Deonte Spicer, 38, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Tyvez Monroe on Dec. 26, 2023, on the 600 block of Maryland Avenue, SW. The incident occurred at a bus station.
On April 18, Spicer filed a “pro se” motion, in effect representing himself, requesting a new attorney.
In his handwritten motion, Spicer stated, “[Russell Hairston, his current attorney] refuses to go over the case with me and doesn’t tell me any plan or strategy he has for the case at all.”
He added that his attorney has “on several legal ‘visits’ and conversations, told me that I am guilty of this crime I am charged with, even though I have never said anything of the sort to him.” Spicer maintains his innocence.
Hairston, motioned to withdraw from the case on the basis that Spicer has been refusing his legal assistance.
“I have never refused no visits,” Spicer continued, “he never came to see me.”
Judge O’Keefe expressed his concern because Spicer has requested and has been appointed new counsel on several occasions.
Regardless, Judge O’Keefe granted the motion, and the preliminary hearing was postponed until Spicer is appointed new counsel.
Parties will reconvene when a new attorney is assigned.
Ravon Slye, 32, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing his then-girlfriend, 30-year-old Andrea Bond, on March 7, 2023, on the 1100 Block of D Street, NE.
According to court documents, Slye has a history of domestic violence and was on probation at the time of the incident. Moreover, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received multiple calls that identified Slye as the alleged killer.
According to the prosecution, they extended an offer that required Slye to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter, which would have resulted in the dismissal of the second-degree murder while armed charge.
Slye’s defense attorney, Kevin Mosley, informed the court of Slye’s decision to decline the plea deal.
However, Mosley expressed a desire to conduct DNA testing on evidence collected from the crime scene. As a result, Mosley requested an alternate trial date to accommodate the study and review its results.
Judge Demeo cautioned against prematurely changing the trial date, noting that the items tested by the prosecution might not necessarily yield Slye’s DNA.
She suggested waiting for the DNA results before finalizing any trial date adjustments, as Slye might opt out of further testing if initial results exclude his DNA.
“There is a hypothetical chance that the items that the prosecution tested exclude your client, at that point, your defendant might make the decision to not conduct additional testing. It is better to wait for the results before making a decision,” Judge Demeo advised.
The next hearing is scheduled on June 14 to consider the matter further.
A homicide victim’s cousin was brought from DC Jail to testify before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt about a shooting the prosecution says is related to a murder case involving three primary co-defendants.
Koran Jackson, 23, Tyiion Kyree Freeman, 24, and Stephen Nelson, 33, are three of five individuals charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, assault with the intent to kill while armed, first-degree murder while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection to the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020 on the 600 block of S Street, NW.
The shooting also left a second juvenile victim located in the vicinity suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the right leg.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution has attempted to connect Jackson, Freeman, and Nelson to additional shootings that occurred on Feb. 22, Feb. 24, and a second shooting on March 1, 2020. The prosecution alleges a firearm conspiracy by the defendants, in which they aimed to obtain and use specific weapons in Lukes’ homicide.
On April 29, the prosecution called a surviving victim from the Feb. 24 shooting to the stand who is currently in the DC Jail for undisclosed felony charges.
According to court documents, three individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident.
The witness, who is Lukes’ older cousin, stated “That’s family, that’s family,” when asked how he knew Malachi.
He had previously testified in the grand jury case against the defendants, including Steele and Brown, on Nov. 1, 2021.
According to the witness, he had left a recording studio and was walking on the 1600 block of ninth street, NW, towards a liquor store with his two friends when the shooting occurred.
When the prosecution asked how many times he was shot, he responded “I don’t know, once in my leg I think.”
However, the prosecution presented his grand jury testimony where he stated he got shot in both legs and once on his buttocks.
Additionally, he did not recall the color of the suspect vehicle or how many individuals were in it.
However, his grand jury testimony suggests otherwise in which he testified that “[The vehicle] was white or gray.”
