Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested March 29 a second suspect for a homicide that took place on the 2800 block of 14th Street NW on Nov. 3, 2021.
Trequan Nelson was arrested along with Demonte Gibson for allegedly shooting as 34-year-old Delonte King.
During a mental observation hearing on March 30, a defendant in a homicide case was found incompetent to stand trial and required to undergo further evaluation
Wonell Jones Jr. is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Audora Williams after a dispute about infidelity. On July 19, 2022, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to a report of a shooting on the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE, where they found Williams, 33, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to court documents, Jones, 35, has a history of domestic violence and made numerous threats to Williams before she was killed.
At the hearing on Thursday, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan stated that the DC Department of Behavioral Health had found Jones mentally incompetent to stand trial in this case. However, he said he would require further evaluation from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
The prosecution and defense had no objections to the court’s recommendations.
The defense, however, requested that Jones be released on home confinement in light of his mental incompetence. Judge Raffinan rejected this request.
The next hearing is slated for May 10.
DC Superior Court Judge Lynn Lebovitz set a trial date in a non-fatal shooting case during a March 30 hearing.
Delante Smith, 29, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection to an incident on Feb. 6 on the 2600 block of Stanton Road, SE.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the area and spoke to two witnesses.
The victim said that after having an earlier confrontation, Smith, who was living next-door, banged on the door and a fight ensued. The witness said Smith immediately began shooting as they wrestled and eventually fled back to his apartment next door. The victim was not injured, but also said there had been an ongoing dispute with Smith.
A plea agreement was offered in the case, but Smith rejected it.
A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for June 30. Trial set for July 5.
Smith also has an open case from 2020 regarding an unauthorized use of a vehicle charge. Trial is slated to begin Aug. 2 in that matter.
A murder trial originally set for April 2024 was set for an earlier date on March 27.
Eric Davis, 60, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm for his alleged connection in the murder of 41-year-old Theodore Riley on the 1600 block of Gales Street, SE on July 19, 2021. According to court documents, Riley suffered from a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Defense attorney Howard McEachern informed DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe that a hearing on DNA evidence took place on Feb. 1 before DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein. An accelerated trial date of Jan. 22, 2024, was established at that hearing based on a defense request.
The prosecution expects its case to run no longer than four days.
Both parties must submit pretrial motions by this coming June. Prosecutors must also respond to the defense statements by July 14.
A trial readiness hearing is set for Jan. 5.
On March 29, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt found probable cause to charge Demonte Gibson, with first-degree premeditated murder.
Gibson, 26, allegedly shot 34-year-old Delonte King on Nov. 3, 2021, on the 2800 block of 14th Street, NW.
Judge Brandt told the court that, “probable cause is a low standard, and one must reach the identities and evidence to claim it,” stating the prosecutors had done just that.
According to the judge, the identity of the perpetrator was substantiated by a witness and the defendant himself. When Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers interviewed him he was shown an image of the individual and identified himself.
MPD officers argued that the clothing the defendant was wearing at the time of the incident and the clothing he was seen wearing later that day were the same.
Judge Brandt said the video evidence of the shooting shows the individual wearing similar clothing walking across 14th Street, NW toward the intersection with Girard Street, NW.
According to police accounts, the suspect reached into his pants and retrieved an item. The suspect then appeared to shoot a gun.
He is then seen meeting up with another suspect and running down 14th Street towards the 1400 block of Fairmont Street, NW, where the suspects are seen entering a building with masks on and exiting a few minutes later with the same clothing and no masks.
Brandt explained that the prosecution had proven probable cause that he was the killer.
After the judge’s ruling, Gibson’s defense attorneys requested he be released as he awaits next steps in the case, which was quickly opposed by the prosecutors.
Prosecutors stated that Gibson had been on release for previous charges and had several violations during his releases. The prosecution said they consider him a risk to the community due to the graveness of his actions.
Judge Brandt rejected the defense’s request to have him released, stating, “he has a track record of not following his imposed conditions,” and she could not find conditions that would keep the community safe if he was to be released.
Parties are expected back in court for a felony status conference hearing on May 26.
The defense filed a motion for dismissal in a murder case after claiming the prosecution violated a suspect’s right to privacy guaranteed under the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).
William Ransford, 59, is charged with second-degree murder in in the death of Debra McManus, 39, on Oct. 23, 1993, near 4th and Trenton Streets in Southeast DC.
During the March 27 proceedings, defense attorney Dana Page argued that the prosecution wrongly requested medical information about Ransford from the DC Jail where he is currently being held.
