‘I Feel Coerced Into This,’ Says Judge Sentencing Co-Defendants in Plea Deal

DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe reluctantly gave Jamal Mathews, Stefon Freshley and Darnell Savoy the sentences recommended in their plea deal on Aug. 30.

Mathews, 34, Freshley, 28, and Savoy, 25, were originally charged with conspiracy, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of aggravated assault knowingly while armed for a non-fatal shooting on Dec. 28, 2018, on the 200 block of 54th Street, NE. The incident left a father and his juvenile son with life-threatening injuries.

On March 29, Mathews, Freshley and Savoy accepted a “wired” plea offer, so called because it is valid only if all co-defendants accept it.

Mathews pleaded guilty to aggravated assault knowingly while armed against a minor, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, and obstruction of justice. In return, the prosecution agreed to dismiss all other charges in this case and all charges in the case of an alleged stabbing at the DC Jail on July 30, 2019.

The plea deal recommended 17-to-26 years’ incarceration for Mathews.

Freshley pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill against a minor and assault with a dangerous weapon. In return, the prosecution agreed to dismiss all other charges in this case and all charges in the case of an alleged stabbing on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE, in the Clay Terrace community on Oct. 11, 2022, while Freshley was on pretrial release for this case.

The plea deal recommended seven-and-a-half years’ incarceration for Freshley.

Savoy pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill against a minor, assault with intent to kill, and using, carrying and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In return, the prosecution agreed to dismiss all other charges in this case and all charges in a case stemming from the same alleged stabbing that Mathews was charged with.

The plea deal recommended nine years’ incarceration for Savoy.

At the sentencing, the prosecutor read a victim impact statement from the older of the two victims.

“Just imagine, as a father, I saw my firstborn helpless, foaming at the mouth, as if he had already passed on,” the victim said about his experience of the shooting. “I was told he had a long shot to make it.”

“After 10 days in the ICU [intensive care unit] and the surgeries, the rehabilitation started,” the victim said. He described his son relearning how to walk, talk and use the bathroom.

“Once the unemployment insurance ended from my job, we had no income,” the victim said. His injuries from the shooting left him unable to do his former job, and his family of five had to leave their home and move in with another family.

Judge O’Keefe asked the prosecutor why he should accept this plea deal.

“They [the victims] support the idea that this case will be resolved,” the prosecutor said. “Every time this case comes up, it just sends them back. It just makes their progress harder.”

The prosecutor suggested that sentencing Mathews to 26 years in prison could deter others from crime.

“We’re talking about someone who is looked up to in Clay Terrace,” the prosecutor said. “Mr. Mathews is by far the most culpable in all of these cases.”

Judge O’Keefe asked about the case against Savoy for an alleged stabbing at Clay Terrace that would be dropped if Judge O’Keefe accepted the plea deal.

The prosecutor said the stabbing victim had known Savoy for his whole life and was reluctant to testify against him but supported the plea deal.

“Mr. Freshley–you have him on tape stabbing someone in the DC Jail?” Judge O’Keefe asked the prosecutor.

“We don’t agree with that characterization, that he was shown on video repeatedly stabbing someone,” said Savoy’s defense attorney, Christen Philips. She said Savoy’s DNA had not been found on the two shanks recovered from the alleged stabbing.

“Mr. Freshley deserves more time in jail than this. The only reason I’m accepting it is that the victims want closure,” said Judge O’Keefe. “I feel coerced into this.”

Judge O’Keefe gave Mathews a sentence of 26 years and gave Savoy and Freshley the recommended sentences. He sentenced each of them to five years of supervised release after their prison terms end and ordered each to pay $2,000 to the Victims of Violent Crime Fund.

Freshley, Savoy and Mathews apologized for their offenses in statements to the court.

Kyle McGonigal, Savoy’s defense attorney, said that his client has been involved in a peacekeeping program at the DC Jail and is learning to be a mentor to other young men.

“He wants to do everything he can to help prevent street violence and any violence,” McGonigal said. “The program he’s participating in at the jail is aimed at doing just that.”

“I took a course from Howard University that focuses on communication skills,” Freshley said in a statement read by his defense attorney, Molly Bunke. “I have learned to be patient.”

“It was never my intent to hurt [the victims],” Mathews said. “This was a mistake. This was something that wasn’t meant to happen.”

“People do these terrible, terrible things,” said Judge O’Keefe. “The person who gets caught comes in and says, ‘I didn’t mean to shoot them.’ Of course not, but you didn’t have the common sense not to take out a gun and shoot it.”

No further hearings are scheduled in these cases.

‘If It Was Your Child, Would You Accept What They’re Giving?’ Asks Victim’s Mother of Sentence in Shooting, Homicide

DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe questioned prosecutors on the fairness of Riley Benjamin‘s plea deal on Aug. 30 before sentencing him to 15 years in prison for two shootings that left one man dead and another paralyzed from the waist down.

Benjamin, 33, was originally charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm for shooting 31-year-old Maurice McRae on Feb. 19, 2022, on the 3000 block of Bladensburg Road, NE.

According to court documents, an autopsy showed that the shooting caused McRae’s death on April 27, 2022.

Benjamin was also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, threatening to injure or kidnap a person, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and fleeing a law enforcement officer for his involvement in a non-fatal shooting on Jan. 22, 2022, on the 1400 block of Okie Street, NE.

“These cases are eerily similar. Both are innocent people who get shot in the back and paralyzed, and one of them ends up dying,” Judge O’Keefe said.

As part of a plea deal, Benjamin pleaded guilty on June 14 to voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with intent to kill, in exchange for the dismissal of all other charges in both cases.

The plea deal recommended a sentence of 15 years for the manslaughter charge. It recommended that the sentence for the assault charge be within the sentencing guidelines and run concurrently with the sentence for manslaughter.

Benjamin had the right to withdraw his guilty pleas if the judge sentencing him did not accept the recommendations.

“Why should I accept this?” Judge O’Keefe asked the prosecutors.

“This is the result of, I can tell you, relatively prolonged negotiations with the defense,” one of the prosecutors said.

The prosecutors said there were “evidentiary issues” with both of the cases against Benjamin.

“This plea agreement brings closure to what has been a prolonged process for these families,” one prosecutor said. “It will avoid the process of appeal, and Mr. Benjamin will go to jail for a long period of time, in our view.”

In an impact statement, the surviving victim told the court of the shooting’s consequences in that he wound up partially paralyzed just as he had a chance of joining an NFL team. He went from being a star college athlete to being unable to walk, use the bathroom normally or father children.

The victim spent days in the hospital in a coma. After he woke, he had to go through extensive surgery and rehabilitation.

“I suffered and struggled to relearn how to breathe because my lungs collapsed,” the victim said. “I’m left with $100,000’s of medical bills.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever have the joy of having a grandchild. There were so many lives that were robbed and impacted from this,” the surviving victim’s mother told the court. “His career was stolen from him. For a child to get to that point, it’s a family sacrifice.”

“As a father we want to give answers to our children, but there are no answers,” said the father of the surviving victim.

“I mentored young men for most of my life and taught them conflict resolution, but what if you never have a chance to say a word?” the father asked, referring to the fact his son didn’t know his assailants.

The surviving victim’s grandmother told the court how responsible, ambitious and hardworking her grandson had always been.

“Never did we ever think that his path would ever cross with such criminal scum as sits here,” she said.

“He had sixty days when we had time to love on him,” McRae’s mother said, describing her murdered son’s condition in the time between his shooting and his death.

“My son couldn’t go to the bathroom anymore. He had a tube from his stomach that took his feces out through his nose. He had pain at ten every day, and it never went away,” she said.

“If it was your child, would you accept what they’re giving?” McRae’s mother asked protesting the terms of the plea agreement. But she said she supported it because she was afraid Benjamin would be acquitted if he went to trial.

“She’ll wake up at night screaming and yelling,” the great-grandmother of McRae’s young daughter told the court about her great-granddaughter. “She goes to her mother’s house and my house, but she won’t go to many other places because she’s scared.”

“He’s not coming back. It’s not fair at all,” said McRae’s sister. “I didn’t want to come, but I wanted everyone to know my brother was loved. I’m here for him and for his justice.”

“I’m not going to pretend there’s anything I can say to relieve any of the grief that’s in the courtroom today,” Julie Swaney, Benjamin’s attorney, said. “This is not a light sentence, although it feels that way to the families.”

“I don’t want to minimize this. It should never have happened. I take full responsibility,” Benjamin said regarding McRae’s shooting in a passage Swaney read from Benjamin’s presentence report.

“I think it needs to be clear that Mr. Benjamin did not shoot [the surviving victim],” said Swaney. She and the prosecutors said Benjamin was cooperating with the prosecution in the case against Roger Jones, 41, a former co-defendant with Benjamin in the non-fatal shooting case.

“This result seems completely inadequate because of the pain that’s been inflicted on all of you,” Judge O’Keefe said to the McRae family and the surviving victim and his family.

“[Benjamin] does benefit the case going forward so Mr. Jones can be held accountable,” Judge O’Keefe noted. “So there’s some justification for it–for the deal, I mean–even though it doesn’t seem fair, because it’s not fair.”

For the charge of assault with intent to kill, Judge O’Keefe sentenced Benjamin to nine years’ incarceration, the maximum allowed under the sentencing guidelines. Since the sentences run concurrently, Benjamin will serve that sentence at the same time as the 15-year sentence for manslaughter.

Judge O’Keefe sentenced Benjamin to five years of supervised release after his prison term ends. Benjamin’s release conditions include getting a complete mental health assessment and participating in all recommended treatment, completing a life skills training program, securing and maintaining employment, submitting a DNA sample to a law enforcement database, and abiding by stay-away and no-contact orders for the victims’ families.

Benjamin is required to pay $2,000 to the Victims of Violent Crime fund.

No further hearings are scheduled in these cases.

Non-Fatal Shooting Defendant Receives 15 Year Sentence

DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Scotland Alston to 15 years in prison on Aug. 30 for shooting a woman in the chest, legs and buttocks during an argument on a street corner.

Alston, 33, was originally charged with assault with intent to kill while armed for his involvement in the non-fatal shooting on Feb. 28 on the 2000 block of Benning Road, NE.

On June 10, Alston pleaded guilty to aggravated assault knowingly while armed in exchange for the prosecution’s not seeking an indictment for any other charges stemming from the facts of this case.

At the sentencing, the prosecutor read a statement from the victim describing the effects of the shooting.

“Over the last six months, I have been learning to walk and talk again,” the prosecutor read. “I really have not been there for my seven kids because I am suffering from depression.”

“She’s not the same person,” the victim’s mother told the court. “I understand because of the trauma she went through.”

The victim’s mother said the victim was shot in the chest and over the kidney and liver. She spent two-and-a-half months in the hospital and endured multiple surgeries. She experiences pain in breathing, walks with difficulty, and must wear a colostomy bag.

“Shooting a woman who’s clearly arguing with him, but she’s sitting down, not doing anything–he thought about it and came back and shot her,” Judge O’Keefe said after the prosecutor showed a video of the incident.

The prosecutor asked Judge O’Keefe to impose a sentence of 11 years, the maximum indicated by the DC sentencing guidelines.

According to Judge O’Keefe, aggravating factors in the case allowed him to impose a sentence above the maximum.

“One of the aggravating factors is that the victim sustained devastating injuries,” Judge O’Keefe said.

In addition to the prison term, Judge O’Keefe sentenced Alston to five years of supervised release, when he must secure stable housing, maintain employment, and complete anger management therapy. Alston must also pay $1,000 to the Victims of Violent Crime Fund.

Wole Falodun, Alston’s defense attorney, apologized to the victim and her family and said Alston took full responsibility for the crime.

“It’s certainly a good thing that Mr. Alston took responsibility, and he took responsibility early and didn’t draw it out,” said Judge O’Keefe, referring to Alston’s accepting a pre-indictment plea deal within a month and a half of his arrest.

No further hearings are scheduled in this case.

Procedural ‘Hamster Wheel’ Delays Stabbing Case

A stabbing trial that was supposed to start on May 14 has been delayed again because of a “hamster wheel” miscommunication between the US Attorney’s Office and the US Marshals preventing the victim from testifying in court.

The prosecutor asked for the latest postponement in a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun on Aug. 26.

Samuel Robinson is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in connection to a Feb. 6 incident at the Mt. Vernon Square Metro Station on the 700 block of M Street, NW.

According to court documents, a Metropolitan Department Police (MPD) officer heard a commotion on the train platform and was told by a special police officer that an individual, identified as Robinson, had allegedly stabbed a victim in the back of his head with a knife.

The stabbing was the result of a physical altercation between Robinson and the victim. Both were injured and after receiving medical treatment both parties were arrested.

During the hearing the prosecutor said he was not prepared to go to trial and asked for a 45-day extension so the victim could testify. The individual is being held in Prince George’s County related to the stabbing. However, the prosecutor said there was a paperwork problem in transporting him back to the District.

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun queried, “Who’s talking to Prince George’s County?” He noted this was the second time the prosecution had failed to produce the witness.

The prosecutor compared the situation to a “hamster wheel” because of the time required by the US Marshals to execute a writ enabling the transfer within the mandatory deadline. While the prosecutor said there was “good cause” for the procedural delay, he was still “a little unclear why [the witness] has not come back”.

Defense attorney Michelle Lockard said the prosecution has “failed to be diligent in this matter” and asked Judge Okun to either dismiss the case or release Robinson who’s been jailed since the incident.

Although Judge Okun said it was a “close call,” he was not going to dismiss the case. However, he said the “trickier issue,” had to do with the delayed trial date. Judge Okun criticized the prosecution for failure to exercise due diligence even though they were acting under “the mistaken belief” they were doing the right thing.

Regarding Robinson’s release, Judge Okun said it was “concerning” given the serious nature of the offense. That decision was delayed until it was determined if Robinson would be eligible for home confinement.

Meanwhile, a trial date of Sept.10 was set before DC Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz.

Metro Shooting Defendant Pleads Guilty

A shooting defendant accepted a plea deal extended by the prosecution before DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo in an Aug. 30 hearing.

Thomas Leach, 17, was originally charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with intent to murder while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, two counts of assault with significant bodily injury, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, ten counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or business.

The charges stemmed from his involvement in a non-fatal shooting that left three individuals suffering from gunshot wounds, at the Benning Road Metro Station on the 4000 block of Central Avenue, NE, on Dec. 8, 2022.

According to court documents, Leach and the intended victim have a history and attended school together.

Leach accepted an offer in which he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a pistol without a license, in exchange for a dismissal of all other charges..

Through the deal, parties have agreed to a sentencing range of 60-and-78 months.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 1.

Homicide Defendant Refuses To Attend Court

A homicide defendant refused to attend a hearing in front of DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun on Aug. 30.

Marcus Barringer, 32, is charged with first-degree murder premeditated while armed, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, unlawful possession of ammunition, and carrying a pistol without a license. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Rashad Davis on the 2300 block of Nicholson Street, SE, on May 6, 2022.

During the hearing, US Marshals alerted Judge Okun that Barringer had refused to attend court. The defendant has been held at St. Elizabeths in order to be evaluated to determine if he’s mentally competent to stand trial and represent himself.

Lisbeth Saperstein and Chalres Murdter, Barringer’s attorneys, requested additional time to ensure their client is able to participate in a hearing remotely.

Parties are set to reconvene on Nov. 1.

Homicide Defendant Pleads Not Guilty of Killing Burn Victim

A homicide defendant pleaded not guilty in front of DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun during an arraignment on Aug 30.

Dayshawn Nolan, 21, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the death of Antoinette Davis on July 3, 2022. The incident occurred on the 400 block of Condon Terrace, SE.

According to court documents, an apartment at the listed location caught on fire on the night of the incident. Davis, who was inside, sustained multiple first, second, and third-degree burns and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. On July 17, 2022, Davis succumbed to her injuries.

During an interview with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Nolan allegedly told a detective he and a friend were playing with roman candles inside of the apartment building before the place went up in flames.

The prosecution has not yet offered a plea agreement.

Parties are set to reconvene on Sept. 3.

Non-Fatal Shooting Defendant Detained

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan denied a shooting defendant’s request for release at a hearing on Aug. 23.

Richard Price, 24, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, six counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy, and eight counts of obstruction of justice, for his alleged involvement in a shooting on June 1, 2022 on the 300 block of 56th Street NE.

During the proceeding, Lisbeth Saperstein, Price’s attorney, argued the prosecution lacks witnesses to identify Price as the shooter, and raised the question of other individuals’ possible involvement.

As for release, Saperstein argued Price had just been promoted at work and has a young child who he’d like to raise along with his wife.

However, prosecutors disagreed, stating that probable cause had been found, and the nature and circumstances of the event made Price a danger to the community.

The Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) deemed Price’s “compliance marginal” with his probation terms.

Given that the alleged crimes were committed during probation in another matter, Judge Raffinan ordered Price detained.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on Sept. 24.

Preliminary Hearing Delayed in Shooting Case

On Aug. 30 DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt postponed a preliminary hearing since she had to stand in for another judge.

Marcus Martin, 27, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed for a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Jan. 11 on the 4200 block of East Capitol Street, NE. Two individuals sustained injuries during the incident.

According to court documents, the pistol that was allegedly used might match one that Martin had in his possession of at the time of his arrest.

Speaking on behalf of the investigating detective, the prosecutor clarified that the recovered bullet casings show only a potential match and need to undergo ballistics testing for confirmation.

