A prosecutor on Wednesday argued for a judge to order Herman Lee Cook Jr. held without bail for the alleged murder of Donald Stephen Johnson Jr.
Cook Jr. was arrested Tuesday and was charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly killing Johnson last August.
On Wednesday a judge agreed to the government’s request to hold Cook pending his preliminary hearing.
Cook is scheduled for another hearing on March 3.
The trial for Dujuan Garris originally set for July, and then March, may be delayed again.
Garris’ attorney wants to have the trial delayed further, seeking more information from the government and police department.
Garris allegedly killed James Anderson in January 2015.
Garris’ attorney will meet with a witness, the mother of the Anderson’s child tomorrow to discuss what exactly happened when she fled to the scene. The defense attorney told the judge they believe this testimony is crucial for the trial, because the woman claimed to have heard threats toward Anderson a few days before shooting, but is now unsure if she wants to testify.
The judge however told the defense attorney that he should try to find another resolution to the issue because he is trying not to move trial date again. Garris’ trial is still scheduled to begin March 6. His next court date is Feb. 23.
The case against the man charged with the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Dwayne Grandson will head to trial this April.
Clifton Johnson has a trial set for April 17 for allegedly killing Grandson.
Grandson was found with gunshot wounds in the 2500 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE on the night of November 23. Clifton Johnson, 25, was found in the 2500 block of Minnesota Ave, SE also suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were taken to the hospital where Grandson died. Johnson was later charged with first-degree murder while armed for Grandson’s death.
Grandson will be in court on March 17.
Trial preparations will now resume for Peter Spencer, the man charged with killing his father inside their Georgetown residence last August.
Peter Spencer is awaiting his trial, now scheduled to begin in May. Previously, proceedings were delayed while medical issues were resolved.
Police have charged Spencer with first-degree murder while armed for the death of his father, 71-year-old Harrison Spencer. Police responded to the residence in the 1600 block of 33rd Street, NW, where they found Harrison Spencer’s lifeless body inside, marked with what appeared to be stab wounds.
A status hearing to set the trial date is scheduled for April 28.
Leon Stewart pleaded not guilty to the three charges against him for his alleged role in the murder of Darnell Lee Richardson.
Stewart was indicted and charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm due to a prior conviction.
Richardson was found dead in the driver’s seat of a car in the 3400 block of Benning Rd., NE a little before 9 p.m. last March.
The government and Stewart’s attorneys will be doing a second round of DNA testing.
His next court date is scheduled for May 12.
The woman charged with fatally stabbing her long-time partner in front of their three minor children was sentenced to six years in jail earlier this month.
Lakisha Young was sentenced as part of a plea deal. Young stabbed Alan Smith after a verbal altercation in front of her three children. According to witnesses, Young was chasing Smith around the house with a knife. One of the children tried to step in multiple times and got pushed aside. Another one said to “stop!” and Young did not listen. Young stabbed Smith in the heart. Smith ultimately collapsed in the hallway and one of the children put a sheet over Smith’s stab wound, to keep pressure and keep from excess bleeding until the police arrived. Smith, 50 years old, died on July 9, 2016.
Young’s children told Joshua Brand, a homicide detective with MPD that Young and Smith had been arguing earlier about an alleged affair Young was having. Young and Smith were drunk during the argument. Young’s children told Brand arguments like these were fairly commonplace but no physical altercations or threats ever arose from them, so no one had felt it necessary to call 911.
Upon police arrival, they found a bloody kitchen knife in the sink. Young said “I’m sorry,” police said. Young said Smith had been abusive toward her in the past but all witnesses testified against her and said it was only for his self-defense or to diffuse the situation.
Following her prison sentence, Young was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Months after issuing a warrant for his arrest, police arrested Herman Lee Cook, Jr., who police say killed 45-year-old Donald Stephen Johnson, Jr.
Johnson was fatally shot in August 2016 on the 4700 block of Georgia Ave., NW. When police arrived to the scene they found Johnson suffering from gunshot wounds. Johnson was brought to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Cook was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed on Tuesday after members of the Washington/ Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking area apprehended him.
Cook is expected to be presented in court this afternoon.
One of the men who was involved in the fatal shooting of Deeniquia Dodds told police her death was the result of a robbery gone awry.
Police have said they are investigating the murder as a robbery, and not as a hate crime. Dodds, also known as Gregory Dodds, was transgender.
According to an arrest warrant, four men with previous involvement in a series of armed robberies dating back to June 2016 are responsible for Dodds’ murder. The police officer who filed the warrant for one of the suspects’ arrest had been investigating the men previously for a series of robberies that appeared to target transgender people. However, a cooperating suspect’s version of events contradicted this.
According to the cooperating suspect, two men were in a white car, while two men armed with guns exited the car and attempted to rob Dodds. There was a struggle and Dodds was shot.
Dodds, 22, was found at 256 Division Ave., NE., suffering from a single gunshot to the neck. She was transferred to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead on July 13.
The driver of the white car was identified as 26-year-old Jalonte Little. His alleged role in the robbery was corroborated by a GPS ankle monitor that put him in the vicinity of the murder, along with a chain of other robberies.
