PreTrial Motions Continue as Double Homicide Trial is Delayed

All parties are set to prepare for a month-long wave of pretrial motions for a double homicide case as it inches closer to its newly scheduled trial date.

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 trial was slated to begin on Feb. 23, however, a new witness was disclosed 48 hours prior causing the trial to be rescheduled for April 20.

Instead, D.C. Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt heard the defense on their motion to suppress tangible evidence and digital data.

Defense attorneys Prescott Loveland and Kevann Gardner argued the a search warrant issued for Walker’s two cell phones was insufficient and did not meet the standards for 4th amendment privacy compliance.

According to D.C. case law, the warrant must specify what evidence the prosecution is seeking to obtain from the phones, why the prosecution believes the device contains said evidence, and establish the period of time of extraction.

In addition, to establish probable cause to conduct the search, Walker’s arrest warrant must also be incorporated and attached to the search warrant itself.

Gardner argued the prosecution failed to meet all of these standards, calling it a “bare bones” warrant.

The prosecution argued the arrest warrant was referenced in the search warrant, that it established probable cause, and asked the judge to use “common sense inference” to see the warrant as sufficient.

Gardner and Loveland countered by pointing out the arrest warrant was only referenced once, the reference did not use proper incorporation language, and that it still wasn’t attached to the search warrant.

Judge Brandt did not rule on the motion, and requested both sides turn in their arguments in writing by the deadline for motions on March 2, responses are due on March 27.

All parties are scheduled to reconvene on March 31 to “put an end to all these motions” according to Judge Brandt.

Judge Grants New Attorney More Time to Review Case Before Setting a Trial Date

At a felony arraignment on Feb. 23, DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo accepted the defense’s request to wait to set a trial date to allow more time to go over documents.

DaJuan Bell is charged with first-degree murder premeditated while armed in connection to a shooting on Dec. 10, 2021. Bell, 45, allegedly shot two men on the 2000 block of 14th Street, NE. One of the victims, 34-year-old Davon Childs, succumbed to his injuries. The incident occurred after a dispute over the ownership of a shared apartment.

At Thursday’s hearing, the prosecution requested that a trial date be set. However, defense attorney Michael Mruckheim indicated that he was new to the case and requested that Judge Demeo grant the defense more time for viewing documents before setting a date.

Mruckheim also noted that he had not yet gained access to evidence, causing even further delay in his preparation.

The prosecution stated that the information had been shared with the defense. However, the prosecution is in the process of re-adding evidence that had been deleted back to the digital database for the defense’s viewing.

Judge Demeo complied with the defense’s request for more time and did not set the trial date.

At the hearing, Bell was also arraigned on two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, and obstruction of justice.

The next hearing is slated for April 4.

Case Acquitted: Parties Are Now Ready For Trial After Four Years

This case was acquitted on March 23, 2023.

DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan limited the prosecution to using only four to five pictures down from 52 of the 16 victims’ wounds during a motions hearing on Feb. 22.

Twenty-one-year-old Kaevon Sutton is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license outside of a home or business for allegedly shooting of Aujee Tyler, 22. The shooting occurred on March 19, 2018, on the 3500 block of Stanton Road SE.

In court the judge expressed that jurors may feel uneasy about the vivid autopsy photos. He stated that both parties may benefit by using diagrams instead of actual photos.

On Wednesday, attorneys prepared for the upcoming trial and went through the evidence that would be used from the prosecution’s side along with opening statements

The prosecution expects to call family members to testify along with the medical examiner.

The defense objected to the number of family members that are testifying, claiming that it will be repetitive.

Judge Ryan overruled the objection.

He said that while he understands that repetition might be an issue, he would make that call when it happens during the trial. He stated that the testimonies are all relevant, and he will not be eliminating any before they happen.

Defense attorneys Terrence Austin and Jessica Willis requested an additional question to be added to the 12 questions during jury selection. The question asks if a potential juror would be affected emotionally by the testimony, which would distract them from allowing Sutton to have a fair trial.

Instead of adding an additional question, Judge Ryan motioned their request into consideration and added the testimony to be a part of another question that addresses gun violence and the autopsy pictures.