Judge Brandt alerted the parties she was covering for another judge in part because several judicial appointments for the DC Superior Court are pending in Congress.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on Friday Sept. 27.

In Turning Down Speedy Trial Dismissal, Judge Says Prosecutors Weren’t ‘Foot-Dragging’

DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo denied a homicide defendant’s motion to dismiss the case based on an alleged violation of his right to speedy trial rights in a hearing on Aug. 30.

Aaron 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, at the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road, SE.

During the hearing, Kevann Gardner, Murchison’s attorney, raised several delay related concerns including multiple missed multiple filing deadlines, and saying the defendant had experienced prejudice by being separated from his family for almost two years as he awaited disposition of the case.

Gardner also accused the prosecution of failing to inform the defense of evidence, including 20 hours of surveillance footage and a ballistics report, until weeks before trial.

He requested the case be dismissed, or that Murchison he be released as he awaits further proceedings.

However, the prosecution said the delays were not a deliberate attempt to gain a tactical advantage and that multiple factors, such as witness availability during certain days of trial and the length of firearms testing, played a role.

Judge Demeo ruled that both parties contributed to the delay of 25 months from the time Murchinson was arrested to the January 2025 trial date. She said that both parties missed deadlines for filing motions, but there was no “purposeful foot-dragging” by the prosecution.

Judge Demeo said the defense had not requested the earliest possible trial date, instead requesting September 2024. She also said that the complexity of the case excused the lengthy delay since it necessitated more investigation.

Parties are slated to reconvene Jan. 21.

Attorney Files Notice For Insanity Defense in A Homicide

A homicide defendant’s attorney alerted the court of her intent to file notice for an insanity defense before DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo on Aug. 30. Generally, the plea focuses on a defendant’s inability to understand the criminal nature of his actions or conform his behavior to the law.

David Howard, 38, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed and arson for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of Ali Zarrincalaki, 45, on March 2, 2023, inside of the Petworth Library on the 4200 block of Kansas Avenue, NW.

According to court documents, Zarrincalaki was in the library’s computer room when Howard walked in and stabbed him multiple times. During an interview with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Howard allegedly told a detective that Zarrincalaki was responsible for his friend’s fatal overdose.

The judge questioned attorney Madalyn Harvey whether the defense intends to follow through in filing an Insanity defense. Harvey informed the judge her client intends to file for an insanity defense by Sept. 13.

At the hearing, Harvey also said the defense will exercise its right to independently test DNA evidence and raised concerns that sufficient sanitary measures were not followed when the evidence was viewed by the prosecution and evidence bags were left unsealed and handled without gloves.

“I’ve never encountered this before,” Harvey said regarding the prosecution’s apparent disregard for sanitary procedures.

Judge Demeo advised the prosecution to abide by protocol because any mishandling of evidence could be brought up by the defense at trial. She said such a failure seems like a “recipe for disaster for the prosecution.”

Parties will reconvene on Nov. 15.

‘I’m Not Getting Nothing Out of It,’ Says Incarcerated Witness in Homicide Trial

The only individual who could identify the defendants in a homicide testified before a jury in DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt’s courtroom on Aug. 29.

Ky’lee Palmer, 25, also known as “XD,” and Aaron Adgerson, 21, also known as ”Baby Gas”, are charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition, Palmer is charged with destruction of property worth $1,000 or more and tampering with physical evidence. All are alleged to be offenses committed during release.

The charges stem from Palmer and Adgerson’s alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting that led to the death of 60-year-old Barron Goodwin on Feb. 12, 2020, inside a residence on the 800 block of 51st Street, SE.

According to the prosecution, the shooting stemmed from a disagreement between Palmer and his ex-girlfriend’s brother about a phone, which she testified he forcefully took from her the day before Goodwin’s murder.

Prosecutors called an incarcerated witness, who they say is the only individual able to identify the suspects in the murder vehicle.

The witness, who has a year left to serve for sentences in a non-fatal shooting and a second-degree burglary, made it clear in his testimony that he’s “not getting nothing out of” his participation.

According to the witness, on Feb. 12, 2020, he saw XD and Baby Gas – whom he had grown up with around the 1300 block of Morris Road, SE, and was “close” with – in a black vehicle driving in the area of 51st and H Streets, SE. He testified that they acknowledged one another with a head nod, before the car turned onto 51st Street, SE.

The witness claimed that moments later he heard multiple gunshots. According to the witness, he ran to the corner and saw one of Goodwin’s family members run out of his house after he was fatally shot.