The prosecution asked if it was possible that his memory about the incident was “more fresh” four years ago during his grand jury testimony. “It was all a blur,” he stated.
The witness, deemed uncooperative by the prosecution, testified during cross examination by Andrew Ain, Freemans’ defense attorney, that he had appeared in a friend’s rap video once. After being prodded by Ain, the witness acknowledged he was in a rap video with Lukes.
Prosecutors have previously presented testimony citing a motive for the multiple shootings as a “rap beef.”
Brian McDaniel, Jackson’s defense attorney, asked if it was correct to state that he had no description or identification of the individuals that shot him. “Yeah, I don’t know who shot me,” the witness responded.
The prosecution called a Department of Forensic Science (DFS) employee who analyzed bullet fragments from the Feb. 24 shooting.
There was no cross examination from defense attorneys after a ruling prohibiting any discussion about the DFS representative’s testing his own blood as part of this investigation–something the defense alleges. Judge Brandt said the defense couldn’t tie this issue to the lab’s earlier loss of accreditation which has since been partly resolved.
A homicide defendant’s attorney filed a motion to allow a defendant access to a witness’ cell phone records outside of the Public Defender Services’ (PDS) office, before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan.
Desmond Gaskin, 38, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a prior convict, tampering with physical evidence, first-degree theft, and destruction of property, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 40-year-old William Whittington Jr. on July 19, 2022, at the 400 block of Burbank Street, SE.
On April 30, Jason Tulley, Gaskin’s defense attorney, orally motioned for Judge Raffinan to amend a protective order previously issued by the prosecution that prevented Gaskin from taking a specific piece of evidence outside of the PDS’ office.
Tulley argued that Gaskin, who has been on release and compliant since February 2023, would benefit from having access to a witness’ cell phone extraction to assist the defense team in their preparations for trial. He argued he should be able to review the evidence when he wants it at home.
However, the prosecution opposed, stating that as part of the cell phone extraction, the witness’ personal identifying information, including social security number, date of birth, and passwords, among other information, is visible and could be dangerous if Gaskin has access to it.
Tulley argued there is “no cause, no animosity, and no concern” to think Gaskin would release the information or use it for anything other than help in trial preparation.
He argued Gaskin will “remain a positive member of the community,” and is willing to follow all requirements that will allow him access to the evidence.
Judge Raffinan allowed Gaskin access to the extraction, but ordered him to not disseminate it or any sensitive information to anyone outside of the defense team, and reminded him that the document should be kept in a safe area.
Parties are slated to return July 19 to discuss results for the prosecution’s testing of DNA evidence.
While carjackings have tripled in recent years and remain a “real threat,” says a source in the US Attorney’s office, most offenders don’t get caught. For the relatively few that are charged, conviction rates differ significantly and prosecutions can drag on for years, according to a D.C. Witness review of the data.
Out of 2,227 total carjacking offenses documented by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) from 2020 through 2023, 607 or just 27 percent end with an arrest or are closed for other reasons.
Only a fraction of these incidents resulted in convictions for adults while juvenile prosecutions seem more effective. according to D.C. Witness data and findings from the DC Sentencing Commission.
Though violent carjackings are rare, they do happen with consequences that one DC official called “horrifying.”
Two people were shot to death in a brazen carjacking that started near the city’s convention center on Jan. 29 and ended with the suspect killed by police in Maryland the following day.
A 15-year-old boy was charged for his alleged involvement in a carjacking and non-fatal shooting incident on Jan. 12.
Near the DC court complex, a 12-year-old boy was allegedly connected to a carjacking that ended in the shooting death of 13-year-old Vernard Toney Jr., on Oct. 28, 2023.
According to the MPD, between 2020 to March of this year, there were 569 actual carjacking arrests, 360 or 63 percent of which were minors between the ages of 12 and 17 years old.
Juvenile carjackings are handled by the Office of the DC Attorney General, which last year prosecuted 186 cases with an overall conviction rate of about 80 percent.
