On Oct. 12, a defendant waived his right to independently test DNA evidence recovered at a homicide scene.
Malik Seltzer, 23, is charged with first-degree murder premeditated while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm for his alleged role in the killing of 37-year-old Paris Odemnson Sept. 15, 2021, on the 4000 Block of 1st Street, SE.
According to court documents, the homicide occurred after an alleged drug dispute.
Defense counsel, Kevann Gardner, informed the court that they will be waiving their right to independent DNA testing.
The prosecutors also informed the court that they had performed DNA testing on the shell casings involved in the case.
Spiro Stafilatos, 36, is charged with second-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and fleeing from a law enforcement officer for his involvement in the car crash that resulted in the death of 31-year-old Shuyu Sui. The incident occurred on Dec. 30 at the intersection of 14th Street and New York Avenue, NW.
According to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) documents, Stafilatos fled from police in his vehicle during a traffic stop. He collided with a car at the intersection which sent his vehicle spinning and struck Sui and another victim while crossing the street.
The defense motioned for Stafilatos to be released with GPS monitoring. Stafilatos’s attorney, Brian McDaniel, argued he could be placed under third party custodianship and his mother would be his custodian. According to McDaniel, Stafilatos’s mother has been present at all his hearings and is willing to be the custodian.
The prosecution read a letter she had received from the victim’s uncle, in which he asked the judge to not release Stafilatos. He discussed the grief their family is going through because of his niece’s death. In the letter, the uncle states he wants to ensure Stafilatos is not released so this does “not happen again to any other family.”
Judge Raffinan denied the defense’s motion for release, because of Stafilatos’ past driving record. He has had previous run-ins with law enforcement and charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence.
Oct. 12 marked the first day of a hearing to determine if a murder case can go to trial.
Pedro Funes, 33, is charged with first degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Arnold Humberto Solis on the 2200 block of Champlain Street, NW, on July 26.
The prosecution called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective who identified the defendant in court as the suspect.
The prosecution introduced video footage showing two individuals arguing outside a liquor store close to the crime scene less than 30 minutes before Solis was fatally shot.
The MPD detective testified that the individuals were Funes and Solis, and that the defendant had an “angry tone and demeanor” while speaking.
According to court documents, immediately after exiting the liquor store Funes told Solis: “the next time you say that sh*t I’m going to make sure you leak out of your f*cking brain.” The exchange was allegedly caught on camera.
Shortly after the defense began its cross-examination of the MPD detective, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun stopped the hearing due to scheduling issues. The hearing is scheduled to resume on Oct. 18.
Jajuan Gripper, 20, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the death of 34-year-old Rynell Bradford. The incident occurred on the 1500 block of Anacostia Avenue, NE on Dec. 20, 2022.
According to court documents, witnesses stated a verbal altercation occurred before shots were fired.
In court, Gripper’s defense attorney, Kevin Irving, made an oral motion to dismiss.
Judge Okun quickly denied the request without an explanation.
A bulwark of the U.S. criminal justice system is the right to have guilt or innocence decided by a jury of one’s peers. This is constitutionally guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment and has come to mean those in the jury box should be representative of the community.
The issue of who qualifies as a “peer” is at the forefront of an ongoing case in DC. It involves as many as 100 plaintiffs who claim their juries were racially biased during Covid, thereby depriving them of their rights. This Friday, DC Superior Court Judge Marissa Demeo could decide how much information the court has to turn over in this case about how racial balance is ensured by the Superior Court.
Friday’s hearing concerns a motion for evidence filed August 2022 by DC Public Defenders Service Lawyer Jason Tulley, He requested the names and addresses of the DC jury pool because he had been unable to determine from the court how it was selecting juries. His query followed an analysis his office commissioned by a Howard University statistician who found that, while data showed during the winter of 2021, 45.8 percent of the jury-eligible population in Washington, DC identify as Black, based on court information, only 35.3 percent of petit jurors were Black, and just 34.7 percent of grand jurors were Black.
Prosecutors deny that the plaintiffs were deprived of their rights and DC Superior Court insists it works to “effectively monitor and enforce nondiscrimination in the selection of jurors.”