The prosecution responded that a court order wasn’t necessary.
HIPAA rights do not apply and the defendant’s privacy rights weren’t violated, the prosecutor said.
“Dismissal is the only remedy” Page insisted.
McManus was found near the woods by the high school with visible scratches and signs of strangulation, according to court documents. DNA testing in 1993 did not provide any definitive profiles, however the evidence was retested in 2020 and DNA from McManus’s left sock matched with Ransford’s.
DC Superior Court Judge Raffinan Maribeth said she needed more time to consider the issue and scheduled the next hearing for May 26.
Metropolitan Police Department officers are investigating a homicide that occurred on March 29 on the 3000 block of 30th Street, SE.
After receiving reports of a shooting, officers located 34-year-old Antonio Burnette inside a residence. He died on the scene. Officers also find another male victim who received treatment at an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
On March 28, Metropolitan Police Department detectives arrested 41-year-old Tiaquana Chandler for assault with intent to kill and burglary.
According to court documents, Chandler allegedly entered an apartment on the 3400 block of 13th Street, SE earlier on Mach 28 and assaulted and shot the victim.
DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein found probable cause connecting two defendants to the murder of Vernon Harrison,36. The ruling came during a preliminary hearing on March 29.
Twenty-nine-year-old Antione Tucker is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Harrison on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE on June 22, 2022.
Nakia Pearson, 29, is charged with being an accessory after the fact for allegedly assisting Tucker after the shooting by driving him away from the scene and disposing of his gun.
According to the prosecution, Tucker was attempting to rob Harrison while he was standing at a bus stop.
According to the lead detective in this case the getaway car belongs to Pearson. He said the car was later searched and items that belonged to Tucker were recovered including a social security card, ID, and credit card.
According to the detective, a witness who spoke to both Tucker and Pearson said they told her how Pearson disposed of the gun.
After being asked by defense attorney Pierce Suen, the detective added that the same witness previously received a substantial award in another homicide case that involved Pearson.
Defense attorneys said the evidence is weak and the court should not find probable cause.
However, the prosecution argued that they have more evidence that shows Tucker and Pearson at the location of the shooting when it happened.
Judge Epstein stated that there is enough evidence to connect both defendants to the murder.
Suen requested that Tucker be released on GPS monitoring and home confinement.
Judge Epstein denied his request due to the safety of the community and Tucker’s criminal history.
Pearson remains on release awaiting trial.
A felony arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 25.
During a status hearing on March 27, DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan set a second trial date for May 2024 for a murder defendant who was originally found guilty of second-degree murder while armed in 2009.
That verdict was overturned after the defense found evidence that Levon Williams had ineffective counsel, which is a violation of his constitutional right to adequate representation.
Williams won his appeal to a new trial due to his previous defense team being ineffective in various aspects of the pretrial and trial issues. These issues included a lack of interviewing key witnesses prior to and during the trial and not filing various motions that could have helped the case.
Williams hwrote to DC Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Alpin in 2009 regarding the issues with his counsel, yet no action was taken.
The murder occurred on April 21, 2008, on the 1200 block of North Capitol Street, NW. Police responded to a 911 call where they found the victim, Ronald Thompson, with multiple stab wounds.
The new trial is estimated to run two weeks starting on May 14, 2024. A trial readiness hearing was scheduled for April 12, 2024.
During a March 27 status hearing, a defendant complained about his treatment at a jail in Northern Neck, VA.
The 44-year-old defendant is charged with multiple counts, including first-degree burglary while armed, counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed, first-degree sexual abuse, and one count of first-degree child sexual abuse, kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, and obstruction. The defendant is also charged in a felony domestic violence case.
The defendant was jailed on charges that date back to incidents from between 1999 and 2007.
The assaults allegedly occurred on the 1400 block of Fairmont Street, NW between December 1999 and December 2000; the 1400 block of Euclid Street, NW on July 2, 2003; the 1700 block of Harvard Street, NW on June 3, 2007; and the 1400 block of Columbia Road, NW on Sept. 8, 2007.
The jail has been “negligent” in his medical care, the defendant said.
Another issue raised by defense attorney Howard Mceachern is the distance from the jail to Washington, DC. Mceachern currently drives 90 minutes each way in order to meet with his client.
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt agreed that trial preparations would be easier if the defendant were housed in the same jurisdiction as his attorney.
But, she explained she doesn’t have the judicial authority to relocate him. Brandt said she intends to communicate with the DC Jail and “see what [she] can do.”
A hearing on DNA evidence, along with trial readiness, is scheduled for April 19.
