Murchison, 28, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Jamontate Brown on Oct. 16, 2022, on the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road, SE.
According to court documents, Brown sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was found on a sidewalk, lying on his back with his hands above his head.
During the hearing, the prosecution presented a second plea offer that would have required Murchison admit guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in exchange for a sentence of 10-and-a-half to 14 years incarceration.
Through his defense attorneys, Kevann Gardner and Quiana Harris, Murchison rejected the plea deal and requested a trial date.
The trial was set for Jan. 21, 2025.
The prosecution raised concerns about the trial being delayed due to Gardner’s leaving the Public Defender Service (PDS).
Gardner said the trial wouldn’t be delayed because, at Murchison’s request, Gardner would continue to represent him for the upcoming trial.
The defense requested Murchison’s release on home confinement and GPS monitoring. They said he had already spent a substantial amount of time incarcerated due to multiple delays of his trial and he was not a flight risk.
The prosecution opposed the defense’s motion, asserting Murchison is still a danger to the public.
Judge Demeo denied Murchison’s motion, stating there had been no change to cause the court to reconsider his release.
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt heard from a homicide co-defendant asserti his right to conduct independent DNA testing and accepted his two co-defendants decision to waive their similar right during a hearing on Nov. 1
Demonte Gibson, 25, Tre’quan Nelson, 23, and Asani Forte, 26, are charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, conspiracy, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill while armed, unlawful possession of a firearm, and destruction of property less than $1000 for their alleged involvement in the murder of 34-year-old Delonte King that occurred on Nov. 3, 2021, on the 2800 block of 14th Street, NW.
Nelson and Forte’s attorneys, Jesse Winograd and Susan Ellis, alerted the court that Nelson and Forte are waiving their right to conduct independent DNA testing.
Judge Brandt was satisfied that those defendants their decisions freely and voluntarily.
Gibson’s lawyers, Kevann Gardner and Rachel Cicurel, alerted the court that Gibson was asserting his rights to conduct independent DNA testing.
Judge Brandt was concerned that Gardner’s assertion is coming at the “eleventh hour” as trial is scheduled for March 17, 2025. Judge Brandt confirmed Gibson’s right to conduct independent testing but informed the parties that trial will not be delayed if testing is not completed in time.
According to the prosecution, the evidence that can be tested by Gibson includes 25 cartridge casings, a knife, various pieces of clothing, and two projectiles. From King’s autopsy, they can test a blood card, fingerprints, and a bullet fragment that was lodged in King’s brain. From Gibson’s apartment, there are five guns, jeans, and a black ski mask. There are also buccal swabs from Gibson, Forte, and Nelson.
The prosecution referred to Gibson’s decision to conduct testing as “suspect at best and a delay tactic at worst,” citing the strength and reliability of the prosecution’s test and the timing of Gibson’s decision.
During a hearing on Nov. 1, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt reordered a mental competency evaluation for a murder defendant after he refused to participate in the evaluation the first time.
Niko Hall, 32, 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, and carrying a pistol without a license, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Anthony Lee on Sept. 26, 2020, on the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE.
A letter from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) alerted the court that Hall refused to participate in a mental health evaluation.
Hall and his attorney, Wole Falodun, approached Judge Brandt in a private conversation.
Following the conversation, Judge Brand informed the prosecution that Hall was agreeing to participate in another evaluation.
Judge Brandt reordered a mental competency evaluation for Hall.
D’Andre Montgomery, 18, and Eric Sheffield, 19, are charged with felony murder while armed and robbery for their 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.
According to court documents, two individuals identified as Montgomery and Sheffield, attempted to steal Barksdale’s Ford Thunderbird, which was parked at the location. When he tried to stop them, the suspects allegedly shot at Barksdale multiple times, killing him.
Sheffield’s defense attorney, Daniel Mensah, requested his release, arguing the only evidence against Sheffield is circumstantial. Mensah said Sheffield would have adequate living conditions and supervision if released pending trial.
The prosecution opposed the request, saying no new reasons to release Sheffield have arisen since the preliminary hearing. They argued new evidence that emerged, specifically from Sheffield’s phone, that strengthens the case against him.
