Homicide Defendant Can Test DNA Evidence After First Waiving Rights

DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz approved Tyler Stringfield‘s request to test DNA evidence at a hearing on March 14, even though Stringfield previously waived his right to perform independent testing.

Stringfield, 26, Raymond Avent, 25, and Keith Baham, 25, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, two counts of possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, unauthorized use of a vehicle, fleeing a law enforcement officer, leaving after colliding with property damage or injury to an animal while armed, destruction of property worth less than $1000, and two counts of destruction of property worth $1000 or more. These charges stem from their alleged involvement in the death of 23-year-old Rafiq Hawkins in the 1200 block of Brentwood Road, NE on March 23, 2019.

Avent is also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault knowingly while armed, unlawful possession of contraband in a penal institution, and conspiracy. These charges stem from his alleged involvement in a non-fatal DC Jail stabbing on June 3, 2021, on the 1900 block of D Street, SE.

Stringfield’s attorney, Steven Kiersh, said Stringfield waived his right to DNA testing under the guidance of a different attorney, before Kiersh took on his case in December of 2024.

Kiersh suggested that Stringfield might not have been implicated by the prosecution’s DNA test results at the time that he waived his rights to testing, but the prosecutor said he was.

The prosecutor opposed allowing Stringfield to test DNA evidence, saying, “I’m personally a tax payer. It’s a waste of money.”

When Judge Kravitz asked for a professional rather than a personal reason to oppose testing, the prosecutor said there may not be adequate time before the trial date of Sept. 22. According to the prosecutor, Stringfield’s DNA test results must be available at least four months before the start of trial in order for the prosecution to prepare adequately.

Kiersh said he thought he could meet that deadline because the lab he uses for DNA testing usually has a six-to-eight-week turnaround time, although he doesn’t know for certain what their workload is right now.

Judge Kravitz promised to sign the order for testing as soon as it’s sent to his chambers.

The next hearing in this case is set for May 16.

Stabbing Victim’s Sister Calls Defendant A ‘Menace’ During Sentencing

A defendant in a fatal stabbing case was sentenced to one year in jail before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan on March 7.

On Nov. 7, 2024, Keyjuana Sinclair, 27, pleaded guilty to simple assault and carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or business for her involvement in the fatal stabbing of 27-year-old Danielle Stuckey on Oct. 17, 2021 on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE.

Sinclair’s co-defendant, Tywan Morris, 29, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or business, and two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon for his alleged involvement in the same incident.

Sinclair was additionally charged with attempted possession of a prohibited weapon for her involvement in a misdemeanor case which she picked up while she was on release for the stabbing case.

During the hearing, Stuckey’s mother, older sister, and son gave victim impact statements. They explained the impact of Stuckey’s death on their lives and talked about Sinclair’s lack of remorse.

“Justice would be served if this woman would be given time to think about what she’s done,” Stuckey’s mother said. “We deserve justice. My daughter deserves justice. Her children deserve justice.”

Stuckey’s family members asked the court to give Sinclair prison time.

“She’s a menace,” Stuckey’s older sister said. “If you let her back on the street, she’s gonna be back in your courtroom.”

The prosecution highlighted two points–Sinclair’s lack of remorse and a pattern of behavior reflected in the current case. They said Sinclair has a history of personal disputes escalating into violence. In several, they said, there were allegations that Sinclair had a knife.

“The practical fact of the matter is that she turned this into an armed [incident],” the prosecution said.

Additionally, the prosecution argued that she has repeatedly violated release conditions throughout the case.

“She didn’t put her head down [or] stay on the straight and narrow,” the prosecution said. “She picked up another case in which she had a knife.”

Sinclair’s defense attorney, Peter Cooper, argued that Sinclair shouldn’t bear the responsibility as Morris stabbed Stuckey and gave Sinclair the knife. Cooper also said that Sinclair experienced violence growing up and, as a result, needs mental health and anger management treatment.

He requested a probation sentence to enforce her compliance with these programs.

“Give her a carrot,” Cooper said. “She will come out of this better. The community will come out of this better.”

Judge Raffinan gave Sinclair an opportunity to speak, during which Sinclair apologized to Stuckey’s family members and stated that she had changed.

“I am no longer who I was,” Sinclair said. “I no longer think how I used to think. I just ask for forgiveness.”

Judge Raffinan said that she considered a variety of factors when determining Sinclair’s sentence, including her record, her mental health issues, her new case, and the nature and circumstances of the incident.

Regarding the charge for simple assault, Judge Raffinan chose a sentence of 180 days of incarceration. For the charge of carrying a dangerous weapon, Sinclair was sentenced to six months of incarceration and three years of supervised release. These two sentences would run concurrently. Finally, for the additional charge of attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, Sinclair will serve a sentence of 180 days of incarceration which will run consecutively to the sentences of the first two charges. In total, Sinclair will serve 12 months of incarceration and three years of supervised release.

