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Tory Lysik [former]
- October 8, 2021
Court
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Homicides
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Shooting
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The prosecution in a murder case said they have been unable to get in touch with a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective.
Melvin Simmons, 27, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in two separate cases. He is charged in connection with the shooting deaths of 28-year-old William Roland on Aug. 17, 2019, on the 1500 block of 18th Street, SE, and 28-year-old Ronald Jerome Brown, Jr. on Aug. 22, 2019, on the 3400 block of 18th Street, SE.
A preliminary hearing for Simmons was paused on Oct. 6. because the prosecution would not get in touch with the MPD detective. They said the detective has been difficult to reach due to them traveling.
During the Oct. 7 hearing, the prosecution said they would be willing to turn over an unredacted version of the discovery documents to defense attorney Matthew Davies. These documents provide information on other possible suspects at the scene, they said.
DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled a status hearing for Oct. 15 in hopes the witness is contacted by then.
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