But in a review of trials for homicides and non-fatal shootings, D.C. Witness found that as recently as this summer, selected DC Superior Court juries still did not match the racial make-up of the District.
In five violent crime cases during the six weeks between June and July 2023, attended by D.C. Witness, White jurors outnumbered jurors of other racial groups, 4-to-1.
For these five cases, 80 percent of the defendants were found guilty and are awaiting sentencing—the sentences range from one year of time served to life imprisonment.
The data is based on the juries including alternates rather than only deliberating juries.
FIVE CASES:
JALEN BROWNE:
Jalen Browne, 21, an African American, faced numerous charges, including two counts of first-degree murder while armed, for his involvement in a fatal shooting of Jovan Hill Jr, 22, and Tariq Riley, 19, on July 25, 2021. Browne was found guilty on all counts.
For Browne’s trial, the court called 80 potential jurors. Of these 80 potential jurors, 51 were White, 19 were Black, and 10 were of other races. The pool was whittled down to 40 potential jurors, 27 of whom were White, seven Black, and six of other races.
The final jury consisted of 12 jurors with two alternates. The jury’s racial makeup was 10 White, two Black, and two of other races.
The racial makeup of the jurors was:
Juror’s Race
Voir Dire
Juror Placement
Sitting Jury
White Jurors
51
27
10
Black Jurors
19
7
2
Jurors of Other Races
10
6
2
↓
Juror’s Race
Voir Dire
Juror Placement
Sitting Jury
White Jurors
63.75%
67.50%
71.42%
Black Jurors
23.75%
17.50%
14.28%
Jurors of Other Races
12.50%
15.00%
14.28%
Similar data were collected for other trials ongoing at the same time. The defendants in the other cases were also Black.
YOLANDA WALKER:
Yolanda Walker, 52, was charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in connection to an assault that took place on Jan. 17, 2023, on the 1700 block of Columbia Road, NW . On July 14, Walker was acquitted on all charges.
Juror’s Race
Sitting Jury
White Jurors
8 → 61.54%
Black Jurors
4→ 30.77%
Jurors of Other Races
1→ 7.69%
ANDRE MILLER:
Andre Miller, 53, was charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with two assaults that took place on Oct. 22, 2022. Miller was acquitted after a week-long trial.
Juror’s Race
Sitting Jury
White Jurors
10→ 71.43%
Black Jurors
3→ 21.43%
Jurors of Other Races
1→ 7.14%
TREVON HATCHERSON-ROSS:
Trevon Hatcherson-Ross, 21, was charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or a place of business for an incident that took place on March 20, 2023, on the 900th block of Spring Road, NW. He was found guilty.
Juror’s Race
Sitting Jury
White Jurors
11→ 78.57%
Black Jurors
1→ 7.14%
Jurors of Other Races
2→ 14.28%
Walker, Miller and Hatcherson-Ross were charged with crimes that were not related to a homicide or non-fatal shooting.
Even though these jurors didn’t reflect DC’s racial make-up,a multi-step selection process is an effort to ensure fairness and proportionate representation on the panels.
First, the court randomly selects citizens’ names from lists of registered voters and people with driver’s licenses in the District of Columbia and sends them a summons along with a questionnaire to determine if they are qualified .
When a trial is set those who have arrived at the courthouse are selected at random to make a jury pool. That group is then whittled down through questioning by attorneys to determine their suitability for that specific jury panel.
After the pool has been reduced to about a third of its original size, lawyers place prospective jurors in the jury box to see what the potential jury could look like. Both parties can swap jurors in and out until they agree on a fair jury in a process known as voir dire, French for “to speak the truth.”
The final jury is composed of 12-to-18 people, as each jury is allowed to have up to six alternate jurors. When the trial phase concludes, the alternate jurors are revealed and only 12 are sent into deliberations.
In spite of these efforts, there are reasons why it’s difficult to get enough jurors to balance the panels including exemptions for personal hardships or even inaccurate census data leading to skewed jury notices.
However, a major issue is non-compliance, according to a source familiar with how the DC Superior Court selects jurors who spoke to D.C. Witness on the condition of anonymity.