No further dates were scheduled.

Homicide Defendant Continues to Miss Court Proceedings

Mark Price failed to appear before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on March 14, further delaying a homicide case that has been ongoing for more than six years.

Price, 30, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, threat to injure or kidnap a person, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict and first-degree burglary while armed. These charges are connected to the fatal shooting of 47-year-old Andre Hakim Young on July 30, 2018, on the 1500 block of 19th Street, NE.

Price is also awaiting sentencing for a mass shooting on the 5300 block of 53rd Street, NE, on July 16, 2018. The highly publicized crime in the Clay Terrace neighborhood left 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson dead and four other individuals with gunshot wounds.

Price’s attorney, Destiny Fullwood-Singh, informed the court on March 14 that Price refused to get on the bus from DC Jail to court and told her he wasn’t feeling well.

According to court records, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun warned Price on May 3, 2024, over his repeated absences from court proceedings.

The next hearing in this case is scheduled for Sept. 12.

‘I’m Not A Lost Cause,’ Says Shooting Defendant Sentenced to 9 Years

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun sentenced a mass shooting defendant to 180 months, with all but 108 months suspended, during a hearing on March 14.

On Sept. 9, 2024, Daniel Mendoza, 24, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault knowingly while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon for his involvement in a shooting that seriously injured two individuals, and left two others suffering from graze wounds, on June 27, 2023 on the 3100 block of 16th Street, NW.

During the hearing, prosecutors requested Judge Okun sentence Mendoza to a consecutive sentence of 120 months for the aggravated assault and 60 months for the assault with a dangerous weapon charge. They stated the lengthy sentence was “warranted not only by the extremely serious and violent nature of the crimes, but also because of [Mendoza’s] not total acceptance of responsibility.”

According to the prosecution, Mendoza fired seven shots at two individuals, one who sustained five gunshot wounds. The prosecution added that two bystanders were grazed during the incident.

Prosecutors deemed the shooting an “unprovoked, serious, violent offense that could have killed four people.” They added Mendoza has had disciplinary problems while detained, and was deemed a high-recidivism risk.

“It’s not only how violent the offense is, but these victims will live with this for the rest of their lives,” the prosecution stated.

Marc Eisenstein, Mendoza’s attorney, requested Judge Okun sentence Mendoza to 60 months of incarceration, stating he was only 22 at the time of the incident and was still “maturing and growing.”

“The message is clear that the trajectory Mr. Mendoza was in would end up in jail or dead,” Eisenstein stated.

Eisenstein added that Mendoza’s mother fought hard to avoid violent influences, despite living in a bad neighborhood, but Mendoza still succumbed. “This was her worst nightmare,” Eisenstein said.

He told Judge Okun Mendoza’s moral compass went awry quickly, and he began using drugs to “numb the pain.”

“He should’ve went home,” Eisenstein said about the day of the incident, adding “pride got in the way, and he made a terrible decision.”

According to Eisenstein, there were false allegations that Mendoza had sexually assaulted one of the victim’s sisters, hurting his ego, and he wanted to stand his ground.

Eisenstein stated “this is a case of imperfect self-defense,” because the two victims arrived and made Mendoza fearful. “He believed what was gonna come next could cost him his life.”

“He feels terrible… this could have ended tragically,” Eisenstein said, adding Mendoza’s family, that was present at the hearing, is “very disappointed in him.” He requested Judge Okun sentence Mendoza under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), which allows a young defendant’s conviction be sealed if they successfully complete all sentencing requirements.

Mendoza’s mom stated he’s her only son, and she’ll continue to wait for his release. During her statement, Mendoza’s mom asked God to help him change.

“I give my sincere deep apologies from the bottom of my heart,” Mendoza said, adding that he traumatized a lot of people.

“I understand that I messed up, but I’m not a lost cause,” Mendoza told Judge Okun, stating he wants to prove everyone wrong, especially the prosecution who stated he’s likely to reoffend once released.

“I don’t want to be that type of person anymore,” he said, adding “I just wanna make my mother proud.”

“These are really serious crimes. You caused a lot of serious damage and it could’ve been worse,” Judge Okun voiced. However, he sentenced Mendoza under the YRA to 120 months, with all but 72 suspended for the aggravated assault charge, and 60 months with all but 36 suspended for the assault with a dangerous weapon charge, which will run consecutively for a total of nine years.

Mendoza is also required to serve three years of probation, pay $200 to the Victims of Violent Crime Fund, participate in substance abuse assessments and treatments, anger management, mental health treatment, 90 hours of community service and get his GED.

“You are gonna have a number of years to serve,” Judge Okun said to Mendoza, adding “for your sake, your family’s sake, and community’s sake, I hope you can learn from your mistake and are never here again.”

No further dates were set.

Fatal Stabbing Defendant Can Do Some Work Overtime, Weekends

DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan permitted a change to Christian Wilkerson‘s pretrial release conditions on March 17, allowing him to perform roofing work outside his regular working hours of 7:00 a. m. to 3:00 p. m. when jobs take longer than expected or emergency situations arise.

