Murder Defendant Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter

By D.C. Witness Staff - July 24, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

A murder defendant accepted a plea offer for voluntary manslaughter for a vehicular accident that killed one person and injured another. 

Robert Earl Little is charged with voluntary manslaughter for his involvement in the death of 54-year-old David Salovesh. According to court documents, Little, 25 , was speeding and went through a red light while under the influence of PCP, a hallucinatory drug. His actions resulted in a two-car crash that killed Salovesh, who was on a bicycle.

Defense counsel, Blase Kearney, accepted the offer on behalf of Little. According to the District of Columbia’s Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, Little could face 30 years in prison. However, the prosecution agreed to request eight and a half years. 

DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe accepted Little’s plea. I’m “satisfied that there is a factual basis for the plea,” he said. 

“I knew there was risk with my actions [but the death] wasn’t intentional,” Little told the judge during a preliminary hearing on July 23. He said he takes full responsibility for what happened and he offered his condolences to the family.

Judge Iscoe said Little’s statement would be taken into account and that statements like those don’t happen often. 

Little is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 27.

Kearney said he will not be Little’s attorney for sentencing for reasons not disclosed in open court. Before sentencing, Little is expected to receive a new attorney from the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia.