Malik Fields was charged with the murder of Anaiona Gaston.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3480259-Malik-Fields-sentencing-document.html”]
Documents: Cheval Reid homicide reward flier
Cheval Reid was killed Feb. 7, 2017.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3479721-Cheval-Reid.html”]
Malik Fields sentenced to 10 years for girlfriend’s shooting death
Malik Fields, 21, was sentenced Friday for the shooting death of his 19-year-old girlfriend Anaoiona Gaston in July of 2016.
Fields will serve 10 years in prison for the death of Gaston, under the agreement reached in a plea bargain.
Police found Gaston’s body on top of a bed inside Fields’ apartment.
According to charging documents, Fields and Gaston were engaged in a deep conversation about their relationship, when Gaston jokingly began making finger gun motions and saying “pop pop.” Fields told police he pointed his gun at Gaston and said “pop pop” and the gun went off sending a single bullet through Gaston’s forehead. Gaston had been sitting on the bed holding their child in her lap.
Police later found Fields in the apartment with the murder weapon.The defendant was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.
On Friday, Fields plead to guilty to voluntary manslaughter.
Upon the end of his term, Fields is expected to serve five years probation.
Documents: Eric Wright homicide reward flier
Eric Wright was killed Feb. 22, 2017.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3479726-Eric-Wright.html”]
Police release video seeking to identity two men of interest
Police are circulating a video with hopes of identifying two people of interest wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of 53-year-old Eric Linnair Wright.
Eric Wright was shot and killed on Friday February 17. He was unresponsive as police arrived at the scene and suffering from a gunshot wound on the 900 block of 12th Street, NE at around 9:30 p.m.
Wright was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.
Teen who killed mother of two sentenced to 19 years
A teenager who aimed to shoot at 12-year-old but instead struck and killed the boy’s mother, was sentenced to 19 years in prison as part of a plea deal on Friday.
Kevin Lee, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was sentenced to 15 years for voluntary manslaughter while armed and four years for assault with a dangerous weapon for the killing of Tenika Fontanelle. Fontanelle, a mother of two, was shot inside her home on August 18, 2015.
According to the prosecutor, Fontanelle’s 12-year-old son and Lee were involved in a fight earlier in the day. Fontanelle’s son and his friends were taunting Lee, and threw rocks and sticks at him. Lee returned to his home, retrieved a gun out of his bedroom and went to Fontanelle’s home, intending to shoot the 12-year-old. Lee, the 12-year-old and Fontanelle were all shot in the altercation inside the home. Lee told police that he and Fontanelle were fighting, and she may have shot herself. Both Lee and Fontanelle’s son survived.
After further investigation, Lee was arrested and police found multiple other guns and ammunition in his room, leading to additional charges. According to the prosecutor, Lee had also made threats to kill the 12-year-old several months prior.
Lee pleaded guilty to the charges last November.
During sentencing, the victim’s mother told the judge Lee deserves more than 20 years. Fontanelle’s brother, Tayvon Johnson, who now takes care of Fontanelle’s children testified, and spoke of how the children will miss their mother on every holiday, and will live with the day they saw their mother killed.
Lee, who is the father of a 2-year-old apologized to the family, and said it was a mistake. He lamented that his own son will not have a father growing up.
After the sentencing, emotional family members on both sides starting arguing and fighting. US Marshals escorted everyone out of the courtroom.
Police make second arrest for Nuru Frenche murder
Almost a year after 23-year-old Nuru Frenche’s death, police arrested a second person they say played a role in Frenche’s murder.
Nathaniel Taylor, 23, was arrested and charged Thursday with first-degree murder while armed, though the court has indicted him on eight additional charges.
Frenche was fatally shot in late April 2016 on 4900 block of Just St., NE. At around 10:30 p.m. the night of the shooting, police found Frenche suffering from a gunshot wound. Frenche was brought to a nearby hospital where succumbed to his injuries.
The following month, police arrested and charged Anthony Blackmone, 21, with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in Frenche’s death.
According to charging documents, Frenche was caught and ultimately killed in the crosshairs of a robbery in which Blackmone and Taylor, among others who remain unnamed, intended to rob another man.
Blackmone is being held without bail and is expected in court March 28.
Taylor is expected to be arraigned Friday.
Dujuan Garris’ attorney raises concerns over fair trial
Suspect Dujuan Garris’ attorneys are concerned that he won’t receive a fair trial for the murder of James Anderson.
Garris’ trial scheduled to begin March 6.
In court on Thursday, the defense team argued they don’t have any living witnesses to testify in court.
The defense also argued that the metro police department did not thoroughly investigate the case. When asked by a reporter to elaborate, the public defender declined to disclose any additional information.
According to the government, two people may have been encouraged or hired to rob the victim in the past. The government also said a witness who gave the police this information later denied to the government that they ever said anything about the case.
The judge agreed to give the government more time so they can respond to what the defense argued on Thursday.
Garris allegedly killed Anderson in January of 2015 in the 1300 block of First St. SW.
In February of 2015, police arrested Garris and charged him with first-degree murder while armed.
Garris is scheduled for a status hearing on March 1.
