Police on Friday announced the arrest of a a fourth man wanted for the murder in a shootout last July 4 that left one man dead and three others injured.
Police have charged 24-year-old James Coffield with second-degree murder while armed for Dwayne Dillard’s shooting death.
Coffield was indicted by a grand jury on April 28.
In July, police announced the arrest of Shakim Lyons, Jonathan Taylor and Harry Herbert in this case. All three are being held without bail and are due in court May 26.
The police have identified the victim of Friday’s fatal stabbing as 61-year-old Cheryl Robin Schafer.
Schafer’s body was found in her apartment by police responding to a call of a suspicious package. Police said they were investigating the case as a domestic incident, and immediately arrested Charles Elvis Sykes.
Sykes, 59, has been charged with second-degree murder while armed. He was presented in court this week and is being held without bail. He is next due in court on May 9.
Police found Nuru Frenche, 23, suffering from gunshot wounds in the 4900 Block of Just Street, NE on Saturday, April 23.
According the Metropolitan Police Department’s press release, Frenche was transported to the hospital in “grave condition.” He was later pronounced dead.
Police have not made any arrests yet.
The case against Dani Hilliard, the woman charged with the murder of Paul Ivey earlier this month, was dismissed after a judge said on Tuesday there wasn’t enough probable cause to charge her. A grand jury is now tasked with deciding charges against her.
Hilliard, 26, was charged with second-degree murder while armed for the stabbing death of Ivey. Hilliard was immediately arrested following Ivey’s death.
While in court, Hilliard’s lawyer said Ivey was at Hilliard’s home to care for their children the night of the homicide, but there had been a history of domestic violence between Ivey and Hilliard for years. According to court documents, a civil protection order filed against Ivey said he could not assault, threaten, harass, stalk or abuse Hilliard and should stay 100 feet away from her. He could not to contact Hilliard unless it was regarding their children.
According to court documents, Hilliard told investigators Ivey occasionally spent the night at her home to care for their two small children, and was at her home for the same reason when a “heated” and “verbal” argument about their children broke out.
Surveillance of her questioning was played in court where Hilliard said she tried to get away from the situation by going into the bathroom, which already had a broken door. As Hilliard was smoking and “having a drink” in the bathroom, Ivey “busted down the door” and the entire door fell on top of her, over the bathtub.
Court documents state three kitchen knives were recovered at the crime scene and two seemed to be covered in blood. Police also collected a pocket knife and Ivey’s black shirt at the scene of the crime.
According to court documents, when police arrived, Hilliard told officers Ivey stabbed himself, but later said, “I didn’t mean for this to happen” and changed her story during questioning. She told a witness “we stabbed each other” and told investigators she did not know how Ivey was injured.
Hilliard had “sharp force” injuries in her right arm and thigh, court documents stated, but in court, it was still unclear if she received her injuries before or after Ivey was stabbed. The prosecutor argued Hilliard could have stabbed herself instead. Hilliard’s lawyer, the prosecutor and the detective under questioning all did not know about whether it was Hilliard or Ivey who brought the black, 6-inch knife into the bathroom.
Hilliard’s lawyer said she was defending herself and did not intend to kill Ivey based on the fact that she only stabbed him once.
“It was one small stab wound, and…(Hilliard) is terrified and worried about her children,” Hilliard’s lawyer said.
Based on the information given to Judge Morin, he did not find any probable cause to try Hilliard on second-degree murder while armed and said the grand jury would decide instead.
Hilliard is expected to appear in court again on July 26.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2815264-OB1777.html”]
Police have identified the adult male that died on Tuesday morning as 27-year old Kenneth Eugene Jackson, of Northwest.
At approximately 1:15 Tuesday morning, police responded to a call for a stabbing and found Jackson suffering from a stab wound. Jackson was found in the 1200 block of N. Capitol Street, NW, and was transported to an area hospital where he then died.
Police are investigating the case for any suspects.
Jackson is the city’s 35th homicide victim this year, as compared to 33 victims at this time last year.
Police arrested a second man for the murder of Matthew Shevlin, who, according to court documents admitted to the murder and pleaded with police to release the first suspect who he raised as his own grandson.
Eugene Sherman was arrested on April 24 in connection to the murder of Shevlin, 37. The first suspect, 18-year old David Davalier Harvey, was arrested on Jan. 23 in what police believed to be a “home-invasion burglary of a targeted residence.”