“Our office prosecutes every serious, violent case where we have enough evidence to do so. We don’t shy away from difficult cases, and we make sure that kids face consequences when they break the law and that victims see justice,” OAG spokesman Gabriel Shoglow-Rubinestein tells D.C. Witness.
As of March 31, according to the MPD, there have been 124 carjackings offenses so far in 2024, of which 66 percent were armed and 52 cases closed. That’s a 21 percent decline in carjackings from last year.
While the number is down this year, carjacking crimes have ballooned from 360 in 2020 to 958 in 2023, nearly a three-fold increase. According to the MPD, three-quarters of these crimes involve a gun, though only a handful end in shootings or homicides.
For those who are arrested, there is often a long road to conviction or acquittal. A DC Jail spokesman tells D.C. Witness 57 individuals are currently being held on carjacking charges.
The MPD says that between 2020 and 2023 there were 1661 armed carjackings.
D.C. Witness data for the same period shows out of 17 suspects in shooting-involved carjackings, there were nine convictions (53 percent) and one dismissal in the three years. For the five accused of homicide during a carjacking, there were two convictions (40 percent).
Data from the DC Sentencing Commission, which tracks adult arrest to sentencing trends shows in 2022 there were 45 adult arrests that included a carjacking charge.
Of those, 33 or 73 percent were sent to court for prosecution. In the end, 69 percent or 29 cases ended in a conviction.
Yet, only 24 percent (seven of 29 cases) resulted in a specific carjacking conviction.
The sentencing commission says that between 2016 and 2020, the average term for all armed carjackings was 180 months, or 15 years.
According to D.C. Witness data, the average sentence for homicides that stemmed from carjackings in 2020 to 2023 was 14 years in prison. For non-fatal shooting carjackings, the average sentence was five years.
Even though most carjackers are juveniles, it’s not immediately clear how many are tried under Title 16, which allows DC to charge them as adults. Some of these prosecutions include multiple serious crimes in addition to carjacking.
There is no simple explanation for the disconnect between carjackings and convictions, but the COVID years drastically affected the court’s operations overall.
“Due to the COVID pandemic’s effect on the criminal justice system, it is hard to draw conclusions from trends observed in 2020-2022,” Linden Fry, executive director of the commission tells D.C. Witness.
Other factors in delayed prosecution include the lag time between arrest and indictment for the most serious cases which can be nine months for the US Attorney’s Office to complete its investigation.
While more arrests is the goal, that is challenging because as DC Police Chief Pamela Smith testified before the DC City Council last December, her department is confronting the lowest staffing levels in the last five decades, down 460 personnel compared to three years ago. An MPD spokesman confirmed those numbers for D.C. Witness as of April 1.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of a man in connection to a shooting that left a woman injured on Feb. 28 on the 2000 block of Benning Road, NE.
According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location to investigate the sounds of gunshots. They located an adult woman suffering from gunshot wounds. She was transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries.
On April 28, 33-year-old Scotland Alston was arrested and charged with assault with intent to kill.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced a man, who was a victim of a shooting on Jan. 30 on the intersection of Q Street and Connecticut Avenue, NW, has succumbed to his injuries and they’re planning to upgrade the suspect’s charges.
According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a shooting, where they located a man inside a car suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.
On April 29, the victim died from his injuries at the hospital. He has been identified as 28-year-old Rasheek Abdullah.
MPD is seeking to upgrade 56-year-old Rodney Baggott’s, who was arrested on April 15 and charged with assault with intent to kill.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on April 28 on the 2600 block of Bladensburg Road, NE.
According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a shooting, where they found a man with gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The victim was identified as 72-year-old Larry Kiser.
MPD offers a reward to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide in the District.
Daniel Fula, 34, is charged with endangerment with a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of an unregistered firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawful possession of liquid PCP, and destruction of property less than 1000 dollars, for his alleged involvement in a shooting that took place on the 1600 block of New York Avenue, NE on February 28. No injuries were reported.