A homicide defendant waived his right to conduct independent DNA testing of the prosecution’s evidence during a hearing on Nov. 1 before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt.
Irv 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.
During the hearing, Duff’s lawyer, Kevann Gardner, alerted the court that Duff was waiving his right to conduct independent DNA testing of the prosecution’s evidence.
The prosecution told the court there are two swabs of evidence in this case, a swab from a grill lid and a swab from a grill handle.
Judge Brandt was satisfied that Duff understood his rights and made his decision freely and voluntarily.
A stabbing defendant accepted a plea offer extended by the prosecution during a trial readiness hearing in front of DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno on Nov. 1.
Harry Jhin, 38, was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and carrying a dangerous weapon outside his home or business. The charges stemmed from his involvement in a non-fatal stabbing on the 1500 block of 17th Street, NW, on Dec. 23, 2021.
Jhin was able to appear in court with the help of a walker. D.C. Witness reported on July 18 that Jhin missed a court hearing and his attorney, Darryl Daniels, attributed his absence to pain from gunshot wounds.
The prosecution described the series of events on the day of the incident. They said Jhin was carrying a knife and assaulted the victim during a verbal altercation, swinging the knife at the victim’s throat and cutting him. Jhin accepted the facts of the incident as true.
Daniels listed the terms of the plea agreement. In return for Jhin’s pleading guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a dangerous weapon, the prosecution was dropping the charge of assault with significant bodily injury.
The prosecution offered a “wired” plea deal to four co-defendants on Nov. 1 before D.C. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur.
Elhadji Ndiaye, 25, Dion Lee, 25, Dionte Anderson, 25, and Tyrone Hawkins, 23, are all charged with conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of contraband in a penal institution for their alleged involvement in a non-fatal stabbing on May 9, 2023.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly stabbed an inmate and injured a corrections officer who tried to intervene in DC Jail on the 1900 block of D Street, SE.
The prosecution offered to drop indictment charges if the defendants plead guilty to the lesser charge of assault with significant bodily injury. If the defendants accept the plea offer, the prosecution would recommend the charges to run concurrently with time the defendants are already serving from other cases.
The plea offer is wired, so if one of the codefendants rejects it, none of the codefendants can accept it.
The prosecution’s offer expires Nov. 18, when parties are slated to reconvene.
Albert Amissah, on behalf of his client, filed a motion to recuse DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun from a fatal car crash case during an Oct. 31 hearing, stating the defendant believed Judge Okun was biased against her.
Nakita Walker, 44, is charged with three counts of second-degree murder, fleeing a law enforcement officer, and assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a March 15, 2023 car accident resulting in the deaths of Mohamed Kamara, 43, Jonathan Alberto Cabrera Mendez, 23, and Olvin Josue Torres Velasquez, 22, on Rock Creek Parkway.
According to court documents, Walker’s blood-alcohol level was twice the limit during the incident.
During the hearing, Amissah claimed that the reasoning for requesting recusal was that Walker felt Judge Okun was biased against her based on his denial of release conditions in a previous hearing
In response, Judge Okun first cited that a motion to recuse a judge requires a certification of good faith, and a written affidavit to be filed, neither of which was done in this case.
Judge Okun continued, stating that even though failure to file those documents was grounds to deny the motion, he would still deny the motion pursuant to the idea that recusal required bias to extend past the courtroom, which Judge Okun could confidently state it did not.
Following Judge Okun’s ruling, Walker asked for new counsel in the case. The prosecution opposed the idea, stating Walker has previously received new counsel, current counsel was specifically who Walker had asked for, and that the second trial date in this case is only three weeks away. “Cases rarely get better with time,” prosecutors claimed.
Judge Okun followed up the prosecution’s stance, stating that if new counsel were appointed in this case, it would not be tried until the end of 2026, advising Walker that she would be held at least through that date. Judge Okun added that he believed Walker’s issue to be with herself, not her attorneys.
Walker spoke with Amissah and Destiny Fullwood-Singh, Walker’s second attorney, at length before they were able to report Walker decided to remain with current counsel at this juncture.