Jurors are summoned to report for service and face a contempt of court citation if they ignore the order. However, given the heavy enforcement burden on DC police, the source says it’s common for prospective jurors to ignore this legal requirement with impunity.
According to the source, as many as half of those called fail to show up at the courthouse.
With a limited pool of jurors, the task of creating panels that fairly reflect the community is logistically and demographically challenging.
While the cases D.C. Witness studied are noteworthy, there is no definitive evidence from the data that the racial make-up of the jury either leads to a greater chance of conviction or exoneration.
In response to requests from D.C. Witness, the Superior Court refused to provide demographic data used in jury selection or explain exactly how they recruit juries.
Similarly, public defenders, DC Superior Court judges, and the DC Superior Court juror offices declined to comment on D.C. Witness’ data.
It is not clear what measures the Superior Court could or should implement to better balance juries. One step taken this summer was that residents with criminal records can now serve on juries.
In response to the motion for evidence on jury data to be decided this week, courthouse officials said they believe they can show they don’t have their “thumb on the scale” when it comes to picking juries–that even though the outcome isn’t perfect. They say the process is fair.
Markeis Crandall, 20, was originally charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his involvement in a non-fatal shooting that left two individuals injured on Nov. 26, 2021, on the 2200 block of Minnesota Avenue, SE.
On Feb. 4, 2022, Crandall accepted a plea offer extended by prosecutors that required he plead guilty to one count of aggravated assault knowingly while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in exchange for a dismissal of all other charges and prosecutors not seeking an indictment.
On May 17, 2022, he was sentenced to 72 months for each charge concurrent to one another, with a suspended sentence, which enabled his release back to the community under a Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) probation sentence.
During his release, Crandall was required to be on GPS monitoring, attend anger management classes and frequently test for drugs, as well as refrain from the use of illegal drugs and maintain or seek employment. He was also required to pay $200 to the Victims of Violent Crime Fund (VVCF) and register as a gun offender.
Crandall has reportedly been non-compliant since he was released, being re-arrested May 9, and released again May 23.
During the Oct. 11 hearing, probation officers from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) alerted the court that Crandall’s involvement in an anger management class was terminated because he was non-compliant.
According to the probation officers, Crandall has also tested positive for fentanyl use various times, and has failed to be compliant with the GPS monitoring and his curfew. When told by the probation officers that he should go to an inpatient drug treatment, he refused their recommendation.
Prosecutors agreed with probation officers, arguing that the court had been generous to him with several opportunities, and had his sentence been fully suspended, to let him get himself together.
Prosecutors agreed he should be required to participate in an in-patient treatment, and if he refuses they request he be arrested and sentenced to the 72 months incarceration.
Sellano Simmons, Crandall’s defense attorney, agreed he should participate in the in-patient treatment, but alerted the court that he had not been made aware that Crandall was non-compliant in a previous conversation with his client and the probation officers.
Judge Brandt questioned Crandall’s use of fentanyl stating, “I don’t understand what makes people continue to use drugs when articles show people are dying… maybe you’ve got a death wish”.
“Your behavior is beginning to make me think you want to go to prison, this truly is the last straw,” she told Crandall.
Judge Brandt detained Crandall as they await CSOSA’s in-patient treatment placing recommendation.
“This is it. If you can’t pull it together, the next time we are together you will be sent to prison. This stops now,” said Judge Brandt.
Parties are expected back on Oct. 17 to find out which in-patient treatment CSOSA recommends he participate in.
Cedric Alexander, also known as Tony White, 52, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, robbery while armed, two counts of possession during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license outside the home or place of business with a prior felony for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Daquan Hooks on the 1900 block of 13th Street, SE on March 23, 2017.
The prosecution questioned a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who explained that he was the lead on the case and that he was involved in, the autopsy, and interviewing witnesses.
When prosecutors asked him to elaborate on the autopsy result he said the cause of death was a gunshot wound and the manner as homicide.
The detective interviewed a family member of Alexander’s who previously testified against Alexander during this trial, specifically not his ex-wife. The prosecution proceeded to play a video clip of the interview that showed the family member making claims of what Alexander said to him regarding a murder. The video portrayed the family member alleging Alexander made statements including, “I done’d him”, and then more specifically “I killed him”.