However, he testified, he didn’t call 911 or tell Goodwin’s nephew – who he claimed he’s “very close” with – or officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who arrived at the scene about the events he witnessed because “I know the occupants… I don’t want to be involved.”

According to the witness, at some point before the shooting occurred, he overheard Goodwin’s nephew in an “aggressive” phone call about Goodwin’s niece, but he couldn’t tell who was on the other line.

The witness told the jury he was arrested on March 9, 2020, for his involvement in an unrelated shooting. Subsequently, the lead detective in Goodwin’s homicide told the witness during an interview that if he was able to provide MPD with information about Goodwin’s murder he would get help with his own cases.

In footage presented to the court of the interview with the homicide’s lead detective, the detective can be heard telling the witness he was “Fu***d real good,” due to his arrest.

The witness told the detective he heard shots but was in a barber shop getting a haircut. He also told another detective he was hearing voices but admitted during testimony that was a lie.

It wasn’t until October 2022 that the witness told the detective and a prosecutor everything he knew about the murder. According to the witness, he was transferred back to the DC Jail from a federal prison, where he is housed, in order to testify twice before the grand Jury in the case – on Oct. 25 and Nov. 15, 2022. Yet, he said, he didn’t find out why until he got to the US Attorney’s Office (USAO).

The witness told Michael Madden, one of Adgerson’s attorneys, he was “trying to do the right thing,” by testifying. “I’m a changed man,” he added.

“You did what they [the prosecution] told you to do. You gave information and got nothing,” Madden quickly responded.

“You would say whatever is necessary to get out of custody, correct?” David Akulian, Palmer’s attorney, questioned the witness. “I wouldn’t say that,” he responded.

Regarding the photo identification of the suspects on Nov. 8, 2022, the witness said he “didn’t have a choice” about his attorney being present. However, he told Akulian during trial that he didn’t feel forced to identify people and did not make the identifications to help himself.

Madden and Akulian questioned whether he accepted a plea deal to get lighter sentences in exchange for his testimony.

However, the witness told the prosecution during redirect that agreeing to testify “had nothing to do with no promises or anything.”

As to why he decided to accept the plea deal, the witness stated he was “caught red-handed.”

“Have we ever told you what to say?” the prosecutor asked. “No,” the witness responded.

The witness told the jury he wasn’t given a choice to testify in trial, and his involvement has been unpleasant.

Parties are slated to reconvene Sept. 3.

Document: MPD Investigating Northeast Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced their current investigation into a Northeast homicide. On August 28, 2024, around 3:15 p.m, officers discovered an unconscious adult male in the 3200 block of 9th Street, Northeast. The victim, who was declared dead at the scene, was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where an autopsy was performed.

Subsequently, it was determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound, and the manner of death was ruled as homicide. The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Ronald Williams of Northeast, DC.

The MPD appeals to those with knowledge of the incident to contact the police at (202) 727-9099 or send their tips to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411. The Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a homicide committed in the District of Columbia.

Document: MPD Investigating Fatal Crash in Northeast

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced that it is investigating a fatal crash in Northeast Washington, D.C. The incident occured on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at approximately 6:41 p.m.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the operator of a 2012 Infiniti FX35 was speeding on Eastern Avenue, Northeast, approaching the intersection of Bunker Hill Road. The Infiniti ran a red light and collided with a 2022 Hyundai Tucson crossing the intersection on a green light. The Infiniti subsequently lost control, crossed the double yellow lines and struck a 2024 Fengyuan Rossi scooter that was being ridden by two females.

DC Fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene and transported the operator of the Infiniti and one of the women from the scooter to a local hospital. The other woman from the scooter was pronounced dead on the scene. The department is withholding the identity of the deceased woman pending notification of next of kin.

The MPD encourages anyone with information about this incident to call the police at (202) 727 -9099 or text their information to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.

Document: MPD Investigating Fatal Southeast Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced it is investigating a fatal shooting in Southeast Washington D.C. The incident occurred on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at approximately 6:58 p.m. MPD officers responded to a report of a shooting at the 5000 block H Street, Southeast.

Upon arrival, the officers found an adult male unconscious and not breathing, suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a local hospital by DC Fire and EMS. Despite all life-saving efforts, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

The victim has been identified as 31-year-old Kwesi Miller of no fixed address.

MPD is encouraging anyone with knowledge of this incident to call police at (202) 727-9099 or text their tip to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411. The MPD is offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for a homicide committed in the District of Columbia.

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