Green, 38, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in the murder of 24-year-old Terrence Akindo on the 2300 block of 13th Place, NE, on July 30, 2023. Akindo died from gunshot wounds to his head and chest.
Judge Epstein said Smith had filed a motion to delay Green’s trial from March 3, 2025, to April 28, 2025, because of her new duties training PDS (Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia) attorneys. He said the prosecutor had filed a strongly worded objection.
“I don’t understand the intensity of opposition to what is a very modest request,” said Judge Epstein. He said attorney training is an important task and a valid reason to request scheduling changes.
“Frankly, I think PDS does a better job in training overall than the US Attorney’s Office does,” Judge Epstein said. He added, “I’ll give Ms. Smith an opportunity to respond to the personal attacks.”
“I don’t make misrepresentations to the court. I take my responsibilities seriously,” said Smith. “I don’t think there’s any real argument the [prosecution] made, so I don’t think I need to respond unless the court wants.”
Smith said she has several trial dates that were set before she was given training responsibilities. She’s trying to reschedule all the ones that conflict with her new duties.
The prosecutor from another case in which Smith is representing a defendant appeared in court virtually to object to Smith’s assertions.
“Ms. Smith just indicated that her goal is to keep the detained cases on track,” the prosecutor from the other case said. She argued that claim was inaccurate because Smith already has another trial scheduled for April 28, 2025. The defendant in that case is also detained, and his case is older than Green’s case. The prosecutor said the other defendant’s case could not be rescheduled sooner than April of 2026 if Green’s case displaced it.
The prosecutor urged Judge Epstein not to delay Green’s trial, saying Smith would tell the judge in the other case that the trial needed to be rescheduled because of Green’s new trial date.
Smith argued she was representing both Green and her other client according to their wishes. Her training schedule conflicts with Green’s current trial date, but Green wants his trial as soon as possible, so she is asking Judge Epstein to give him the first opening in Judge Epstein’s trial calendar.
“My representation of [my other client] is completely different,” Smith said. She said the prosecutor from the other case should make her arguments over the timing of that trial at hearings for that case, not during Green’s hearings.
Judge Epstein said his trial opening for April 28, 2025, came about unexpectedly because of the death of the defendant in the trial originally scheduled for that date. He doesn’t expect that opening to get filled because most attorneys are already fully booked for April of 2025.
Judge Epstein said he will set Green’s trial date for April 28, 2025, if Smith’s other client’s trial date gets moved. If that trial date doesn’t change, Judge Epstein will hold a status hearing to find a different date for Green’s trial.
The prosecutor said she had turned over evidence to the defense, including cartridge casings recovered from the scene of the crime and bullets recovered from the victim’s body.
“The [prosecution] did not do DNA testing in this case, but evidence was recovered,” the prosecutor said.
Green waived his right to conduct DNA testing on the evidence.
The next hearing in this case is scheduled for Nov. 25.
A police officer who responded to the scene testified in a stabbing case that the victim was “barely alive” in DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt’s courtroom on Oct. 31.
Devan Green, 30, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, kidnapping while armed, kidnapping while armed against a minor, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and simple assault. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in a domestic stabbing incident on Sept. 19, 2023, on the 500 block of 58th Street, NE, seriously wounding an individual.
Prosecutors during their opening statement said the defendant stabbed the victim, who was his girlfriend, 21 times because he was jealous about the victim’s being on the phone with a man. According to prosecutors, the defendant got frequently jealous and “violent,” and on the night of the stabbing he decided he was going to kill her.
“What he intended to do was kill her,” the prosecutor said.
Lee Smith, Green’s attorney, said in his opening statement that Green is “wrongly accused” and acted in self-defense. He said the victim attacked Green first by biting him on the leg and the defendant feared for his life once the victim’s family arrived because he thought they were going to attack him.
Prosecutors called the first officer to respond to the scene. The officer testified that the victim was “barely alive” when she arrived on scene and was lying on the floor covered in blood. She said the scene was “brutal” and “violent.”
Prosecutors played the officer’s body-worn camera which showed officers responding to the multiple stab wounds on the victim’s chest, back, and neck.
Another officer who responded to the scene testified that the victim said, “He tried to kill me” while he was tending to her wounds.