Wilkerson, 22, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of Rashawn Phifer, 20, on Nov. 11, 2022 on the 500 block of Riggs Road, NE.

“He has been on pre-trial release for over a year now. His record, as far as I can recall, is spotless,” said Joseph Caleb, Wilkerson’s attorney, in support of his request that Wilkerson be allowed to work extra hours. He pointed out that Wilkerson is tracked by a GPS monitoring device.

An official from the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) confirmed that Wilkerson has been compliant with release conditions. The official suggested Wilkerson’s release conditions might not need to be changed because they already say Wilkerson is allowed to leave his home “to seek employment and report to work,” as long as Wilkerson provides the time and location in advance.

The prosecution opposed changing Wilkerson’s release conditions, arguing that PSA could grant Wilkerson exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

“We’re concerned that he may not be able to have the hours pre-approved on days that are emergencies or that the job goes beyond 3:00,” Caleb said, noting that PSA is closed on weekends.

Judge Ryan changed Wilkerson’s release conditions to allow “some flexibility to address work-related emergencies that may arise.” He instructed Wilkerson to report the hours and locations of his work to PSA as soon afterward as possible so the agency can verify that information with his employer.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on May 30.

03.16.25 MPD Arrests Madison Street Shooting Suspect

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 26-year-old Kavon Phillips in connection with a shooting on Mar. 15 on the 1200 block of Madison Street, Northwest. The incident involved an adult male victim who was found conscious with a gunshot wound and transported to a hospital. Phillips faces multiple charges, including Assault With A Dangerous Weapon and firearm-related offenses.

Arrest Made in Southeast Shooting; MPD Continues Search for Two Suspects

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 19-year-old Onterrio Wilkinson in connection with a Southeast shooting incident that occurred on Sep. 28. Wilkinson, from Landover, MD, faces charges including Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Endangerment with a Firearm. The MPD continues to seek assistance in identifying two additional suspects involved in the incident, where an adult female was injured but survived.

MPD Arrests Suspect in North Capitol Street Assault

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 37-year-old Terrence Stanley in connection with a stabbing and vehicle theft incident on Mar. 11 on North Capitol Street, NW. The victim, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, was stabbed by one suspect while another stole the vehicle, which was later recovered. Stanley has been charged with Assault With A Dangerous Weapon (Knife), Theft First Degree (Stolen Auto), and Fugitive From Justice.

Correction: MPD Investigating Southeast Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on Mar. 13 in Southeast D.C. Officers responded to the 5000 block of Benning Road and found 33-year-old Darius Young with gunshot wounds. Despite being transported to a hospital, Young was pronounced dead. The shooting was determined to have occurred outdoors in the 5000 block of H Street, Southeast. The case remains under investigation.

MPD Investigating Southeast Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on Mar. 13 in Southeast D.C. Officers responded to the 5000 block of Benning Road, where they found 33-year-old Darius Young with gunshot wounds. Despite being transported to a hospital, Young was pronounced dead. The shooting was determined to have occurred outdoors in the 5000 block of H Street, Southeast. The case remains under investigation.

MPD Arrests Northeast Shooting Suspect

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 19-year-old Michael Alexander, who was charged with Assault With A Dangerous Weapon (Gun) in connection to a shooting on Feb 21 in the 300 block of S Street, Northeast. The incident involved an adult male victim who was found conscious and breathing with a gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital.

Second Arrest Made in East Capitol Street Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced an update regarding a shooting incident on Nov. 22, 2024, in the 1700 block of East Capitol Street, Southeast. A 15-year-old male was injured and later sought help at Eastern High School. A 17-year-old male was previously arrested, and now a 15-year-old juvenile male has been extradited to D.C. and charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Gun). The investigation continues as authorities seek further information.

03.13.25 MPD Releases Video in Union Station Homicide Investigation

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are seeking assistance in identifying a suspect involved in a homicide at Union Station's parking garage on Feb. 10. The victim, 18-year-old Wayne McDaniel, was found deceased near the escalators after being shot by an unidentified individual captured on surveillance video. The MPD has released the video to aid in the investigation.

MPD Searching for Southeast Shooting Suspect

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are seeking assistance in identifying a suspect involved in a shooting incident that occurred on Feb. 23 in the 2700 block of Jasper Street, Southeast. The suspect fired at a victim, who was not injured, before fleeing the scene. Surveillance footage of the suspect is available, and the MPD is urging anyone with information to come forward.

3.12.25 MPD Arrests Northwest Shooting Suspect

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 28-year-old Marquis Carter in connection with a shooting incident that occurred on Jul. 25, 2024, in Northwest. Carter allegedly shot at a moving vehicle, injuring an adult female and causing another woman to be hurt by broken glass. He was apprehended on Mar. 11, 2025, and charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, along with other drug-related charges.