The prosecution then questioned the detective regarding his search of Alexander’s residence at the time. According to the detective, they recovered evidence from the scene, specifically a box full of live ammunition, as well as a shoulder holster.
During cross-examination, Alexander’s defense attorney, Sellano Simmons, questioned the detective who explained that when he arrived, Hooks had already been taken to the medical examiner. Simmons argued that no one had heard a gunshot, there was no ballistics evidence found on the scene, no guns were recovered, and simply based on that alone, it didn’t appear that Hooks had been shot.
Simmons said the detective was the one who had observed the gunshot wound, not the medical examiner. He questioned the detective about the surveillance footage of the vehicle that was recovered in this case, and if the person seen driving the truck matched the description of the defendant — the detective replied that it didn’t.
“Nothing in the truck was connected to Mr. Alexander?” Simmons asked. “No sir.”, the detective replied.
Vincent Williams, 32, was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon against a minor, unlawful possession of a firearm, and threat to kidnap or injure a person for his alleged role in a non-fatal shooting on Nov. 17, 2022. The shooting occurred on the 4000 block of 8th Street, SE, and left two victims, one being a minor, suffering from non-life-threatening injuries.
On June 15, Williams accepted an offer from the prosecution to plead guilty to assault with intent to commit robbery and unlawful possession, with a prior conviction of a firearm, in exchange for dismissing all other charges for this and another pending case.
Before sentencing, the prosecution played surveillance video of the incident depicting Williams entering a metro bus and shooting a victim in close range.
The prosecution urged the judge to consider these are Williams’ third and fourth convictions relating to firearm possession and cited this incident as an “escalation of the defendant’s behavior from previous convictions.” The prosecutor also emphasized the defendant has had past issues with compliance upon release.
Before asking for a lighter sentence, Williams’ attorney, John Harvey III, explained that he is “ready to turn his life around” for the sake of his family and young daughter.
In a short statement, Williams expressed remorse and apologized to the victims. He explained that he was under the influence of drugs during the incident and “reacted for my own safety.”
In response to Williams, Judge Hertzfeld urged him to “imagine if it had been your little girl on that bus.”
Before announcing her decision, the judge stated “I don’t think the community is safe if I put you back in it”.
Judge Hertzfeld sentenced Williams to 4 years for assault with intent to commit robbery, with a concurrent sentence of 32 months for unlawful possession of a firearm. These charges will run consecutively to an additional charge, carrying a pistol without a license, for which he received 32 months.
After his prison term, Williams will be on supervised release for a total of six years and will have to register as a gun offender once released.
Eric Beasley, 32, is charged with first-degree murder for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run that resulted in the death of 45-year-old David Farewell while he was riding his bicycle. The incident occurred on Sept. 4, 2020 on the 2100 block of Young Street, SE.
Beasley testified he heard and saw Farewell yelling and pointing his finger at his girlfriend, leading Beasley to ask if she was okay. Beasley claimed he was worried for Farewell’s girlfriend and cited Farewell’s behavior as “erratic.”
After the incident, Beasley stated he was moving Farewell out of the street to prevent him from being hit by other vehicles. When asked why he decided to flee the scene, Beasley claimed he was scared and didn’t expect to be treated fairly by police.
During cross examination, the prosecution displayed a video of a car driving towards Farewell, acknowledging that no brake lights could be seen, which contradicted Beasley’s earlier statement of, “I was trying to hit the brake.”
Prosecutors also presented a video from the gas station, indicating there was no altercation seen between Farewell and his girlfriend.
During the defense attorneys’ redirect, Beasley said, “I accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. I feel horrible because the man lost his life.”
Defense attorney Patrick Nowak called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer, who had been one of the first on scene. Nowak argued cross-contamination may have occurred, as he displayed multiple clips from the officer’s body-worn camera footage, highlighting the amount of bystanders shown at the scene and a witness allegedly picking up a piece of evidence.
On Oct. 11, the defense continued its case in a murder trial before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun suggesting critical evidence could be missing.