Through Little’s cell phone records police were able to connect 22-year-old Shareem Hall to the murder.
Victims of previous robberies were able to identify the duo and vouch for their involvement.
The cooperative suspect named Little, Hall, a man named “Swerve” and Cyheme Hall, 21, as participants in the robberies. However, the witness specified that it was “Swerve” who fired the gun that killed Dodd.
In exchange for their testimony, the cooperative witness struck a deal with the government. According to charging documents, one of the suspects traded information about Dodds’ murder and a string of robberies in exchange for lesser charges.
Under the plea agreement, the suspect is expected to plead guilty to second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm.
It is unclear which suspect was the cooperating witness.
As of now, Jalonte Little, Monte Johnson, Shareem and Cyheme Hall are all being held without bond as they face first-degree murder while armed charges.
Jalonte Little is expected in court Feb. 17.
Cyheme Hall and Monte Johnson are expected in court March 10.
Shareem Hal is expected in court May 19.
When confronted by police, 76-year-old Thomasine Bennett admitted to beating her boyfriend and led police to the hallway closet where she stowed his battered body.
When asked why, Bennett said, “she was tired of loving him.”
The details of 63-year-old Walter Clark’s fatal beating were made public this week in documents charging Bennett with his death.
Police were called to 720 21st St., NE, a housing complex catering to senior and disabled people, Friday afternoon and found Clark bloody, naked and in the fetal position with visible trauma. Clark was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, and his cause of death was ruled trauma to the body.
According to a police interview, Bennett admitted to beating Clark with a metal baseball bat repeatedly over the course of a day-and-a-half. Bennett told police she was tired of women being all over Clark. According to Bennett, Clark proposed to her in a club on Valentine’s day and in the same night Bennett almost got into a fight with another woman over him.
Upon further investigation, police found a witness who had been in the defendant’s house while she was allegedly beating Clark.
According to the witness interview, the witness said they saw Clark in the backroom with an injured foot. Throughout their time in the house Bennett repeatedly went to the backroom and the witness heard Bennett call Clark a demon while he moaned in pain.
The witness eventually went to the backroom and saw Bennett beating Clark with a metal bat. The witness later escaped after Bennett pulled a gun and threatened to keep them hostage.The witness never called the police.
The last time the witness saw Clark he was in the closet but still alive. According to the witness, Bennett said, “This is where you keep demons and dogs,” referring to the closet.
Bennett is currently being held without bail as she faces second-degree-murder.
The defendant is expected in court Feb. 28 for a preliminary hearing.
Thomasine Bennett was charged with the murder of Walter Clark.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3469365-Thomasine-Bennett-warrant-affidavit.html”]
A judge on Tuesday ordered murder suspect Brandon Byrd undergo a mental evaluation at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
Brandon Byrd was charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing his father, Otis Byrd, near a hospital parking garage last August.
On Tuesday the judge ordered Byrd held at St. Elizabeth for a mental evaluation. Byrd is scheduled for a status update on his mental evaluation on March 23.
Police are investigating a Friday night shooting that left 53-year-old Eric Linnair Wright dead.
According to a police spokesperson, around 9:30 p.m. police responded to reports of gunfire on 900 block of 12th St., NE. Upon their arrival, police found Wright unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds.
Wright was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police have not released any suspect information at this time.
Police arrested a 76-year-old woman for her alleged role in the murder of Walter Mack Clark.
According to a police spokesperson, on Friday around 1 p.m. police responded to a call on 700 block of 21st St., where they found Clark, 63, suffering from trauma.
Clark was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Clark’s cause of death was ruled blunt force trauma to the body.
Later that day, police arrested and charged Thomasine Bennett for her alleged involvement in Clark’s murder.
Bennett is currently being held without bond as she faces first-degree murder while armed charges.
Bennett is expected in court Feb. 28 for a preliminary hearing.
A judge on Friday released Milkiyas Bayisa from electronic monitoring, as he awaits a trial for the alleged murder of Kassahun Abebe Edo, in 2015.
Bayisa, who has been under high intensity supervision which includes wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, has had no infractions and shown up to all court dates. A judge has allowed him to be released, as long as he checks in twice weekly and completes random drug testing.
Bayisa is charged with second-degree murder for the killing of Edo, a 35-year-old man. According to police, Edo fell and struck his head on a sidewalk or curb at around 3 a.m. Edo was found in the 700 block of Fairmont Street, NW, by police officers responding to a report of a fight in that area. Edo was taken to the hospital but died from the assault. Police say he was a resident of Irving, Texas.
Bayisa’s next court date is scheduled for July 21.
Police are searching for a person of interest in the murder of 35-year-old Willie Starkey.
Starkey was fatally shot around 2:40 p.m. Jan. 24 on the 1600 block of Benning Road, NE. On the scene, police found Starkey suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Starkey was brought to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
In an updated video released by police, two individuals wearing black hoodies, dark jeans and black shoes can be seen walking through a neighborhood. The scene changes to a parking lot area in front of a store. One individual, as described previously, can be seen pulling a gun from their hoodie and firing.
Police are urging anyone who has information about the shooting to come forward.
