Search Icon Search site

Search

Victor Purdie pleads guilty to manslaughter for fatal assault outside Union Station

The man accused of fatally assaulting another man outside of Union Station last October pleaded guilty Wednesday to voluntary manslaughter.

As part of a plea agreement, Victor Purdie, 56, enter a guilty plea for his fatal kicks and punches to Richard Lewis. Purdie was initially charged with second-degree murder and he will be sentenced July 28.

The original assault took place in October, but Lewis died from his injuries in January of this year.

According to charging documents, Purdie and Lewis were allegedly seen in surveillance footage in Union Station on the morning of the incident. In the footage, Purdie can be seen walking up to Lewis on the sidewalk and pushing a picture directly in Lewis’ face. When Lewis keeps walking Purdie jerks Lewis’ head and body in the direction of the picture, which the police investigation reveals was a picture of the gravesite where Purdie’s mother is buried.

According to the document, Purdie and Lewis separate and are no longer visible in the footage. Moments later Purdie is seen running toward where the assault is alleged to have occurred.

When police called Purdie in for questioning, Purdie identified himself as the other male in the video and confessed that he assaulted Lewis. Purdie told police he showed Lewis the picture of his mother’s grave, Lewis allegedly spit on Purdie’s face and cursed at him. Purdie reacted by punching and kicking Lewis. Purdie said Lewis, “bothers people.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antonio Bassett fatally shot Monday morning

A 35-year-old man was fatally shot early Monday morning.

Antonio Bassett was found inside a residence on the 3900 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE, at around 4:45 a.m. When emergency workers arrived they determined Bassett had already died from his injuries, and he was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Police have not yet released any suspect information.

 

Whitney Jones found fatally stabbed Monday evening


Police say a 31-year-old man was fatally stabbed Monday evening.

Whitney Jones, of Maryland, was found unconscious and suffering from an apparent stab wound by officers responding to a report of an assault. Jones was found in the 1100 block of K St., SE at around 5:08 p.m.

Jones was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. Police have not yet released any suspect information.

 

Police searching for Seth Holmes


Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a suspect wanted for the alleged murder of Damonta Thompson earlier this month.

Police are circulating photos of Seth Holmes, who was wanted on a warrant for second-degree murder while armed. Police warn Holmes may be armed and dangerous. Holmes was described by police as a 23-year-old black male with brown eyes and black shoulder-length hair. Holmes is 5’9″ tall, weighing 180 pounds.

Thompson was found at around 2:07 p.m. on May 9, 2017 suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

Derrick Roach fatally stabbed Saturday


Police are investigating after they say a 49-year-old man was fatally stabbed in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Derrick Roach was found suffering what what appeared to be a stab wound inside of a residence in the 100 block of Joliet St., SW. Roach was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

Police have not yet released any suspect information.

 

Anthony Wade sentenced to 20 years for killing Aubrey Dansbury


Anthony Wade was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of Aubrey Dansbury, and his uncle was sentenced for helping.

Wade pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for shooting Dansbury.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dansbury and Wade were arguing inside an apartment when the fight turned physical, and Wade called his uncle. The two men took the fight outside, when Wade’s uncle, Bailey, showed up and provided his nephew with a gun. Wade initially fired at Dansbury until his gun jammed, when his uncle helped unjam it. Wade then fatally shot Dansbury while he tried to seek cover in Bailey’s car.

The two men left in Bailey’s car, leaving Dansbury on the sidewalk. Dansbury died about a week later from his injuries.

Bailey will serve 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

Sean Smith pleads not guilty to murder of Matthew Walker


Sean Smith pleaded not guilty to the murder of Matthew Walker last August among other charges in D.C. Superior Court this week.

Smith, indicted for murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm due to a prior conviction and carrying a pistol without a license. The case will now head to trial.

Smith has been held in jail since October of 2016.

Marcus Manor’s murder trial rescheduled for next January


Kevin Chase’s trial which was originally scheduled to begin next month has again been pushed back after a co-defendant was indicted.

Kevin Chase and Demetrius Brandon have been charged with the murder of Marcus Manor, who was fatally assaulted in October 2015.

Chase was indicted on five charges, including murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm due to a prior conviction, carrying a pistol without a license and assault with significant bodily injury. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

According to charging documents, days prior to the homicide, on October 16, 2015, Manor was assaulted inside of apartment 301 at 2922 Sherman Ave, NW. This was Manor’s girlfriend’s apartment at the time. Manor asked two witnesses to watch his backpack and bicycle as he entered the apartment to see his girlfriend. According to these same two witness, Manor had a conversation with two other males outside the apartment before all three entered together. Manor was taken to the hospital soon after because of wounds from an assault. A family member later told police that Manor had called and said he had been assaulted by his girlfriend, her brother, and her cousin.