According to court documents, Fula indiscriminately fired multiple shots into the air. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers later recovered multiple shell casings at the scene. Officers allegedly recovered a firearm from Fula’s pocket, as well as a vial of PCP.
On April 29, Fula’s attorney, Camille Wagner, asked the judge to waive the rule that misdemeanors must come to trial within 90 days. Since Fula is accused among other charges of possessing of PCP, which carries a felony sentence of three years, Judge Arthur granted the request.
Fula is expected to return to court for a status hearing on May 7.
Robertson, 34, was arraigned on second-degree murder of a senior citizen, assault with a dangerous weapon against a minor, fleeing a law enforcement officer, tampering with physical evidence, and destruction of property less than $1000.
Robertson allegedly struck two pedestrians while driving a blue Honda through the intersection of 17th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, on July 12, 2023. One victim, 74-year-old Bing Wong, was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital later that day, while a 13-year-old victim surstained minor injuries.
According to court documents, eyewitnesses reported seeing the Honda speeding southbound on 17th Street, NW, through a red light and into the intersection. They said it collided with cross traffic before striking the pedestrians in the crosswalk on the south side of the intersection.
The Honda was allegedly fleeing a traffic stop initiated by a marked United States Secret Service (USSS) police cruiser that had turned on its emergency lights, according to court documents.
At the arraignment, the prosecutor suggested that Robertson’s attorney, Madalyn Harvey, might have a conflict of interest in representing Robertson.
Harvey works for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDSDC), which previously provided counsel for Antonio Hensley as he faced charges in the murder of Robertson’s brother, Andre Robertson.
“It’s PDS’s position that there is no conflict,” Harvey stated. “I spoke with Mr. Robertson, and he is aware that PDS represented Mr. Hensley. It is Mr. Robertson’s wish to continue with PDS.”
Judge Raffinan scheduled Robertson’s trial for Feb. 23, 2026.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a fatal car crash that resulted in the death of a pedestrian on April 27 on the 3100 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.
According to MPD documents, the man was found lying in between cars on the roadway at the location. He was pronounced dead.
The investigation determined an unknown vehicle, driving northbound on Georgia Avenue, drove over the pedestrian and fled the scene without making their identity known.
The identity of the pedestrian is being withheld pending next of kin notification.
Anyone with information regarding the incident should call MPD.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of a suspect, who was taken into custody at a homicide scene, on April 27 on the 100 block of T Street, SW.
According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a stabbing, where they located an adult male suffering from multiple stab wounds. The man was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The victim was identified as 41-year-old Marin Gross Jr.
Officers detained a suspect near the scene, who was identified as 49-year-old Wali Shabazz. He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.
The investigation revealed they knew each other, and the altercation was the result of a workplace dispute.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a homicide that occurred inside a restaurant on April 27 on the 1300 block of U Street, NW.
According to MPD documents, officers on patrol in the area heard the sounds of gunshots and immediately responded to the establishment on that block. They located a man inside with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite all life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead on scene.
He was identified as 43-year-old Kenneth Goins.
MPD offers a reward to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide in the District.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of a shooting suspect, who was quickly apprehended after an incident on April 26 on the 1200 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW.
According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the sounds of gunshots, where they located six adult victims with gunshot wounds. Three men and two women were transported to hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. A fourth man was treated on the scene for a graze wound and refused to go to the hospital.
Witnesses were able to direct officers to the suspect, 29-year-old Rennwel Mantock, who was quickly detained. A firearm was recovered on the scene.
The detectives’ investigation determined Mantock opened fire after employees removed him from a nightclub following a dispute.
Mantock was arrested and charged with assault with intent to kill, possession of unregistered ammunition, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating two suspects involved in an unlawful discharge of a firearm that occurred on April 18 on the 1400 block of G Street, NE.
According to MPD documents, the two suspects were are the location when they discharged a firearm. There were no reports of injuries.
The two fled the scene, but were captured by surveillance footage.
MPD offers a reward to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each violent crime in the District.