An additional officer who responded said she went into a back bedroom and found a child. Prosecutors played her body-worn camera which showed the officer talking to the little boy. In the video, the boy said his dad’s name was Devan.
“He tried to kill my mom,” the boy said in the video.
A murder defendant was denied modified release conditions to pursue job and education opportunities in a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun on Oct. 31.
Jahi Settles, 23, is charged with attempted robbery, felony murder while armed, three counts of possession of firearm during a crime of violence, premeditated first-degree murder while armed, and second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Langston Sharps, 33, on July 3, 2023 on the 2800 block of Hartford Street, SE.
According to court documents, an argument about between Settles and Sharps precipitated the killing. Settles allegedly reached into a car to steal a backpack from Sharps sparking a physical fight that ended in Settles’ allegedly shooting and killing Sharps before fleeing the scene.
During the hearing, Jason Tulley, Settles’ attorney, motioned to modify Settles’ release conditions to allow him to pursue employment and schooling. Settles was originally placed on electronic monitoring Aug. 30, but remains under home confinement.
Judge Okun denied the motion without prejudice, stating that if the defense would like to file a motion in writing with more details he would review it.
D.C. Witness data shows that plea agreements accepted between Jan. 1 and Oct. 12 this year as the pandemic receded, increased by 92 percent, in comparison to Jan. 1 through Oct. 18, 2023.
From Jan. 1 to Oct. 18, 146 plea deals were accepted — including 28 for homicide cases and 48 for non-fatal shooting cases — and 71 were rejected. Of the rejected plea offers, 21 were in relation to homicide cases and 22 were in non-fatal shooting cases.
That’s compared to the 2023 timeline where 76 plea deals were accepted — including 26 for homicide cases and 13 for non-fatal shooting cases — and 20 were rejected. Of the rejected plea offers, five were in connection to homicide cases and six were in non-fatal shooting cases.
This indicates a 92 percent increase in all plea agreement acceptances and a 308 percent increase in plea agreement acceptances in non-fatal shooting cases. Homicide plea agreement acceptances only increased by seven percent between 2023 and 2024.
The increase may in part be the result of resolving a pandemic-related case backlog.
“While the data indicates an overall post-COVID-19 return to normal criminal justice operations in the District, it is crucial to consider the lingering effects of COVID-19,” according to an April report by the DC Sentencing Commission.
Notable examples of plea deal negotiations in 2023 and 2024 include:
On Feb. 7, Chanel Clinton, 28, accepted a deal to plead guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon for her involvement in a non-fatal shooting on Jan. 18, outside of a 7-Eleven on the 4800 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE. One individual sustained injuries.
By pleading guilty, her other charge, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, was dismissed.
On April 22, DC Superior Court Judge Erik Christian sentenced Clinton to 5 years, with two years suspended, followed by a five year probation. In addition, she is required to serve three years of supervised release, undergo mental health evaluation and treatment and stay away from the victim.
On May 3, Tyree Sanders, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed for his involvement in the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Michael McKinney on Sept. 17, 2023, on the 1200 block of Brentwood Road, NE.
Sanders was originally charged with first-degree murder.
On May 14, Jaykell Mason, 22, rejected a second plea offer which would have reduced his charges to two counts of second-degree murder while armed and felony assault on a police officer while armed.
Mason is being charged with first-degree murder while armed and assault on a police officer while armed for his alleged involvement in the death of 29-year-old Terrance Dantzler on Feb. 13, 2020 on the 700 block of 8th Street, NW. Mason was taken into custody after an exchange of gunfire with MPD officers.
He is scheduled to go to trial in September of 2025.
On July 7, 2023, Delonta Stevenson, 28, and Vorreze Thomas, 26, rejected a plea deal that would require them to plead guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. If they accepted the plea, Stevenson would have to serve 27 years and Thomas would have to serve 15.
Both were convicted of conspiracy, first-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with intent to kill, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for their involvement in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Terrance Allen. The incident occurred on Jan. 18, 2021, on the 3000 block of Stanton Road, SE, and left two other individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.
Stevenson was additionally convicted of two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a prior convict during offenses committed during release. Thomas was additionally convicted of carrying a rifle outside a home or business.