A trial date was set for next January.

Two men charged with murder of Antoine McCullough plead not guilty


The two men charged with the murder of Antoine McCullough pleaded not guilty and the case against them will now head to trial.

Jerrell Powell and Jeremiah Jordan had been charged with McCullough’s death. The two men were indicted on charges of murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm.

A trial date has not yet been set, though the two men are due in court for an appearance June 30.

 

Jasper Spires again found competent to stand trial


The man charged with the murder of Kenneth Sutherland aboard a red-line metro train on July 4 was found competent to stand trial.

According to the Washington Post, Jasper Spires was determined to be criminally responsible, as ruled by a judge last Friday.

The post reported that doctors at St. Elizabeth’s “…determined that although the suspect, Jasper Spires, may have suffered from mental illness at the time he allegedly stabbed 24-year-old Kevin Sutherland on July 4, 2015, the illness was not so severe that it should have prevented him from conforming his behavior.”

Spires, 18, was charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly stabbed Sutherland, 24. According to details of an autopsy made public in Spires’ charging documents, Sutherland suffered from dozens of stab wounds to his chest and heart, as well as other trauma.

A trial date was tentatively scheduled for next March.

Kenneth Stewart rejects plea deal, murder case heads to trial


The man charged with the murder of Eric Jackson rejected a plea deal this week, and the case will now head to a trial.

Kenneth Stewart will head to trial next March for the alleged killing of Jackson in March of 2015. 

According to charging documents, Jackson was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to an area hospital where he later died. Multiple witnesses saw Stewart shot in the direction of where Jackson was found at the time of the incident. Some accounts state that two people were shooting. Stewart was seen exiting the scene in a white Dodge Charger.

Sister mourns father of two lost in shooting, but says homicide may have been ‘inevitable’


Though Tuluv Price wants the person who fatally shot her brother earlier this month to be held responsible– she also believes his tragic death was years in the making.

“It was like an inevitable fate,” Price said of the death of her 36-year-old brother Michael Dupre Price.

Price, a father of two boys, was killed in the 4600 block of Benning Rd., SE. Price remembered her brother as a guy with a “Napoleon complex” –short, but full of energy and personality.

“Anytime he walked into a room, any dead air in that room he would fill it in,” Price said. “Everyone in my family has that quality, but he had it more than anyone.”

As one of six children, Tuluv Price and her brother were raised by their grandparents.

“He couldn’t do any wrong in my grandfather’s eyes,” She said. “He was smart and witty–he could convince you of anything in an argument. You’d never know what to expect from him.”

But life wasn’t always easy for the father of two. Price’s mother was addicted to crack and a victim of domestic violence– so he and his sister were raised by their grandparents. Though Price and his siblings came from different fathers, the siblings all had a bond and found each other, remembering birthdays and getting together and catching up throughout the years. 

“He wasn’t educated– his life was rough, and he was on the streets at a very young age,” Price said.”He wanted to make a change and he wanted to get out of the situation that he was in – in the hood i would say it’s difficult to get out. There are a lot of influences pulling you in a lot of different directions.”

Price was hopeful the cycle of being on the streets would end with him, his sister said, who said she’ll never forget all the boasting he did about his two sons, Michael, 16, and Carter, 2.

“He was crazy about those boys,” she said. “His sons were his prized possessions. Mikey, he’s so wonderful–and he was taller than him, and Carter is just about to start a school.”

But despite his upbringing, Price was never one to first resort to violence to settle a problem, his sister said.

“If anybody any had any problems– street-wise or any problems of any kind, or feeling worried about anything pertaining to the streets he would handle it in a very amicable way.”

Price has heard from other siblings that the person who killed her brother had pulled out a gun on him days before– but he didn’t want anything violent to happen.

She’s hopeful the person who killed her brother will be arrested and held responsible, and urged anyone with information to contact the police at their tip line at (202) 727-9099. She has also created a Go Fund Me page collecting donations for Price’s burial and help for his sons. 

“He was always looking for a better solution before violence or anything else – and i’m not saying he was totally innocent– he had a temper,” she said. “But he definitely would try to seek out alternatives before anything dramatic and as a result I guess it cost him his life.”