Judge Seeks Status of Injured Homicide Defendant

DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz instructed defense counsel on April 11 to expedite medical assistance to an injured homicide defendant, and the judge said he would ask the department of corrections about the inmates’s status.

Andrew Ellis, 22, Marques Johnson, 42, are charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict. Ellis is also charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and another count of possession of a firearm during crime of violence. The charges arise from their alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Leo Colter, 56, on Oct. 1, 2023, on the 900 block of 15th Street NW.

During the hearing on April 11, Ellis’ defense attorney, Carrie Weletz, addressed concerns about Ellis’ medical condition. Weletz stated that Ellis broke his neck and was unable to function properly because of the injury.

The defense attorney said she attempted to get Ellis access to physical therapy, but she said her requests were often ignored.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene Oct. 17.

Two-Year-Old Homicide Witness says, ‘Daddy Shot Pop-Pop,’ Suspect Held

DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park found probable cause against a homicide defendant and denied his release on April 10.

De’Angelo Goldston, 37, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the shooting of his father, 61-year-old Darryl Smith, who was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital shortly after the incident on Feb. 4 on the 1000 block of First Street, SE.

Goldston and his father allegedly had animosity towards each other because Goldston was allegedly stealing money from him.

The only eyewitness to the incident is Goldston’s two-year-old child who was in the apartment when the shooting took place. According to a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective, the child said “Daddy shot Pop Pop” and imitated him falling off the chair.

The prosecution argued for probable cause because of the eyewitness, the surveillance footage of the apartment complex, and the great unlikelihood that the two-year-old child was the assailant.

The defense disagreed, saying there was no evidence of who was actually present during the shooting. Additionally, the only evidence that connected Goldston to the shooting was a two-year-old’s statement.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene May 16.

‘I Want You to Pay Attention to Your Health,’ Judge Urges Shooting Defendant

DC Superior Court Chief Judge Milton Lee was pleased April 14 to hear that a homicide defendant is following his terms of probation, despite facing a cancer diagnosis. “I want you to pay attention to your health,” said the judge.

John James, 33, pleaded guilty in October of 2018 to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault for shooting Ernest Massenberg-Bey, Jr. on Sept. 28, 2015, on the 1100 block of Eaton Road, SE.

In a probation review hearing, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) reported that James has been following his probation and checking in with his officer frequently. Even though James’ cancer medications have been causing the drug tests to come back positive, Judge Lee understood the results were not James’ fault.

The prosecution requested a stay away order, which the defense agreed to. There are no concerns from the defense, prosecution, or Judge Lee that James will violate the order or the terms of his probation.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene Sept. 24.

Judge Issues Bench Warrant for Homicide Defendant

DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park issued a bench warrant for a homicide defendant on April 11 after he was detained in Maryland for a gun offense.

Alonzo Brown, 28, and Naquel Henderson, 27, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed, four counts of assault with intent to kill, and five counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. These charges stem from their alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Michael Taylor and the shooting of two other victims on Jan. 12, 2019, on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE.

Of the five suspects charged in the case, Stephon Evans, 24, pleaded guilty in April 2022, and Tavist Alston, 31, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in May 2022. Carlos Turner, 26, is scheduled for sentencing on May 16, 2025.

At the hearing, the prosecution told Judge Park that the Maryland prosecutors plan on holding Brown.

Judge Park expressed concern about how that would affect the rapidly approaching trial date.

He stated did not want this matter to be delayed given the elaborate preparations. Judge Park said he planned to issue a bench warrant as soon as possible.

Parties are slated to reconvene on April 18.

Judge Allows Police Interview of Infanticide Defendant

DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park ruled that evidence and testimony from the authorities questioning a homicide defendant would be allowed during trial on April 11.