Cedric Alexander, also known as Tony White, 52, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, robbery while armed, two counts of possession during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license outside the home or place of business with a prior felony for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Daquan Hooks on the 1900 block of 13th Street, SE on March 23, 2017.
Sellano Simmons, Alexander’s defense attorney, motioned for an acquittal, arguing that the case should be dismissed due to insufficient evidence. The prosecution countered that multiple people have testified that Alexander confessed to killing someone.
Judge Okun denied the motion, and stated there was sufficient evidence for the jury to reach a verdict.
The defense recalled the lead detective in the case to discuss issues with body-worn camera footage.
Simmons said many of the videos taken by the responding officers were mislabeled and ultimately expired. The detective acknowledged it was his responsibility to change the label so the footage would be preserved, which he failed to do.
The detective said there could be around 20 sets of body camera footage lost.
According to Simmons, the case was mishandled by Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) investigators and argued that someone else committed the murder.
Following the lead detective’s testimony, the defense planned to call two other MPD officers who failed to appear because of an issue with the defense subpoenas.
On Oct. 11, during the second day of a homicide preliminary hearing, the proceeding was interrupted due to scheduling issues.
Jaleil Jones, 18, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 44-year-old Robert Lavender that occurred on July 17 on the 600 block of Monroe Street, NE.
On Oct. 11, the lead detective continued his testimony regarding his involvement in the on-going investigation into the homicide.
According to the detective and prosecutors, there are various videos that show two individuals, one of which was identified as Jones by witnesses and the MPD, shooting Lavender and fleeing the scene of the crime.
Other videos show the two suspects allegedly leaving the area of the incident. One of the videos shows the suspects dropping some items outside the Brookland-CUA Metro Station. The items were later recovered by MPD, and included bank cards and identification cards that belonged to Lavender.
According to the detective, he was able to access Jones’ Instagram account which was public and noticed several images and videos that portray him holding guns and pointing it to the camera.
In one of the videos, which was played in court, Jones can be seen wearing what appears to be the same hoodie worn by one of the shooters during the murder.
Kevann Gardner, Jones’ defense attorney, argued that the detective couldn’t prove the Instagram account actually belonged to Jones because anyone could have posted the images and videos on the account.
Gardner also questioned the lead detective regarding the various different lookout descriptions shared between MPD and dispatchers on the day of the incident. Many of those descriptions did not match Jones’ description, Gardner states.
Due to time constraints, the detective was unable to finish his testimony.
Parties are expected to return for a continued preliminary hearing on Oct. 17.
Terrance Stoney, 30, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the murder of 43-year-old Donte Tiller on March 17 at the intersection of Naylor Road and Southern Avenue, SE.
A detective from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) testified about surveillance footage he retrieved from a liquor store located at the 3200 block of Naylor Road and from interviews with Stoney.
The footage shows Tiller’s vehicle, a black Ford Crown Victoria, traveling toward Southern Avenue pursued by a gray Nissan Infiniti.
According to the detective, Tiller stopped at a red light while Infiniti vehicle proceeded toward Naylor Road, apparently with the front window down, an arm extending from the vehicle, then shots were fired.
In the MPD detective’s interviews with Stoney, he said he was driving a gray tow truck near Naylor Road and Southern Avenue at the time of the offense.
From surveillance footage, prosecutors noted there was a gray tow truck that looked like it was heading toward Southern Avenue.
Using cell phone data, the MPD detective testified that Stoney’s phone signal showed up in the vicinity of the offense.
Nikki Lotze, Stoney’s defense attorney, said that the cell site analysis is consistent with Stoney’s phone but the specific location is unknown.
Following the detective’s testimony, the defense called a private investigator to confirm that Stoney was a driver for a towing company and he did work on March 17, according to the tow logs provided by his boss. One of his trips was from Temple Hills, MD, in the direction of the incident.
On the contrary, on May 1, Stoney’s boss told police that he works the day shift but wasn’t currently working on the day of the homicide, according to court documents.
Judge Demeo said “bad business practices” could’ve been at play with regard to the tow logs and Stoney’s whereabouts on the day of the shooting. She said the tow logs lacked detailed information.
