The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the Aug. 1 arrest of 19-year-old Eric Sheffield, who is charged with first-degree murder while armed, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Kenneth Barksdale. The incident occurred on Dec. 16, 2023 on the 1200 block of 44th Place, SE.
Previously, on July 31, MPD announced the arrest of 18-year-old D’Andre Montgomery for his alleged involvement in the incident.
The mother of a homicide victim spoke in opposition to a plea deal that would sentence her son’s shooter to 13-and-a-half years in prison during a hearing in front of DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Aug. 2.
Delonte Jackson, 25, was originally charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed, armed carjacking, three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his involvement in the death of Artavarn Wagner, 44, on March 3, 2022, on the 1700 block of Gales Street, NE.
Through his defense attorney, Megan Allburn, Jackson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed on Aug. 2 as part of a plea deal. In exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss all other charges and to ask Judge Brandt for a 13-and-a-half-year sentence to run concurrently with a federal prison term of unspecified length that Jackson is already serving for felony possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“He needs life without parole, since we don’t have the death penalty,” Wagner’s mother said about Jackson. “He shot my child like a dog. He ran him down and shot him like a dog.”
“I’ve had three ministrokes because of this. My health is bad,” Wagner’s mother told the court. She detailed mental health struggles suffered by Wagner’s children that she attributed to Wagner’s killing.
“I beg Your Honor to take into account the damage he has done out here and make sure he can’t do it to anyone else’s child,” Wagner’s mother urged Judge Brandt.
“I can only imagine–I can’t imagine what Ms. Wagner and her family have gone through,” Judge Brandt said. “I do believe Ms. Wagner said some things that Mr. Jackson needed to hear.”
The maximum sentence Jackson could receive for a voluntary manslaughter charge is 30 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000.
Judge Brandt told Jackson that she will decide at his sentencing whether to impose the sentence agreed in the plea deal. Since the plea follows Rule 11(c)(1)(c) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Jackson has the right to withdraw his guilty plea if Judge Brandt does not accept the sentencing request.
“This is a process. I’m sure I’ll hear more at the sentencing, but we aren’t there yet,” said Judge Brandt.
In their proffer of facts, the prosecution said that surveillance video showed Jackson approaching Wagner on the street, chasing him into an alley, and shooting him multiple times before driving off in Wagner’s vehicle.
According to the prosecution, Jackson was wearing a court-ordered GPS monitor that showed him to be at the locations where Wagner’s vehicle was spotted on surveillance video during the hours following Jackson’s shooting.
The prosecution said that DNA and firearm evidence corroborated their case against Jackson.
Under oath, Jackson said that the proffer of facts was accurate.
Allburn asked Judge Brandt to postpone Jackson’s sentencing until after November, to allow Jackson to complete the educational program he is pursuing at the DC Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF).
The sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 13.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 33-year-old Domonic Tabron, who is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Brittany Palmer.
The incident occurred on July 9, 2022, on the 1600 block of New York Avenue, NE.
Irv Duff Jr. pleaded not guilty through his defense attorney, Kevann Gardner, at his arraignment before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Aug. 2.
Duff, 33, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, and obstruction of justice for his alleged involvement in the death of Darnell Gibson, 26, on Aug. 1, 2023, on the unit block of Forrester Street, SW.
According to court documents, Gibson was fatally shot while confronting a man who had knocked over his barbecue grill. The sounds of 23 gunshots were detected at the scene of the incident.
The trial is scheduled for April 8, 2025.
Parties are set to reconvene on Oct. 7.
DC Superior Court Judge Kendra Briggs told a juvenile’s attorney she is holding a motion to sever her murder case from four other girls in abeyance during an Aug. 1 hearing.
The juvenile, a 13-year-old girl, is one of five girls aged 12-to-15-years-old charged for their alleged involvement in the fatal beating of 64-year-old Reggie Brown. The incident occurred on Oct. 17, 2023, on the 6200 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.
She and a 15-year-old girl were arrested on July 18 for their alleged involvement in the incident.
The other three, a 12-year-old and two 13-year-olds, were originally arrested on March 28 and 29 for their alleged involvement.
Eduardo Ferrer, the girl’s attorney, requested she be severed from the group of five,stating that the previously scheduled trial date of Aug. 20, does not permit her defense team time to properly prepare and she “won’t have the defense she deserves” if she’s tried with the rest of the girls.
The prosecution objected stating that as of now, all girls’ cases are joined and should be tried together. They also stated that, although a trial date is scheduled for Aug. 20, it is still unclear if trial will occur.
The prosecutor requested Judge Briggs not make a decision until the trial date, stating that if the trial does occur they can revisit the request to sever at that time. However, she added, if the trial is delayed the girl should be tried with the rest of the group.
Judge Briggs agreed, and stated she would not make a ruling until it is clear whether or not the August trial happens.