Faneshia Scott, 38, is charged with seven counts of first-degree cruelty to children and two counts of first-degree murder while the victim was especially vulnerable due to age, for her alleged involvement in the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Rhythm Fields, on the 5400 block of C Street, SE. Fields’s lifeless body was found inside Scott’s apartment on March 21, 2017.

The exact circumstances surrounding Rhythm’s death are unknown. However, according to court documents, authorities were called to the scene after concerns were raised about the baby’s well-being. Scott has been on release since Oct. 26, 2018.

At the hearing, Scott’s attorney, Steven Kiersh, argued that any evidence from the police interrogation in April of 2017 should not be included as she had been subjected to lengthy questioning and was not in the right state of mind.

The prosecution opposed this, asserting that Scott had gone to the police station herself, agreeing to questioning and a polygraph test. The police also stated her rights and told her specifically that she was not under arrest.

Judge Park agreed, ruling that the interrogation was non-threatening and that evidence from the questioning could be included. However, he stated that no evidence from the polygraph test is to be admitted. Both parties agreed.

Parties are slated to reconvene on May 27.

Lawyers Clash Over Analyst’s DNA Expertise in Robbery, Murder Case

Parties spared over the qualifications of a DNA expert in a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe on April 14, reviewing a decade old homicide case.

Antwon Green, 36, was initially convicted of first-degree murder while armed, felony murder while armed, four counts of possession of a firearm during crime of violence, attempt to commit robbery while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Breond Keys, 38, at a barbershop on the 1400 block of Good Hope Road, SE, on Oct. 10, 2014. Green was sentenced to 48 years for the crime.

The conviction was appealed partly on the basis of inadequate representation in 2022 and though affirmed four charges were dismissed including felony murder. DNA evidence was a major part of the trial and it is under attack by the defense.

In court, Steven Kiersch, Green’s attorney, reviewed a DNA specialist’s professional credentials, to establish his credibility before offering him as an expert witness.

The prosecution objected stating the witness hadn’t earned a master’s or doctorate degree, only a premedical sciences certification. The prosecutor also said the witness was fired from two previous forensic analysis jobs at National Medical Services (NMS) and Acadiana Imaging.

The witness said he “chose to be fired” from NMS.

He claimed they overworked him and when he tried to get compensation, his supervisors accused him of sexually harassing an intern. He said he was given the option to resign or be fired, so he quit. He stated he was fired from Acadiana Imaging because he reported his supervisor for malfeasance.

The prosecution also challenged the conferences the witness attended, stating there were no evaluation at the end of the meetings and there was nothing to indicate whether or not the attendee grasped the information.

The witness stated that not how those events work.

The prosecution also revealed that the witness was not accepted as a DNA expert in two cases in New York State. According to court documents, the witness lacked “sufficient qualifications to testify regarding DNA analysis.”

”The judge accepted a 24-year-old analyst with two years of experience and not me who’s been doing this longer than he’s been alive,” the witness said. He implied that the transcripts from his past cases in New York were overemphasized by the prosecution.

Kiersch informed Judge Iscoe that the witness has been accepted as an expert in DC every time he testified. Judge Iscoe noted this and found the witness qualified as an expert in DNA analysis, stating that the “issues go to weight not admissibility.”

The witness stated that he reviewed the original DNA analysis in this case from 2015. He came to the conclusion that the forensic analyst who conducted the examination should have used a three person mixture test, due to the presence of foreign DNA in the samples. The samples included the right pocket of Keys’ cargo pants and a cartridge casing from the suspect’s weapon.

The witness stated portions of the recovered DNA were inconsistent with both Green and Keys, so there had to be a third party.

The prosecution stated that the original forensic analyst testified that her lab didn’t have protocol for a three person mixture in 2015. The witness challenged that claim, stating the software and guidelines to do the analysis were available at the time.

You can still draw conclusions regarding the major contributor in the sample even with third party contributions, the prosecutor said. According to testing reports, Green was a likely major contributor in the DNA profile of both samples.

A member of Green’s defense team from his trial in 2017 said there were “serious problems with the way the DNA was tested” in this case.

