) of the Metropolitan Police Department for questioning. At the time, the individual was not a suspect in Drayton’s murder. 

The detective said the individual remained at the branch for the entire day.

The trial is scheduled to continue on July 24.