During Harvey’s interviews with detectives he was permitted to make several phone calls. In one of the calls, Harvey referred to the person on the other line with the nickname “Billy,” a then-unknown alias for Sherman. While on the phone, Harvey and Sherman talked about being with one of the case’s witnesses. Following this, witness identified “Billy” as Eugene Sherman.
When police went to Sherman’s address they brought him in for interviews and investigation. According to the charging documents, during an interview on April 8 Sherman told detectives that he committed the murder and orchestrated the entire thing. He concluded the confession pleading the police to release his “grandson,” Harvey. Harvey was found at the scene of Shevlin’s murder with a loaded gun and a mason jar of marijuana, similar to those found inside Shevlin’s apartment.
After reviewing phone Sherman’s cell phone records during the night of the homicide they found no communication between his and Harvey’s cell phone, but there is suspicion that Sherman took part in planning the robbery and could have aided in the entry into a secured building. Those acts led to the first-degree murder charge.
Sherman appeared at court for the first time for his presentment on April 25. He is currently being held without bail and has been scheduled to reappear for a preliminary hearing on May 13.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2812307-Eugene-Sherman-charging-docs.html”]
The release of a woman charged with fatally stabbing her tenant in the neck was delayed while more information about the murder is collected.
Tammy Mathis-Lawrence, 41, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed for the death of Ricardo Dasilva, 30. Lawrence was granted release to a halfway house three weeks ago by D.C. superior court Judge Milton C. Lee, but it has been delayed indefinitely.
“How much time do you need to get the train in the station?” said Judge Lee to prosecuting attorney Chris Bruckmann, regarding the pending evidence in this case.
Bruckmann requested that D.C. courts give the prosecution 45 days to get that information in.
Lawrence’s defense attorney, Judith Pipe, requested the courts release her client to a halfway house as soon as possible, considering she has been a “victim of the community.” Judge Lee said he was not prepared to release Lawrence yet, based on the information he has so far. Judge Lee stated he wanted the defendant to answer the questions the government asked regarding the case before releasing her.
The next hearing is scheduled for May 9.
As part of a plea deal, Tavon Pickney pleaded guilty to the murder of Rico Myers last February and could serve 17 years in prison if a judge accepts the arrangement.
The murder was a result of a robbery gone awry, in which the three defendants tried to rob Myers and his friend during a drug deal.
Pickney’s accomplices, William Bass, 18, and Kalif Brown, 22, also pleaded guilty to lesser charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Pickney, 20, Bass, 18, and Brown, 22, drove to the 300 block of 61st Street, NE to buy PCP from Myers and Myers’ friend in an alley. When the three arrived Pickney allegedly pointed a gun at Myers and his friend, demanding that they give him their “possessions.” Then, Bass allegedly robbed Myers and Brown robbed Myers’ friend. Myers attempted to defend himself, and was shot by Pickney four times.
According to court documents, the three defendants were offered a plea deal on April 22, and pleaded guilty Friday. The U.S Attorney’s Office suggested Pickney serve 17 years in prison for second-degree murder while armed and Brown serve five years in prison for robbery. Bass’ sentencing will be determined by the judge and the sentencing guidelines, a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The final sentencing will be decided by the judge on July 8.
At approximately 10:23 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a call for a stabbing and found Dimas Fuentes-Lazo suffering from multiple stab wounds. Fuentes-Lazo was found in the 800 block of Kennedy Street, NW, and transported to a local hospital, where he then died.
Police are investigating the case for any suspects.
Police have made a second arrest for Matthew Shevlin’s murder in January.
On Saturday, police arrested 53-year old Eugene Ledex Sherman of Southeast, and charged him with first-degree murder.
Matthew Shevlin, 37, was found on Jan. 22 at approximately 9:52 a.m. in the 400 block of M Street, NW. When police arrived they found Shevlin suffering from a gunshot wound.
Police had been searching for the second suspect for months, who they said was seen entering Shevlin’s apartment on security cameras.
The first suspect, 18-year old David Davalier Harvey was arrested on Jan. 28. He was charged with first-degree murder while armed and will next appear in court on June 16. Upon searching Harvey at the scene of Shevlin’s death, police found a loaded handgun in his pants, multiple rounds of ammunition and a mason jar filled with a “green weed substance.” Harvey was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license, but the charge was later upgraded to first-degree murder while armed.
Sherman will appear in court on April 25.
Police say a man was shot and killed on the 2500 block of 17th Street, Northwest in D.C. on Sunday.