The prosecution reminded the defense a plea offer is open until Aug. 19, though the details are unspecified.
Parties for this juvenile are slated to reconvene Aug. 26. The rest of the group is scheduled to appear Aug. 20.
In a hearing on Aug. 2, before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan, William Ransford, 59, asserted his right to independently test DNA evidence
Ransford is charged with first-degree murder and second-degree murder for his alleged involvement in the fatal strangulation of Debra McManus, 39, at the 400 block of Trenton Street, SE on Oct. 23, 1993. He was charged with the decades old murder after his DNA was discovered on the victim’s sock.
It was unclear what items would be included in the testing.
Parties are slated to meet again on Dec. 17.
DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan ruled that the prosecution in a murder case release the names of witnesses to the defense team before the trial in an Aug. 2 hearing.
Terrance Prue, 23, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Bruce Gilmore, 39. The shooting occurred on the 3500 block of 22nd Street, SE, on June 5, 2019. Another individual suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
At the hearing, James King, Prue’s defense attorney, alerted Judge Raffinan that the prosecution had not released the names of three witnesses to the defense team.
According to King, documents from the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) interviews with the witnesses indicating they spoke to Gilmore before his death, and he told them that if he died Prue’s co-defendant Miguel Gibson, 21, would be the one responsible.
King argued that the prosecution has waited long enough to release the names, and that he needs an opportunity to do additional investigation.
“We’re now at trial readiness,” King said. “These names should be disclosed immediately.”
The prosecution argued that releasing the names could put the witnesses in danger as they come from a small community and could face retaliation. They want to release the names on Aug. 21 instead, closer to the trial date, which is scheduled for Sept. 4.
After Judge Raffinan’s inquiry, the prosecution said no direct threats have been made thus far.
In light of the start date of the trial, Judge Raffinan ordered that the prosecution release the names of the witnesses by Aug 5. She also ordered that the names not be revealed to Prue by King to alleviate concerns for the witnesses’ safety.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Aug. 21.
Prosecutors alerted DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan they had filed to dismiss a homicide defendant’s case during an Aug. 2 hearing.
Khalil Khalilov, 34, was charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of Anvar Guliyev, 36, on July 17. The stabbing occurred on the 1800 block of Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
Khalilov was brought to the courthouse despite the case being dismissed the night of Aug. 1
Judge Raffinan informed Khalilov he would be released.
No further dates were set.
DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan denied a murder defendant’s request for release on Aug 2, after initially being denied by DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun in April.
Lavar Hunter, 19 and his co-defendant Jayvon Thomas, 20, are charged with first-degree murder while armed for their alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Anwar Wingate, 24. The shooting took place on the 2100 block of 8th Street, NW on Nov. 19, 2021.
According to court documents, surveillance footage showed Wingate in a “vulnerable” state, highly intoxicated and stumbling. Two individuals, later identified as Thomas and Hunter, allegedly planned to rob Wingate to steal his gun.
Thomas and Wingate fought briefly and Hunter was the one to fatally shoot Wingate, according to court documents.
At the hearing, Hunter’s defense attorney, Lisbeth Saperstein, requested that Judge Raffinan reconsider Judge Okun’s decision to hold the defendant. Saperstein argued that Hunter is currently enrolled in a college program and has a supportive family, as well as no criminal record.
Members of Hunter’s family appeared in court and provided Judge Raffinan with a letter asking for his release.
“There would be no danger to the community,” said Saperstein, adding Hunter would agree to be placed on home detention with a GPS monitor.
The prosecution argued that nothing had changed from the last court date. They insisted that Hunter’s family and college education pursuits were not new, and he remains a danger to the community.
“Both of those things were true before the crime occurred,” the prosecution said.
Judge Raffinan found that the nature of the offense and the weight of the evidence “favors detention.”
Parties are slated to meet again on Oct. 24.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect involved in a shooting that injured one individual on July 1 on the 100 block of District Square, SW.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a traffic crash that resulted in the death of a pedestrian, identified as 55-year-old Donnell Howard. The incident occurred on July 22 on the 700 block of Chesapeake Street, SE.
The striking vehicle left the scene.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 18-year-old D’Andre Montgomery, who is charged with first-degree murder while armed, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Kenneth Barksdale Jr. The incident occurred on Dec. 16, 2023 on the 1200 block of 44th Place, SE.
A jury heard reviewed messages among multiple defendants said to be exchanging firearms and publicly “beefing” on July 31 and Aug. 1, in front of DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun.
Mark Price, 29, and Antonio Murchison, 31, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, five counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, seven counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy, and seven counts of criminal gang affiliation.
The charges stem from their alleged involvement in a mass shooting on July 16, 2018, on the 5300 block of 53rd Street, NE in the Clay Terrace neighborhood. The highly publicized crime left 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson dead and four other individuals with gunshot wounds.
Price is also charged with first-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, 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.