Documents: Lakisha Young sentencing
Lakisha Young was sentenced for the fatal stabbing of Alan Smith.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3474083-Lakisha-Young-sentencing-documents.html”]
Documents: Perez Green arrest warrant
Perez Green was charged with the murder of James Harling.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3473852-Perez-green-warrant-affidavit.html”]
Perez Green admitted to beating victim with metal chair, documents say
Perez Green admitted to fatally beating a 49-year-old man over the head with a metal chair because the victim teased him about a haircut, charging documents say.
According to charging documents, Green, 37, said, “he couldn’t continue to be picked on,” and told police “he knew his actions were wrong and would accept the consequences in court.”
On October 26, 2016 police found James Harling unconscious and unresponsive suffering from head trauma in a cafeteria/meeting room at the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, 300 Pennsylvania Ave., SW. Harling was brought to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to witness interviews, Green and Harling were joking around, Harling was picking on Green’s haircut and said it was a “little boy’s haircut.” Witnesses heard Perez yell, “Stop playing! Not today!” and then what sounded like a chair strike the floor.
Police found Green at the Anacostia Metro Station, where Green went willingly with police. According to the warrant, Green freely told police “he had hit the guy once because he was tired of being picked on by him.”
According to charging documents, later in the station during an interview, Green admitted to picking up a metal chair, folding it closed and striking Harling on the head.
At the end of his interview, Green was brought to a local hospital because of mental health issues, he later returned to the station where was formally arrested and processed.
The defendant is currently released under the rules of the high intensity supervision program.
Green faces second-degree murder while armed charges and is expected in court March 3.
Perez Green hearing date rescheduled
The man allegedly responsible for the death of 49-year-old James Harling appeared briefly in court Thursday to set a future court date.
Perez Green, 37, currently faces second-degree murder while armed charged for his alleged role in Harling’s death.
Around 8 a.m. on October 26, 2016 police found Harling unconscious and suffering from head trauma on 300 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE.
Later that day, police arrested and charged Green. Green had been held without bail, but in November he was released into the high intensity supervision program.
Green is expected again in court on March 3.
Some photos and videos out, and others in for Derryck Decuir trial
During a motions hearing Wednesday, a lead detective who investigated the shooting death of a 16-year-old in 2015 spoke of how he identified the suspect as the alleged shooter.
Derryck Decuir is set to go to trial late next week, for allegedly shooting and killing Malik Mercer. Among other charges, Decuir was indicted on 10 charges related to the murder, including first-degree murder while armed. He has pleaded guilty to all charges.
Manuelle Davell, the lead detective in the Decuir case was called to the witness stand during the hearing and asked how he interrogated the witnesses and the identification of the defendant and his accomplices with four still photos from the Metrobus video. According to police, Decuir was on the bus with his two cousins snickering about a red belt Mercer was wearing. Decuir followed him off the bus, and when the two got off Decuir shot Mercer.
Throughout the day Wednesday, the prosecution and government went back and forth over what should be permitted in trial.
Jail calls between the defendant and the witness speaking in code have become critical to the case, and will be permitted at the trial.
A friend of the defendant present at the time of the murder had a picture on Facebook with a gun in his pocket that looked identical to the murder weapon. A judge ruled that cannot be used in trial, along with any cell phone videos, social media posts, or crime evidence that will force bias against the defendant. However, one video will be permitted showing the two witnesses and the suspect the night before the shooting
According to police, Decuir followed Mercer off the bus near Fort Tauton on June 16, 2015 and then shot and killed him.
Documents: Herman Cook charging documents
Herman Cook was charged with the murder of Donald Johnson.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3472986-Herman-Lee-Cook-warrant-affidavit.html”]
Alleged murder suspect caught on tape shooting Donald Johnson
The man charged with the murder of 45-year-old Donald Stephen Johnson Jr. was allegedly caught on tape committing the act, according to charging documents.
Johnson was fatally shot August 8, 2016 around 7 p.m. in the rear parking lot of Emery Recreation Center, 5701 Georgia Ave., NW. Police responded to reports of gunfire and found Johnson on the ground of the parking lot suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Johnson was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed Johnson’s cause of death was four gunshot wounds.
According to charging documents, surveillance cameras in the area show 46-year-old Herman Lee Cook Jr., the man police say is responsible for Johnson’s death, firing at Johnson.
According to surveillance footage, at 6:15 p.m. Johnson can be seen driving into the parking lot, exiting his car and speaking with a group of people congregated in the lot.
Around 7 p.m. Cook drives into the lot lot and exits his car. While Johnson’s back is turned, Cook approaches, pulls a pistol out of his pants pocket and without saying a word releases fire. Cook continues to shoot even after Johnson falls to the ground.
Cook stops firing and, “casually walks out of the Emery Recreation Center parking lot,” according to charging documents.
Upon further investigation, police found that the car Cook arrived in was registered to him. In addition, a K9 was called to the scene and tracked Cook’s scent to his house on 13th Street.
After securing a warrant, police searched the house and found the keys to the car Cook arrived in.
On Aug.10 police issued a warrant for Cook’s arrest.
Tuesday, almost six months later after the murder, members of the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking area arrested and charged Cook.
Cook is currently being held without bond as he faces second-degree murder charges.
The defendant is expected in court March 3 for a preliminary hearing.