Just after 3 a.m., police responded to a call for the sound of gunshots and found 35-year-old Jayvon Marshman, of Southeast, D.C., with gunshot wounds.
Police said a second man was found with a non-life threatening gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital.
Police are investigating for any suspects involved in the shooting.
Police have announced the arrest of Kelby Ronald Gordon of Southeast, D.C. for the murder of 46-year-old Gabriel Carlos Turner last month.
Gordon, 29, who also goes by “Mill” and “Milly,” was arrested Sunday, April 17 at 9:45 p.m. and has been charged with second-degree murder while armed.
MPD Police Chief Cathy Lanier said at a press conference Monday afternoon that this was yet another “senseless, tragic murder that should have never happened.”
Turner, who worked as a janitor FBI, was an unintended target. Lanier said although there are multiple versions of the story, it appeared two other people were arguing and Turner was shot as an innocent bystander.
“The community is tired of these random acts of violence,” she said. “There is a real change in the community and gun firing is happening at all times during the day. People are working with police. If you commit a crime in the city you will be arrested.”
Gordon is expected to be arraigned in court later today.
The defense attorney in the case against Jamil Betts, Matthew Rist, withdrew from the case in court Monday.
Betts, charged with second-degree murder while armed, was appointed a new attorney, Chantey Redmon-Reid, by D.C. Courts following his former attorney’s motion to withdraw the defense’s guilty plea.
The defendant allegedly shot and killed Andre McConnell in the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace, SE, on April 27 of last year. Betts was scheduled to be sentenced in February 2016, but withdrew his guilty plea two months before.
His motion hearing is scheduled for June 3 with his new attorney.
Police have charged a man with murder after a woman’s body was found in her Glover Park apartment following a bomb threat in the building.
According to police, they received a call for a suspicious package in the apartment building in the 4000 block of Tunlaw Road, NW at around 6:10 a.m. Police later tweeted that the homicide was a domestic incident, and a person of interest had been detained.
When responding to the building, police found a female with stab wounds, who was pronounced dead at the hospital. Charles Elvis Sykes was arrested for her alleged murder, and charged with second-degree murder while armed. Police have not yet identified the deceased female, nor disclosed how the victim and suspect knew each other.
Kelby Ronald Gordon, 29, also known as “Milly,” charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly fatally shooting Gabriel Turner, 46, on March 24 was ordered held without bail.
During Gordon’s presentment in D.C. Superior Court Monday, his attorney, Monica Douglas, requested that the courts do not find probable cause in the case against her client because the investigation did not have an actual eyewitness that identifies Gordon as the shooter. She said the arrest warrant only provides information of an officer who said Gordon “looks like” a man he knows as “Milly.”
According to the arrest warrant, there were three surveillance videos that led to the arrest of the defendant. One the videos shows Turner walking on the sidewalk of 2642 Birney Place, SE, and an unidentified “subject” walking behind him. Then, the suspect, later identified as “Milly” by a police officer, shoots in the direction of the “subject” and continues to shoot as he runs past Turner. Turner collapses to the ground, then both “Milly” and the subject run off. The warrant suggests Turner was not the intended target.
According to the warrant, Detective Thomas O’Donnell contacted a Metropolitan Police Department member, who watched the video and identified the suspects as “Milly.” The detective received an anonymous tip that the suspects name was Kelby Ronald Gordon. The MPD member received a photo of Gordon via email from Det. O’Donnell and identified the man in the photo as “Milly.”
Detectives found two cell phone numbers that are associated with Gordon. One of the numbers is under the address 2716 Wade Road, SE, a building one of the three videos showed “Milly” entering after the shooting. Officers of the homicide branch searched the apartment associated with the cell phone and found one 50-count box of PPU ammunition in the living room and a gun box under the apartment’s only bed.
Police officers found gold shell casings with the head stamp “Win .40 S&W” at the scene. “The location of the recovered shell casings is consistent with the shooter’s location on video,” the warrant says.
Detectives interviewed the leaseholder of the apartment, who admitted to be dating Gordon on and off, said the defendant sent a text two to three days after the shooting. In the text, the defendant said he tried to rob someone and “thought the intended victim was pulling something and that he felt bad because he hit an innocent person.” The witness also said the defendant’s nickname is “Mill.”
Judge Renee Raymond found probable cause in the case against Kelby R. Gordon based on all of the information in the arrest warrant. Gordon is next due in court April 29.