Additionally, Stoney’s girlfriend told police on March 22 that she was the owner of the Infiniti involved in the shooting. She said that they live together and she bought the car for him, according to court documents.
In finding probable cause, Judge Demeo said the defendant and his employer were evasive in providing information.
Parties are expected back on Oct. 12 to discuss Stoney’s detention.
Eric Beasley, 32, is charged with first-degree murder for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run that resulted in the death of 45-year-old David Farewell while he was riding his bicycle. The incident occurred on Sept. 4, 2020 on the 2100 block of Young Street, SE.
“The defendant, Eric Beasley, murdered David Farewell with a 3,000 pound weapon,” prosecutors stated in their closing argument.
Prosecutors alleged Beasley had a clear motive for murder, as seconds before the incident occurred, Farewell confronted Beasley about Beasley’s allegedly following Farewell and his girlfriend out of the gas station.
Prosecutors displayed a video of Beasley allegedly hitting Farewell with his car, highlighting the sound of the vehicle accelerating after Farewell had been hit. The prosecution argued that Beasley would have immediately stopped or taken his foot off the gas if it was an accident.
Prosecution emphasized Beasley’s conduct of dragging Farewell’s body out of the road and fleeing the scene, stating, “He didn’t want 911 there, if he did he would’ve made the call.” They ended their argument by asking the jury to hold Beasley “responsible” for his actions.
In her closing argument, defense attorney Madalyn Harvey stated, “You have to consider what’s evidence and what’s just emotional.” Harvey argued the prosecution had mostly discussed uncontested evidence and emphasized how this was not enough to prove Beasley’s guilt.
Harvey argued the automobile mechanical expert testified there were no mechanical issues with the vehicle, but failed to examine human error as a possibility. In addition, Harvey emphasized the medical examiner’s testimony that the incident could have been an accident.
Harvey stated the prosecution had not conducted enough research and should have obtained an expert opinion on the footage of the incident to determine the speed of the vehicle and how far it traveled.
Ending her argument, Harvey stated, “It would be a tragedy for an innocent man to be convicted of murder.”
During their rebuttal, prosecutors remarked on how the two biggest pieces of evidence, the car and bike, were not at the scene because Beasley fled with both. They alleged Beasley proved to have a “consciousness of guilt” through his actions, including discarding the bike after fleeing the scene.
The jury is expected to start deliberations on Oct. 12.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested and charged 28-year-old Nathaniel Art-Washington with assault with intent to kill – gun, for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Oct. 9 on the 1200 block of Queen Street, NE.
According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a shooting, where they located an adult male victim in the roadway suffering from a gunshot wound. A short time later, a second victim flagged down an ambulance at the intersection of Florida Avenue and Eckington Place, NE. Both adult males were transported to hospitals for treatment of life-threatening injuries. The suspect was apprehended by responding officers.
MPD’s investigation determined the two shooting victims robbed the alleged shooter, after the robbery the suspect pursued them and shot them.
Lavender, 22, Sams, 27, and Mathis, 36, are charged with first-degree murder for their alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Matthew Miller on Sept. 5 in an apartment on the 200 block of M Street, SW.
According to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) documents, the three defendants attempted to rob drugs and money from those in the apartment. The plan went awry, leading to a shooting that injured five and killed Miller. All three defendants were shot.
The lead detective testified surveillance footage showed the defendants entering the apartment complex after the tenants gave them access. In addition, the detective testified about finding large plastic bags filled with what appeared to be marijuana and as well scales inside the apartment suggesting a potential drug deal.
According to the detective, the MPD found the three defendants at Children’s National Hospital with gunshot wounds. Mathis is under GPS monitoring; the system was alerted when he arrived.
In response, all three defense attorneys argued there are inconsistencies in accounts of the incident.
According to the detective, one of the victims claimed he resided in California even though it appears he lived in the apartment. In addition, the landlord is investigating whether the lease was fraudulent.
Judge Epstein concluded there is “at least probable cause this started as a robbery” and there is “no reason to think the dealers initiated” the shooting. All three defendants will be held until their trial.