A trial date was set in a homicide case two months after the defendant was released on a technicality.
Christian Johnson is charged with first-degree murder in connection for allegedly shooting Lavonte McCould that occurred on the 1600 block of Kenilworth Avenue, NE on Nov. 25, 2021.
According to witnesses, McCloud and Johnson had a tense relationship as well as a child with the same woman. Johnson is currently on release because the prosecution failed to file an indictment within the nine-month deadline.
In a Feb. 2 hearing, Johnson’s attorney Dominique Winters told DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun she needed more time to review relevant information before setting a trial date.
Almost two months later, during a March 28 hearing, she requested more time and to schedule another status hearing.
When questioned why she was in the same position as two months ago? Winters agreed to set a date.
However, the closest the prosecution had available was April 7, 2025, nearly three and a half years after Johnson was first charged.
Judge Okun agreed to set an additional status hearing as well. All parties are scheduled to reconvene on June 1.
On March 28, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt found probable cause for three of four charges against a defendant accused of sexual assault.
The defendant was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, attempt to commit first-degree sexual abuse, third-degree sexual abuse, and kidnapping for an alleged incident that occurred on Feb. 28 at the 1900 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW.
The lead detective testified in the case that the victim reported the assault after what seemed like a casual encounter.
According to court documents, the two were staying in a hostel where they had shared a room with two other people. The victim says the defendant approached her asking her how old she was and if she would like to have a drink. The victim declined.
The defendant then asked if she would “let him hit that,” meaning would she let him have sex with her. After she said no a second time, the defendant allegedly put his hand down the woman’s pants and touched her buttocks.
The suspect continued his advances by holding her arm, groping her breasts and touching her genitals. In order to get out of the room, she agreed to bring back some liquor to expedite sex. At that point she was able to get help.
Judge Brandt stated that, based on the testimony, she found probable cause for attempting to commit first-degree sexual abuse, third-degree sexual abuse, and kidnapping. However, she said there was insufficient evidence for a first-degree sexual abuse charge.
All parties are expected back in court for a felony status conference on June 1.
The murder trial for six defendants accused in the shooting of a 10-year-old girl continued March 28 after one of the six co-defendants’ release was revoked in a separate hearing, minutes before.
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.
According to the prosecution, Cobbs was arrested in Maryland and charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl pills and illegal possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.
Cobbs had been free since May of 2019, but due to his arrest DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun found probable cause and revoked his release. Cobbs was the only one out of the six defendants on release since he wasn’t present at the time of the shooting.
The prosecution called multiple former employees of DC’s Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) who were assigned to process the vehicle, and its contents, that was allegedly used in the crime.
The vehicle was found thanks to a tip in the form of a text that pointed detectives to the 3500 block of Burton Court in Maryland. While processing the vehicle the forensic experts found potential fingerprints, fired and unfired bullets, and swabbed commonly touched areas for potential DNA samples.
However, during her cross-examination, Murchison’s attorney, Carrie Weletz, revealed to the jury that DFS lost its accreditation in 2021 when the unit came under fire for how it was analyzing DNA evidence. Still, this was three years after the vehicle in question was processed.
The defense was unable to cross-examine the last witness called by the prosecution, so all parties are scheduled to reconvene and continue questioning on March 29.
This case was acquitted on Aug. 15, 2023.
On the third day of trial, a forensic pathologist from the DC Medical Examiner’s Office testified that multiple sharp force injuries were the cause of death in a homicide.
Jermaine Washington, 38, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Keon Bonner, 40, on the night of Oct. 26, 2021, in an alley on the 1500 block of Ogden Street, NW.
Using autopsy photos the pathologist explained on March 27 that the victim sustained 10 stab wounds, some as deep as seven inches. The cuts were inflicted on the victim’s face, both sides of his torso, upper-left back, left shoulder, and left hip.
Of the 10 stab wounds, two of them were apparently the most deadly. The two were on the victim’s left hip, where an artery had been punctured. The examiner explained that without immediate medical attention, an individual with that injury could bleed out within minutes.
In addition, the examiner explained that stab wounds could be deeper than the blade of a knife because vital organs can be compressed in the attack.
The detective who arrested Washington said he was searched and a knife was found in the waistband of his pants. The blade was approximately three inches long, fitting the description of the murder weapon.
DNA tests on blood samples from the victim and the accused were inconclusive in terms of links to the crime.
The medical examiner was the prosecution’s final witness and the defense does not intend to call any witnesses.
The trial is set to continue with deliberations beginning on March 28.
