New Trial Date Set for Long Time Suspect in Teen Murder Case

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DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan set a trial date of Sept. 30, 2024, for Derryck Decuir hoping to resolve a longstanding murder case. 

Decuir, 30, is charged with second-degree murder while armed against a minor and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for his alleged involvement in the shooting of 15-year-old Malek Mercer.  The incident occurred on the 2800 block of 28th Street, SE on June 16, 2015.

Decuir was previously convicted, but the District of Columbia Court of Appeals reversed the verdict in November 2022, finding inappropriate testimony was admitted during the trial. 

In a May 11 hearing Judge Raffinan discussed the logistics of moving Decuir closer to the district to prepare for his new trial.  He is currently in Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Va in the custody of the US Marshal service. The detention facility is more than two hours away from DC. 

However, Judge Raffinan acknowledged finding a suitable location for Decuir is challenging because of his behavioral issues and conflicts with other inmates.  One possible solution, she said, is bringing Decuir to the DC jail for intermittent stays.  

Judge Raffinan set June 7 at 9:30 a.m. for the next status hearing in the case. 

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