Murder Defendant Pleads Not Guilty

By D.C. Witness Staff - March 13, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

During a felony arraignment March 12, a defense attorney entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of a murder defendant.

George Anderson, 21, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 24-year-old Devin Butler at the Tyler House Apartments complex on the 1200 block of North Capitol Street, NW on June 13, 2019.

After the defense entered a not guilty plea, DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edleman asked the prosecution when they would file evidence with the court. 

The prosecutor said he would file it within the next two weeks.

According to court documents, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were told that someone was injured and that the injured person was dead. A witness pointed to the defendant’s bedroom where Anderson was on the floor. 

The witness said that no one in the apartment had any problem with each other and that for anyone to be in the residence, they needed to have a close relationship with the occupants of the residence, the documents stated.

A loud gunshot in the residence startled the witness. The witness said Anderson was standing over Butler with a gun in his hand, the documents said.

Apparently, the defendant said, multiple times, “I’m Zeus.”  

According to the documents, Anderson told the witness, who was holding him down until the police came, “I’m a killer. What? You gonna tell on me? Get off me, I’m Zeus. I’m Allah. What happened? For respect, I’m a killer.” The witness was smoking marijuana with Anderson and the victim before the shooting.

A status hearing is scheduled to occur on April 29.

This article was written by MiriYam Judd