Murder Trial Witness Admits Lies, Hallucinations, False Memories

By Laura Berol - December 17, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

During cross examination, a defense attorney for a murder defendant extracted confessions of lying to police from a key witness in a murder trial. The witness also told Clark she suffers from hallucinations and false memories during cross-examination before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Dec. 16.

Amard Jefferson, , 25, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, carrying a pistol without a license outside his home or business, and obstruction of justice. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Kendall Brown on the 3000 block of Nelson Place, SE, on Aug. 7, 2021.

The prosecutor called a friend of Brown’s who was present at Jefferson’s girlfriend’s apartment when Jefferson allegedly shot the victim. The witness testified that she and Brown had gone to the apartment, unarmed, to try to recover some bottles of liquor that a mutual friend had left there.

“Did you plan to beat up [Jefferson’s girlfriend]? Did you plan to hurt her children? Did you plan to hurt her boyfriend?” the prosecutor asked. The witness answered no to all three questions.

The witness said Jefferson’s girlfriend initially didn’t want to allow them into the apartment, but she eventually stepped back from the door and allowed them to enter. The witness made a video of the encounter with her phone, but she stopped before the shooting occurred. 

“We’re females. We’re females,” the witness could be heard saying in the video. She told the prosecutor she said this because she saw the shape of a gun in Jefferson’s pocket and noticed him reaching for it.

The witness said Brown and Jefferson were shouting at each other, but she didn’t observe Brown touching Jefferson or displaying any weapon. The witness testified to seeing a flash of light and then hearing Brown say, “I think he shot you. I think he shot me.” 

According to the witness, she and Brown both ran for the exit, but when the witness got outside, she noticed Brown wasn’t there. She tried to get back into the apartment, but it was locked, so she called 911 and told police she thought Brown was trapped in there, wounded. 

According to court documents, officers forced the door open and found Brown suffering from a single gunshot to the torso. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.

While cross-examining the witness, Jason Clark, the defense attorney for Jefferson, replayed the portion of her video in which she and Brown were attempting to enter Jefferson’s girlfriend’s apartment. Clark pointed out that the witness and Brown prevented Jefferson’s girlfriend from closing the door by placing their feet in the way. 

“You knew at that point that [Jefferson’s girlfriend] wanted to close the door,” Clark said. “But you didn’t leave then.” The witness agreed. 

On the video, voices could be heard, including Jefferson’s girlfriend saying, “Come help me close the door. What the f***.” 

“Who said, ‘Call backup?'” Clark asked.

“That was me,” said the witness.

“So, rather than leave, you were going to call more people over?” Clark asked.

Clark played video footage from the witness’ interview with a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective at the police station after the incident. The detective asked the witness what Jefferson and Brown were arguing about before Jefferson allegedly shot Brown.

“I really don’t remember. I have a lot of disorders and stuff, and I black out, so I don’t remember anything,” the witness said in the video.

In court, the witness said she didn’t black out until after the shooting, when she was running out of the apartment in panic. 

“So you admit you lied to [the detective]?” Clark asked. 

“No, I didn’t lie. I was just in a state of shock, but now, looking back, things are coming to light,” the witness said. 

“So, many years later, your memory is better?” Clark asked. 

“When you’re in a state of shock, it’s called dissociative amnesia, so when something happens, you can’t remember it right then,” the witness said. 

“So you suffer from amnesia?” Clark asked.

“No, but when something traumatic happens, I can’t remember it right away,” the witness said. 

She also said she has experienced hallucinations, such as thinking she saw blood when she was running out of the apartment after the gunshot. Since the incident, she has sometimes taken a drink and thought she was drinking blood. 

“So sometimes your memory is false?” Clark asked, and the witness agreed.

Clark played a recording of the witness’ 911 call, in which the witness told the dispatcher she had heard a gunshot in her housing complex. He pointed out that it was not her housing complex, since she didn’t live there, and the witness agreed.

Clark also played body-worn camera footage of the witness telling the police officers who arrived on the scene that she wasn’t the one who called 911. The witness admitted that she lied three times to police about making the 911 call.

“I just wanted them to come and help [Brown],” the witness said.

Clark brought up a statement the witness made during direct examination, when she told the prosecutor that the long faux locs she wore on the day of the incident showed she didn’t plan to fight Jefferson’s girlfriend.

“If you had intended to go there to fight her, you wouldn’t have worn long hair?” Clark asked.

“I don’t think anybody goes into a fight with long hair,” the witness said.

 “Have you ever been in a fight with long hair?” Clark asked. 

“I don’t recall,” said the witness. 

“You were recently featured in a local tv program,” Clark said. The prosecutor objected, and Judge Brandt didn’t allow Clark to continue. 

After the witness and the jury had left the courtroom, Clark showed Judge Brandt and the prosecutor the program he had been referencing. The witness appeared on an online subscription entertainment channel, fighting another woman. Both of them had long hair.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Dec. 17.