The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the homicide on April 14 on the 200 block of V Street, NW.
The victim was identified as 16-year-old Mylaki Young.
Document: Police Search for Suspect in Shooting
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is asking the public to help them locate and identify a suspect allegedly involved in a gun discharge inside of an establishment on the 400 block of 8th Street, SE.
Document: Traffic Fatality on Q Street, SE
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a traffic fatality on the 1800 block of Q Street, SE on Aug. 14 that resulted in the death of 27-year-old Joshua Richmond.
Homicide Defendant Waives Right to Independent DNA Testing
On April 14, a murder suspect waived his right to independently test DNA evidence from a crime scene.
Marcus Isom, 43, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the stabbing of 67-year-old Michael Stover on Jan. 3, 2022, on the 500 block of 55th Street, NE.
Isom alerted DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun that, after consideration, he was waiving his right to independent DNA testing.
According to court documents, Isom accused Stover of stealing his money a few days before the incident took place. on the day of the incident, Isom confronted Stover about the missing money, and things got violent. Stover endured a stab wound to his abdomen.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers recovered and tested a folding knife, Jordan sneakers and a and a Timberland jacket that belonged to the defendant.
Trial is slated to begin on Nov. 13.
Parties are expected back in court for a trial readiness hearing on Oct. 20.
Lead Detective Begins Testimony in Trial of 10 Year Old’s Murder
The lead detective in a long-running homicide case connected to the murder of Makiyah Wilson testified on April 13.
Gregory Taylor, 26, 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 in relation to a fatal drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of 10-year-old Wilson on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE on July 16, 2018.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer located surveillance footage cameras on a satellite image of the area of the shooting. The footage from the Wellington Park Apartment complex tracked the movements of the defendants on the day of the incident.
Because the prosecution had to frequently pause the surveillance footage to allow the witness to identify individuals in the videos, the detective was only able to get through about five pages of his 30-page report.
Given the length of the report and the surveillance footage, the detective is scheduled to continue his testimony at a later proceeding.
Defense Questions Legitimacy of a Key Witness’s Grand Jury Testimony
In an April 13 hearing, the Grand Jury testimony for a key witness in a five-year-old homicide case was brought into question.
Alphonso Walker, 45, is being 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.
The witness told a Grand Jury that Walker confessed to the murder during one of their conversations.
The prosecution is seeking to admit her testimony as out-of-court statements, but Walker’s defense attorneys Kevann Gardner and Prescott Loveland objected.
Defense counsel said the prosecuting attorney, who questioned the witness in the Grand Jury, didn’t ask questions solely related to Walker’s alleged confession. They argued he asked the witness questions related to information other informants provided in the case.
The defense argued that all the information the witness testified to cannot be attributed to Walker. The parties began going through the transcript line by line to decipher what statements can and cannot be attributed to Walker.
They were unable to evaluate the entire testimony but said they will continue to do so when they are scheduled to return to court on April 19.
Bus Accident Results in Rescheduled Proceedings
A homicide defendant was one of several passengers on a prisoner transport bus when it was involved in an accident on April 13. The accident caused the defendant and others’ hearings to be postponed.
Dionte Anderson, 24, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with the alleged shooting of Adrian Mack, 31, on Aug. 7, 2022, on the 300 block of 50th Street, NE.
Anderson was supposed to appear in front of DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt for a hearing, but along with several other defendants, Anderson was involved in a bus accident on the way to the courthouse.
Anderson was transported back to the jail to receive medical treatment. It was unclear when Anderson would be able to appear, so the parties agreed to reschedule the hearing.
D.C. Witness reported that DC Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz told parties, in her courtroom, that there was little information about the crash, but after medical assessment, some prisoners returned to the jail while others stayed at the courthouse.
All parties are scheduled to return to court on April 19.
Non-Fatal Shooting Case Continued Due to DC Jail Bus Accident
An April 13 pending plea resolution hearing in a non-fatal shooting case was continued due to an accident involving a bus that transports prisoners from the DC Jail to the courthouse.
Marvin Smith, 30, is charged with aggravated assault while armed in connection to a shooting that occurred on the 2400 block of Elvans Road SE on March 22, 2022.
DC Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz told the parties that there was little information about the crash but after medical assessment, some prisoners returned to the jail while others stayed at the courthouse.
The complainant in the Smith matter called 911 and advised he had been shot, according to court documents. When police questioned him, he stated he did not know who shot him.
The victim sustained injuries to his right lower leg and left knee and was admitted to a nearby hospital for surgery.
The case was continued to April 14 when the defendant rejected a plea offer from the prosecution.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 27.
Judge Accepts Plea For Lesser Charge in Non-Fatal Shooting
At a status hearing on April 13, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun accepted a plea deal, exonerating a defendant of assault with intent to kill while armed.
Andre Gregory was initially charged with assault with intent to kill while armed for allegedly shooting a victim on March 26, 2019, on the 4700 block of South Capitol Street, SE. According to court documents, Gregory, 32, allegedly shot the victim in the back two times at close range before fleeing the scene.
At the hearing, Gregory, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.
The prosecution stated in the proffer of facts that Gregory and one other suspect drove up in a light-colored hatchback and approached a man in a white BMW on March 4, 2019. Gregory held him at gunpoint and robbed him of his car. Gregory drove off in the light-colored hatchback, and the other suspect drove off in the victim’s white BMW.