She stated that the amount of DNA claimed to have been recovered did not make sense, referring to video of the suspect touching Keys’ pants pocket. She also voiced concern with the composition of evidence due clutter in the barbershop.

The prosecution stated that the defense did file a specific request to exclude DNA evidence at the time of the trial,but DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff denied the motion, finding that Green did not meet the requirements for an evidentiary hearing at the time.

An eyewitness from the DC Jail said he was hanging out in a park across the street from the barbershop at the time of the incident, claiming he saw someone run out of the shop holding a gun with a ski mask on. He said the individual definitely wasn’t Green because of the man’s physical build, facial structure, and darker complexion.

Green told the jury that he did not kill Keys, claiming the DNA evidence was incorrect and potentially stolen.

Green is scheduled to finish his testimony on April 15.

Document: MPD Investigating Northeast Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a homicide in Northeast Washington, D.C. On Jan. 7. Officers found 54-year-old Thameka Harvell unconscious on the 600 block of Rhode Island Avenue, NE. Her death was later ruled a homicide due to a blunt force head injury. The case remains under investigation.

Murder Defendant Requests Continuance for Jail Visit

A status hearing for a homicide case was postponed and rescheduled in front of DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on April 11.

Joshua Allen, 33, is charged with first-degree murder premeditated while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, and carrying a pistol without license outside a home or business.

The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Delonte Johnson on June 11, 2021, on the 4600 block of Hillside Road, SE.

Under seal, the parties discussed a request from Allen to postpone the originally scheduled April 11 status hearing due to a conflict with a jail visit. The request was unopposed, and Judge Park continued the original status hearing date.

Parties are slated to reconvene on April 18.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect in March Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 39-year-old Davone Darnell Smith, who was allegedly involved in a shooting on Mar. 11 in the Unit block of Mississippi Avenue SE.

Smith was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (gun) after being identified through surveillance footage.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect in Clay Place Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested 31-year-old Mickyel Goodwin on April 11. Goodwin was allegedly involved in a shooting incident that occurred on March 17 on the 4000 block of Clay Place, NE.

The victim, an adult male, was treated for gunshot wounds at a local hospital.

Goodwin was apprehended on April 11 in Hyattsville, MD, and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (gun).

Document: Police Investigate Shooting in Southeast DC

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a fatal stabbing that occurred on Apr. 10 in the 1600 block of V Street, SE. The victim, identified as 31-year-old Michael Alanzo Jackson, was found unconscious with puncture wounds and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. No suspect information is available at this time.

Document: Police arrest Suspect in Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 18-year-old Daveon Hebb, of Fort Washington, MD, for his alleged involvement in a shooting incident on Jan 29 in Southeast Washington, D.C.

The incident involved a rideshare driver whose vehicle was damaged by gunfire after the suspect fired a handgun on the 3300 block of 10th Place, SE. Fortunately, the victim was not injured. Hebb has been charged with Assault With A Dangerous Weapon (Gun) and Destruction of Property.

Judge Dismisses Firearm Charge in Carjacking Trial

DC Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel dismissed one of the two charges filed against Devonte Carter immediately before his trial concluded on April 10.

Carter, 30, was originally charged with armed carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in an incident on the 1400 block of Cedar Street, SE on July 10, 2024.

According to court documents, a Door Dash driver had just completed a delivery on a scooter when he was cut off by a black car and a suspect emerged with a gun. A second suspect identified as “Fat Boy” came out of the car and snatched the scooter key from the victim’s neck and drove away.

Carter’s attorney, Gregg Baron, filed a motion for a judgement of acquittal after the prosecution stated that another, unidentified suspect used a firearm to allow Carter’s taking of the vehicle.

Following a lengthy discussion on April 9 and 10, Judge Israel ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove Carter’s use of a firearm. She said the prosecution didn’t show that Carter planned on using a gun before he allegedly took the vehicle.