On Sept. 6, 2023, Basil Thomas, 20, accepted a deal to plead guilty to one count of armed carjacking, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Thomas was originally charged with two counts of armed carjacking, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, five counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license for his involvement in two incidents, including a shooting on March 3 on the 4400 block of 8th Street, NE, and the 4800 block of North Capitol Street, NE.
On November 19, 2023, Demetrius Void, 36, was sentenced to six years of incarceration after accepting an agreement to plead guilty to one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Void was originally charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and armed carjacking, for his involvement in fatal shooting of 24-year-old Anthony Lawson, on Sept. 25, 2018, on the 6200 block of Eastern Avenue, NE.
A homicide defendant waived his rights to independently test DNA evidence, despite it showing a strong likelihood that blood belonging to the defendant and the victim was found in multiple areas of the crime scene, before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun on Oct. 31.
Lavaughn Barnes, 33, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the death and dismembering of Abdulio Arias-Lopez, 59, on Nov. 3, 2023, on the 1300 block of Kearny St NE.
According to court documents, Arias Lopez’s body was found in a mummified state and missing multiple extremities when it was discovered on Feb. 3, 2024 in the backyard of Barnes’ house.
The prosecution read from the DNA report and stated that DNA collected from at least ten locations in the basement of Barnes’ home were conclusively blood stains. Of those blood stains, all had strong inclusory evidence of belonging to either Arias-Lopez or Barnes, three reported evidence of including both.
Under counsel of Jason Tulley, Barnes’ attorney, Barnes waived his right to independent DNA testing.
On Sept. 9, James Williams, 41, pleaded guilty to attempted assault with a dangerous weapon for his involvement in a stabbing on Aug. 7, on the 1300 block of Missouri Avenue, NW.
Through the deal, parties agreed to a sentencing range of ten-to-28 months of incarceration.
According to court documents, the stabbing stemmed from a verbal altercation between Williams and his daughter’s boyfriend, when Williams stabbed the victim twice in the ribcage from the back.
In William’s statement, he said that this was a family matter, adding “I am not happy for what I’ve done… I apologize your honor.”
The prosecution argued for the higher end of the sentence of 24-month incarceration due to the seriousness of the crime, stating that “the victim is lucky to be alive.”
They added that Williams’ old, yet long, criminal history of drug distribution, several unprosecuted arrests, and violation of prior probation pose a threat to the community.
Defense attorney Susan Ellis noted the prior probation violation was due to Williams’ father’s death, as well as the defendant’s being shot, and a bad ending for a serious relationship. Since then, the defendant has turned to family and God, and he is employed at a church, according to Ellis.
Ellis requested a short split sentence which would have included 10 months of incarceration followed by a longer probationary period where he would do community service with his home improvement skills.
She argued that this was the only violent crime that Williams had committed and that he took responsibility immediately. She noted how his mother and daughter have supported him throughout this process and he would like to go into anger management programs.
Judge Park reviewed conflicting narratives of self-defense in documents after the plea, concluding that the defendant was shifting blame onto the victim.
Judge Park said a short split sentence was not appropriate for the seriousness of the crime. He ruled for a total time of 28 months, with 14 months suspended, as well as 18 months probation with three years of supervised release.
Williams’ will probation conditions include substance abuse assessment, mental health screening, anger management classes, maintaining or seeking employment, and continuing the stay-away order from the victim.
Chauncey Myers, 31, is charged with aggravated assault knowingly while armed for his alleged involvement in a stabbing on July 13 at the 1600 block of Marion Barry Avenue, SE. One individual sustained injuries during the incident.
Myers’ defense attorney, Sara Kopecki, requested he be transferred to a bed-to-bed mandatory, in-patient treatment program for underlying drug abuse issues.
Judge Di Toro denied this request based on a separate underlying drug case against Myers – the Judge stated they should wait to make that request once the drug case goes proceeds with a preliminary hearing. According to court records, the incident occurred on the same day as the stabbing offense.
Judge Di Toro reiterated that there were no conditions which would ensure the safety of the community if Myers is released.
Kopecki then requested a bond hearing, set to be held Nov. 18.
