The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a third suspect in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on April 21, on the 1300 block of 6th Street NW.
Two 32-year-old men were arrested following the incident.
On May 8, defense attorneys for six defendants began arguing their case in a three month long homicide trial.
Gregory Taylor, 27, Quentin Michals, 25, Qujuan Thomas, 24, Darrise Jeffers, 23, Isaiah Murchison, 22, and Marquell Cobbs, 21, are six of 10 defendants charged with first-degree murder, criminal street gang affiliation, conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill, and other charges regarding a fatal drive-by shooting that resulted in 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson’s death. The shooting happened on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE on July 16, 2018.
Errin Scialpi, defense attorney for Michals, questioned the defendant’s ex-girlfriend about her delayed plans with Michals on the day of the homicide.
She said they were supposed to get together after she got off work that afternoon. At around 9:00 p.m., she alerted Michals, through text, that she was running behind. She then asked him to pick her up late in the evening to spend the night together.
Michals, she said, picked her up after 11 p.m., in a car with a driver she didn’t know.
However, she admitted she had no clue what Michals had been doing throughout the day of the murder since she was at work.
Following the testimony of this witness, Michals’ attorneys rested their case.
Taylor’s attorney, Jonathan Zucker, questioned Taylor’s former music manager about his involvement in Taylor’s music career in the years leading up to his arrest.
Theodore Pigford, 26, better known as “30 Glizzy,” was Taylor’s rapping partner. Pigford was shot and killed in Baltimore in September 2017.
According to the witness, he only worked with 30 Glizzy and Taylor, whose stage name is “Gizzle.” He helped sell their image based on what their audiences liked and what they would pay for.
Gizzle released various songs and mixtapes, and collaborated with various rappers who perform in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
In cross examination, prosecutors asked about the content of Taylor’s music videos, which portray various guns, wads of money, and sometimes narcotics. Several of his co-defendants made appearances on these videos.
According to the witness, the props in these videos could be fake, as the rappers are only trying to sell a “gangster” image to their audience.
When questioned about the relevance of this witness, Zucker said his testimony showed that Taylor portrayed himself as a gangster to get a bigger audience, and that a lot of the statements made by the defendants and mentioned by prosecutors were only song lyrics.
All parties are expected back in court on May 10 to continue defense’s arguments.
On May 9, defense attorneys for murder suspect Alphonso Walker filed for a mistrial alleging misconduct after prosecutors elicited a potentially prejudicial statement from a witness.
Walker, 45, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of Dalonte Wilson, 23, and Antone Brown, 44, on the 400 block of 61st Street, NE on April 25, 2018.
The prosecution said the witness built a relationship with Walker in the years leading up to the double homicide. She is currently at DC Jail under a probation hold because of alleged parole violations as well as being a material witness after her refusal to accept the subpoenas for this case.
According to the witness, she and Walker used to meet up two to three times a week to engage in sexual acts. She also said she knew both victims for a long time, as they helped her when she struggled with addiction and homelessness since she was 14.
She testified to the court that, on the night of the homicide, she received a phone call from a friend stating “Your date killed BeyBey and Minimoe,” which are nicknames for the victims .
Prescott Loveland and Kevann Gardner, defense attorneys for Walker, motioned for a mistrial because they say prosecutors intentionally elicited a statement from the witness insinuating that Walker was the one who shot both individuals based on hear say.
Loveland argued that the prosecutors may be trying to cause a mistrial because they are worried about the effectiveness of their witnesses’ testimony.
The defense said if a mistrial is not granted, they want a jury instruction that statements they heard from the witness are false statements, the conversation she mentioned never occurred, and that the government intended this to happen by coaching the witness before she took the stand, leading her to state that the defendant committed the crime.
The prosecutors argued that giving that type of instruction to the jury would be lying to them, and that it is the court’s job to ensure that the jury has the facts to this case at their disposal.
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt stated she would not be giving that type of instruction, but rather gave the parties the day to find case law that supports their arguments as to how to move forward.
Ultimately, the judge declared a mistrial in the case and asked both parties to attend a conference on May 12 at 10 a.m. to discuss next steps.
Whether a weapon introduced as evidence matches the gun used to kill two murder victims was hotly debated during an ongoing trial before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on May 8.
Alphonso Walker, 45, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of Dalonte Wilson, 23, and Antone Brown, 44, near the 400 block of 61st Street, NE on April 25, 2018. Walker has been held in the DC Jail since December 2018.
Prosecutors called a firearms consultant to make their case. The forensics analyst explained how he test-fired a nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol and compared the results to spent bullets and fragments collected after the crime.
The weapon identification is based on microscopic observations in the ballistic material called “class characteristics” and “random imperfections,” the expert said. In other words, some things that all bullets have in common such as lines and grooves and how they’re subtly modified when a round is fired.
In a summary slide, the expert concluded the gun he examined “may have fired” the recovered fragments, and there is “strong support” for that conclusion.