According to the plea deal, the defense and prosecution agreed to the mandatory one-year sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. However, no agreement was reached for the carjacking charge and is subject to the judge during sentencing.
The sentencing is scheduled for June 12.
Judge Accepts Plea Deal in Homicide Case on Conditional Basis
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt accepted a conditional plea deal after the son and brother of a homicide victim gave in-court statements.
Nelson Davis, 19, is charged with second-degree murder while armed and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence allegedly committed during release for allegedly shooting 45-year-old Jason Ford on the 1700 block of West Virginia Avenue, NE on June 25, 2022.
Davis entered into a plea agreement on April 13 that would reduce the charge to voluntary manslaughter while armed if accepted by Judge Brandt.
However, Ford’s son and brother gave victim impact statements, saying they were unhappy with the proposed deal.
Ford’s son said that the maximum sentence of 12 years in the deal is not enough to rehabilitate Davis, and that “he needs to be held accountable” as the man who murdered his father. Davis would face a 30-year maximum sentence if the case went to trial.
Ford’s brother said that he doesn’t think the plea deal fits the crime and that the charge “trickled down to manslaughter to get a conviction.” He also said that their father recently had a seizure triggered by stress that was caused by the murder.
Davis’ guilty plea won’t be officially accepted until his sentencing, which is scheduled for July 7.
Credibility of Expert Witness’s Testimony in Drive-By Murder Case Called Into Question
The credibility of a forensic scientist’s testimony was called into question during an April 12 hearing given her termination from D.C’s Department of Forensic Science.
Gregory Taylor, 26, 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 the death of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson. The shooting happened on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE on July 16, 2018.
A former employee of D.C.’s Department of Forensic Science (DFS) who processed evidence related to the case testified in court, but the defense tried to block her testimony prior to her taking the stand.
The witness was terminated by DFS in 2021 due to her back-dating the distribution dates of forensic reports. She testified that although she did back-date the reports, she and several of her colleagues were permitted to do this and fired because of it.
The defense argued that her malfeasance should have been disclosed earlier and that her credibility was affected by her termination. DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun allowed her testimony regardless.
He said the prosecution wasn’t required to disclose her termination until they intended to call her to the stand, which they didn’t until Murchison’s attorney, Elizabeth Weller, filed a motion on April 9 requesting she testify.
The witness lifted multiple fingerprints from firearms recovered from the trunk of a Honda Accord, as well as the interior and exterior of the vehicle itself.
The Accord was not directly involved in the execution of the drive-by shooting that killed Wilson but is registered to an individual the defendants are known to associate with regularly. Matches to the fingerprints has not yet been revealed.
Trial is slated to continue on April 13.
Judge Continues Motion Hearing for 2020 Homicide Case
On April 12, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan continued a motion hearing in a second-degree murder case to review case law documents.
Lewkus Turner, 29, is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting 26-year-old Vincent Gyamfi on Dec. 11, 2020, on the 2900 block of S Street, SE.
Both parties filed several motions to limit the scope of evidence presented at trial.
Judge Raffinan heard arguments for all motions and asked the parties to allow her some time to go over case laws that would assist her in deciding her rulings for each request.
Parties are expected back in court for a continued motions hearing on April 25.
Hearing is Continues Pending Indictment in Non-Fatal Shooting Case
A non-fatal shooting case was continued in an April 13 hearing after the prosecution requested more time to indict.
Dominick Jackson, 38, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection to a shooting that occurred on the 700 block of 12th Street, NE on Nov. 20, 2022.
According to court documents, as police were processing the scene on 12th Street, other officers were dispatched to the 800 block of K Street, NE for the report of a vehicle striking a building. When officers arrived they observed several bullet holes through the car’s front passenger window.
The driver was unresponsive and appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound to the right thigh. He was immediately rushed to Washington Hospital Center and taken into surgery.
The driver is the complainant in this case.
Court documents also indicate, private security footage captured a male voice yelling, “Yo! What’s up with it ? What’s up with it?” and then four gunshots.
It was discovered that the victim’s girlfriend shares children with Jackson.
The next hearing is scheduled for June 27, when the prosecution expects to indict at that time.
Plea Agreement Falls Through During Fact-Review in Child Sexual Abuse Case
A defendant reconsidered a plea agreement in an April 12 hearing for a child-sex abuse case.
The 31-year-old defendant is charged with two counts of first-degree child sex abuse in connection to events in Washington DC that occurred on or about Sept. 1, 2013, and ending on or about May 1, 2016. The defendant’s charges included recognition of previous child sexual abuse convictions. No information was found on those associated cases.
The hearing began by discussing the terms of the plea agreement in which the defendant would plead guilty to two counts of second-degree child sex abuse. Both the prosecution and defense agreed to a maximum possible sentence of six years in prison.
However, while the prosecution read through the facts of the case, the defendant claimed they were inaccurate.
Defense attorney Brandon Burrell informed the court the plea was “falling through the cracks” and moved to set a trial date.
According to court documents the victims were the defendant’s step-sisters. They were about five-to-eight years old at the time of the alleged abuse.
Both victims stated the abuse happened multiple times throughout the years.
The trial is scheduled for Sept. 5, and the next hearing is slated for Aug. 18.
Document: Homicide on Benning Road, NE
Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating a homicide that occurred on April 12 on the 1600 block of Benning Road, NE.
According to a press release, 19-year-old Andre Wallace Jr. was found inside an establishment. He died on the scene.