Judge Israel allowed the charge of armed carjacking to remain, on the condition that the jury also be instructed on a possible charge of unarmed carjacking. The jury will decide if Carter is guilty of either charge.

Baron recalled a detective with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who previously testified for the prosecution. The detective explained that MPD got a search warrant for Carter’s phone in either October or November but found no cell site evidence placing Carter in the area of the incident.

The prosecution, in the cross-examination, asked the detective what information was found on the phone. The detective said there was no activity on the phone in July, suggesting Carter didn’t have the device phone when the incident occurred.

In their closing, the prosecution emphasized that two people very familiar with Carter identified him as being in the apartment complex where the vehicle was recovered by MPD. They also reiterated that DNA tests of the vehicle showed an extremely high likelihood that Carter was a source of DNA. The prosecution stressed that the victim whose vehicle was taken would never give it up willingly, as “that moped was his way of feeding his family.”

In Baron’s closing, he asked the jury if “the government has given you everything you need to do what they’re asking you to do?” He explained that no one, not even the victim, identified Carter as the man who committed the carjacking.

Baron argued that gaps in the surveillance video footage and allegedly untrue statements by the victim created reasonable doubt that Carter took the vehicle. Without denying that surveillance footage showed Carter on the vehicle, Baron reiterated a detective’s testimony from the previous day, saying stolen vehicles are commonly passed around to different people.

In response, the prosecution agreed that surveillance showed the stolen vehicle being passed between people, but they stressed that Carter was the first one to bring it to the apartment complex. They said that, if Carter did simply come into possession of the vehicle after the carjacking, he would “have to be the most unlucky guy in the world,” because his appearance perfectly matched the description of the carjacker.

Parties are slated to reconvene on April 14.

Judge Weighs Probable Cause in Homicide Case

DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park postponed his ruling of a probable cause finding in a preliminary hearing for a homicide case on April 10.

Navar Rogers, 17, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in a shooting on the 4200 block of 4th Street, SE, that resulted in the death of 15-year-old Zyion Turner.

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to reports of a shooting on Sept. 2, 2023, and located a juvenile male suffering multiple gunshot wounds who was unconscious and not breathing. Despite life-saving efforts, Turner was pronounced dead.

During the hearing, an MPD homicide detective provided details of surveillance footage, Instagram reels, and other evidence that led to the arrest of Rogers.

In cross-examination of the witness, defense attorney Terrence Austin attempted to raise doubt by asking about the reliability of witnesses and the complicated relationship that Rogers had with Turner. Allegedly, the two were close friends in high school, and the witnesses were also friends in the same group.

The prosecution argued that probable cause exists because Rogers and Turner had a close relationship, cell tower pings that confirmed Rogers was in the vicinity during the time of the homicide, and what was probably Rogers’ DNA was found on a gym bag in the victim’s apartment.

The defense argued that the evidence is insufficient.

No firearm was found, Austin said. There was no evidence of a motive along with multiple levels of hearsay, he continued.

The defense also said the prosecution had 18 months since the incident to gather solid evidence and failed.

Judge Park acknowledged it’s unusual not to find probable cause in a homicide case but decided to review the evidence and case law over the weekend.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene for the ruling on April 15.

Jury Acquits Fatal Stabbing Defendant Claiming Self-Defense

A jury acquitted a homicide suspect on all counts in a three-year-old stabbing case before DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan on April 9.

Julian Ruffin, 34, was charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 38-year-old Alphonso Lee on Oct. 7, 2022 on the 1500 block of Butler Street, SE.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors described Ruffin as someone who was “ready to fight” on the night of the incident. Ruffin’s attorney, Kevin Irving, argued that he was acting in self-defense.

Irving said an argument between Ruffin and Lee quickly escalated to a physical confrontation, and Ruffin “stood up to a bully that day.”

Following a day of deliberations, the jury returned the not guilty verdict.

No further dates were set.

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