Walker’s defense attorney Prescott Loveland pressed the witness about the certainty of his identification given that nine-millimeter ammunition is the world’s most popular type and bullets share common characteristics–something the witness acknowledged.
During earlier questioning by the prosecution, the ballistics expert used a series of split slides comparing his spent test bullets on one side to the shell casings and bullet fragment evidence on the other.
During cross-examination, Loveland asked the expert to make repeat identifications of the images. The expert admitted he misidentified one of the slides. “People make mistakes,” said Loveland.
The witness said he’s made thousands of weapon identifications for law enforcement agencies including prosecutors in the DC Superior Court.
Meanwhile, a DC medical examiner testified that Brown died as a result of three gunshot wounds while Wilson was killed by a single bullet wound to the neck. The jury viewed the autopsy photos.
Earlier in the day the trial was delayed because of an alternate juror’s concern that someone in the courtroom was sending non-verbal signals to Walker. Judge Brandt said she was “flabbergasted” by the revelation and Walker’s defense team denied he had any part in the action. However, Walker’s lawyers were concerned that the juror might have developed a bias against their client.
After interviewing the juror, Judge Brandt moved him from the first alternate position to the last alternate position to resolve the issue.
The prosecution says it will conclude its case next week. The trial is scheduled to continue on May 10..
Dwayne Brooks, 25, failed to show up for a scheduled 9:30 a.m. felony status conference before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan on May 9.
Brooks is charged with first-degree felony murder in connection with the shooting death of 21-year-old Juwaan Henry on Aug. 25, 2022 on the 800 block of 7th Street, NW.
Brooks’ attorney, Megan Allburn, said her client was experiencing serious transportation issues and that he intended to appear. He was just released from jail on May 6, said Allburn, and he’s been in constant contact with her ever since.
Judge Raffinan said she would go ahead with the proceeding if Brooks arrived by 11 a.m. Otherwise, she would issue a bench warrant for his arrest, a request already made by the prosecutor.
According to court records, Brooks surrendered to authorities in Maryland on May 9 in response to the warrant and has been placed on GPS monitoring.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for May 12.
On May 9, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered the rearrest of a man charged with assault with intent to kill following alleged probation violations.
On March 1, Markeis Crandall, 19, was convicted of aggravated assault knowingly while armed for his involvement in a non-fatal shooting that left two individuals injured. The incident occurred on Nov. 26, 2021, on the 2200 block of Minnesota Avenue, SE.
According to Crandall’s probation officer, he has been violating his release conditions since January. He tested positive for fentanyl use, failed to show up for court-ordered anger management classes, and lied about working. He had previously failed to successfully complete a court ordered residential drug-treatment program.
Prosecutors said they are worried about Crandall’s fentanyl use at such a young age, arguing the drug is dangerous and the consequences could make him a danger to the community.
Sellano Simmons, Crandall’s defense attorney, argued the defendant has been experiencing various high-stress situations, and has taken accountability for his failures and shown up at anger-management classes.
When prosecutors and probation officers requested the court arrest Crandall for his various violations, Simmons suggested Crandall be allowed to turn himself into the Re-Entry & Sanctions Center (RSC) for treatment.
Judge Brandt alerted the parties that since this is a repeated issue, she couldn’t trust Crandall to turn himself in to receive the treatment he needs, and due to her schedule, she couldn’t take time now to decide if his probation should be revoked or if he should be allowed to have a second chance at receiving the treatment he need.
Judge Brandt ordered that US Marshals take Crandall into custody, and hold him at DC Jail until his next hearing.
“Young man, I’m taking you off the streets to save your life. The only place you’re going to end up is six feet under with a grieving mother,” she said.
Parties are expected back in court on May 26.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating suspects for a non-fatal shooting that occurred on May 1, on the 1400 block of S Street, NW.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), with the help of U.S. Postal Inspectors, have arrested and charged 25-year-old Davida Johnson for her alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that occurred on May 8, on the 900 block of Brentwood Road, NE.
According to MPD, the investigation showed the assault was domestic in nature.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect that was involved in a non-fatal shooting on May 3, on the 2600 block of Stanton Road, SE.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on May 6, on the 2400 block of Shannon Place, SE.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect vehicle connected to a non-fatal shooting that left a juvenile male injured. The incident occurred on April 30, on the 4200 block of 4th Street, SE.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect that was involved in a non-fatal shooting on May 3, on the 2600 block of Stanton Road, SE.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has identified the decedent in an assault that occurred on May 4, on the 3500 block of Hayes Street, NE.
The decedent was identified as 47-year-old Marcus Carey. MPD is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating the suspects of the assault.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a fatal assault that occurred on May 4, on the 3500 block of Hayes Street, NE.
The decedent’s information has not yet been released as MPD is trying to contact their next of kin.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect for a non-fatal shooting that occurred on May 6, on the 2400 block of Shannon Place, SE.
