DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park found probable cause to hold a homicide defendant in his girlfriend’s fatal shooting on Nov. 20.
Darryan Bynum, 32, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Mignon Brown-Massey on Aug. 13, 2025, on the 3300 block of 15th Street, NE.
During the hearing, prosecutors called to the stand a detective from the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Homicide Branch who testified about his interactions with Bynum on Aug. 13, 2023, identified him in court, and discussed the preparation of the affidavit.
Prosecutors presented a series of video exhibits to the court. The first showed interior footage from the living room of the residence where the shooting occurred. Additional street view footage allegedly captured Bynum leaving the home with another individual at approximately 3:02 a. m.
The prosecutor showed another video of Bynum entering a room and demanding, “Who the f*** are you?” to a witness. A subsequent clip, time-stamped 3:04 a. m., depicted him entering a bedroom, while a later video from 3:29 a. m. appeared to show someone exiting the bedroom and entering the bathroom.
The prosecution also played the 911 call, during which Bynum could be heard crying and pleading for help, stating that his girlfriend had been shot outside. The emotional recording prompted members of the victim’s family to leave the courtroom in tears.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Kevin O’Sullivan highlighted the longstanding romantic relationship between Bynum and Brown-Massey. He emphasized that the couple lived together and had no known history of domestic violence.
O’Sullivan noted that there were no reports, witnesses, or video evidence indicating arguments, threats, or abusive behavior between them. Several witnesses corroborated this, describing Brown-Massey as intoxicated but calm on the night in question and reporting no signs of conflict.
A friend of the victim testified that he had fallen asleep in the bedroom with Brown-Massey and that no sexual activity had taken place. He recounted that Bynum became upset upon discovering them, and claimed that Bynum pointed a gun at him and struck him.
The defense challenged these assertions, pointing out the lack of medical documentation or video evidence of injuries and noting that the friend admitted to possessing a firearm of his own. O’Sullivan further stressed that no one witnessed what occurred inside the bedroom at the exact moment the shot was fired, and that investigators found no shell casings in the home.
Although a gun was later located allegedly in Bynum’s Jeep with a lodged bullet, the defense argued there was no physical evidence linking that weapon to the shooting. A projectile recovered from the bathroom was still undergoing testing. The defense also remarked that Brown-Massey survived until noon the next day and did not make a 911 call herself.
Arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish probable cause, O’Sullivan emphasized the absence of video capturing the shooting, the lack of eyewitnesses, and the uncertain connection between the weapon recovered and the fatal injury.
He portrayed Brown-Massey’s friend as unreliable due to inconsistencies in his statements and his admission of carrying a gun. The defense maintained that the shooting was accidental and occurred in the heat of the moment after Bynum discovered another man in bed with his girlfriend. They argued that Bynum’s actions afterward, attempting to care for Brown-Massey and eventually calling 911, reflected panic rather than intent.
The judge, however, rejected the defense’s arguments. Citing the surveillance footage showing Bynum entering the bedroom followed by a sound consistent with a gunshot, as well as later images of Brown-Massey crawling toward the bathroom, the judge found the evidence consistent with the cause of death.
The court did not accept the defense’s claim of an accidental shooting, noting the delayed 911 call and testimony that Bynum appeared upset. With probable cause established, the hearing proceeded to arguments regarding detention.
Prosecutors urged the court to keep Bynum detained, characterizing the case as a domestic-violence homicide that took place inside the home. They stressed that Bynum waited hours before seeking help, that Brown-Massey died roughly an hour after arriving at the hospital, and that Bynum was already on probation in Maryland under conditions prohibiting new offenses or firearm possession. They argued that Bynum violated these terms and posed a danger to the community.
The defense countered with a request for Bynum’s release on electronic monitoring to his mother’s home. O’Sullivan emphasized Bynum’s lack of prior criminal history, steady employment, educational background, and strong family support.
He noted that Bynum helps care for his sick mother, works long hours, runs a small apparel business, and is a first-time father with Brown-Massey’s child. The defense argued that the shooting involved a single, unintentional event and that Bynum believed the injury was minor. They contended that prosecutors could not show that lesser conditions of release would be inadequate.
The judge ordered that Bynum remain detained, expressing concern that he allegedly committed the offense while already on release and under explicit orders not to possess a firearm.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Feb. 26, 2026.