The third co-defendant, Quanisha Ramsuer, 31, is charged with obstruction of justice in connection to the homicide.
Six other defendants were convicted in 2023 of charges from the incident, including:
On July 31, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer testified about text messages among the convicted defendants displaying the apparent exchange of numerous firearms leading up to Wilson’s murder. Messages between Michals and another alleged member of the WPC were entered into evidence regarding the Nissan Infiniti that was allegedly used in the homicide.
The officer testified about messages between an alleged WPC member and an individual identified as Michals saying, “We need a driver like you and Mark.” The message was sent a week before the homicide.
As the trial continued on Aug. 1, prosecutors presented more messages exchanged among the convicted defendants purchasing and exchanging firearms with each other.
An MPD officer presented messages from Taylor and Cobbs that showed the convicted defendants purchasing firearms from gun shows in June and July of 2018.
The officer also testified to a series of messages among the convicted defendants and other alleged members of the WPC from August 2018 when police officers arrested Price, Ramsuer, and interviewed other alleged members of WPC.
Within the messages recovered from Taylor’s phone, a conversation between Taylor and Thomas from June 16, 2018–a month before the Clay Terrace shooting– Michals told Taylor he was “tryna get in touch with [Price]” and complaining, “we can get CLO [another alleged member of WPC] but we need ah go mf [a good motherf*cker] behind the wheel.”
In another message chain between Michals and an alleged member of WPC assigned the name “Brava” on June 16, 2018, Brava writes to Michals telling him to “tell Mark we cum [come] get him it dnt [don’t] matter. We need ah go mf [a good motherf*cker] behind the wheel.”
An MPD detective who served multiple search warrants for Taylor and Antonio Murchison testified about the investigation surrounding the Clay Terrace shooting.
The detective described traveling to Los Angeles to serve a search warrant against Taylor, where he lived part-time, and learning that Taylor’s description of the murder at Clay Terrace on July 16, “absolutely [did] not” match the evidence found.
The detective testified that a search warrant was also served for Murchison’s mother’s home, where they found out he was no longer living there but resided at his then-girlfriend’s house in Northeast DC.
According to the detective, when he interviewed Murchison’s then-girlfriend, he showed her a rap video from the WPC posted to Instagram on the night of the incident. The former girlfriend apparently recognizing her own child in the video along with Murchison. In the video, the group can be heard singing, “We the reason why the murder rate high.”
Trial is slated to resume on Aug. 5.
DC Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur granted a shooting defendant’s request to delay sentencing in order to consider the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) as part of the sentencing, during an Aug. 2 hearing.
On April 8, Amontae McCalvin, 19, accepted a plea deal that required him to plead guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon for his involvement in a shooting incident on Sept. 8, 2023 on the 400 block of Condon Terrace, SE. One individual sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
In exchange for his acceptance of the offer, the prosecution agreed not to indict him on greater charges, and only ask for a sentence between four and five-and-a-half years.
According to court documents, McCalvin shot 33 times at the victim and his girlfriend while they were inside a house. The victim was standing in the doorway at the time of the shooting and sustained a broken wrist.
During the hearing, McCalvin’s defense attorney, Brandi Harden, requested the YRA be taken into consideration when sentencing McCalvin. The YRA allows a defendant’s conviction to be sealed if they successfully complete all sentencing requirements.
Harden said this would mean the sentencing is delayed because Judge Arthur would need to request a youth study on McCalvin. Judge Arthur agreed with Harden and ordered the youth study.
Parties are set to reconvene on Oct. 4 for sentencing.
DC Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur denied a request for release by a shooting defendant’s attorney on Aug. 2.
Amonte Moody, 18, is charged with endangerment with a firearm and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in a shooting incident on April 22 on the 1700 block of Independence Avenue, SE. No injuries were reported.
According to court documents, Moody allegedly fired at his family members 27 times before fleeing into a friend’s house. After being granted an emergency search warrant, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD allegedly found parts of the gun Moody used in the ceiling of his friend’s house.
During the hearing, one of Moody’s defense attorneys, Molly Bunke, requested Moody be released from jail, citing his lack of criminal history.She also said Moody has been taking advantage of a mentorship program at the jail and presented two letters from mentors advocating for his release.
The prosecution said there have been no changes in his case and recommends Moody continue to be held at the jail while he awaits trial.
Judge Arthur denied release, stating Moody has relationships with people involved in the shooting incident. He said his friends live in the house where Moody allegedly shot at family members.
Moody was previously released by DC Superior Court Judge Lloyd Urban Nolan, Jr. on May 3, but Judge Arthur vacated the release order on May 22.
The prosecution also revealed the results of the DNA testing done on the gun Moody allegedly used during the incident. He said the results were inconclusive because they were “too complex” to interpret.
Bunke alerted the court Moody wants to waive his rights to DNA testing, which Judge Arthur accepted.
Parties are set to reconvene on Aug. 9.