The prosecution asked if the defense would begin their arguments with self-defense. No final answer was given.

However, Judge Ryan informed the prosecution that the defense is allowed to start with self-defense based on evidence that was previously given to him

Jury selection is scheduled to start on Feb. 23.

Parties Prepare to Go to Trial in Mass Shooting Case

The trial for a non-fatal shooting defendant was scheduled to begin Feb. 27 with jury selection.

Travs Littlejohn, 37, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for a non-fatal shooting incident at a Shell Gas station located on the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue NE on July 5, 2019. According to court documents, there were four victims who sustained non-life threatening gunshot wounds after a confrontation.

On Feb. 23, the prosecution to DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan that approximately 21 witnesses would testify, although a prosecutor said that number could change to 22, including six to seven police officers.

The defense expects to have three to five witnesses.

The trial is expected to last approximately eight days.

The prosecution also brought up a scheduling issue with several witnesses as they were not located in the jurisdiction. The prosecutors said they hope the witnesses could take the stand on Feb. 28.

To conclude the hearing, Judge Raffinan requested a final witness list from the defense and an exhibit list from the prosecution and defense by end of day Friday or over the weekend.

Defense receives DNA Test Results from Prosecutors

During a status hearing on Feb. 22, defense attorney Matthew Davies received DNA test results from prosecutors and the remaining evidence on behalf of a murder defendant.

Raymond Davis, 50, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection to the murder of Henry Hackett, 41. The incident occurred on the 2000 block of Langston Place, SE on June 3.

Upon arrival, the victim was found unconscious and unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. Medics responded to the scene and transported the victim to the George Washington Hospital where life-saving efforts were limited. He was pronounced dead.

Davis requested a future status hearing date when he has the results of the additional DNA testing the defense is conducting.

The next scheduled hearing is a status hearing on March 10.

Defendant Fails to Register as Sex Offender Due to Being Held In A Maryland Jail

Defense attorney, Chidi Ogolo stated that a defendant has been compliant and has registered as a sex offender in Washington, DC in 2022, but the defendant was unable to register this year since he was detained in Maryland after testing positive for cocaine.

During a Feb. 22 hearing, the prosecution noted that she has had confirmation that the defendant had registered for 2022 and has now registered for 2023.

The 44-year-old defendant was convicted of one count of attempted second-degree child sex abuse on Oct. 21, 2008. He was sentenced to three years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. He was ordered to also register as a sex offender for 10 years upon his release.

If the defendant followed all the conditions, he would not be required to register as a sex offender beyond Nov. 21, 2022.

He was convicted in October of 2019 for failure to register as a sex offender. In September of 2020 a sex offender registration violation report was completed for Wright for not completing a yearly-in-person update with the DC Registry.

New Witness Disclosure Causes Delay 48 Hours Before Five-Year-Old Double Homicide Trial is Scheduled to Begin

Court-ordered sanctions that forced the prosecution to introduce a new witness have caused yet another trial delay for a double homicide case.

Alphonso Walker, 45, is being charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the death of Dalonte Wilson, 23, and Antone Brown, 44, near the 400 block of 61st Street, NE on April 25, 2018.

In previous hearings, D.C. Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt sanctioned numerous witness testimonies due to missing and deleted Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) body-worn camera footage from the night of the crime.

In an attempt to maneuver around Judge Brandt’s sanctions, the prosecution interviewed an additional witness and notified the defense of the new witness 48 hours before Walker’s trial was scheduled to begin on Feb. 23.

According to defense attorneys Prescott Loveland and Kevann Gardner, the prosecution’s new witness was a former drug dealer to one of the prosecution’s “key” witnesses. This key witness was a former sexual partner of Walker and is a practicing prostitute.

Loveland and Gardner also made Judge Brandt aware that one of the prosecution’s witnesses has been reading publicly available court documents containing motions, pleadings, and other important information regarding the case.

The witness also told the prosecution that he searched Walker’s name on Facebook and recognized the third profile down as the shooter.

Due to these incidents, the defense requested that Judge Brandt put all documents from this case under seal both retroactively and going forward.

Loveland and Gardner also requested Judge Brandt continue this case for 30 to 60 days and push the trial date back.

Judge Brandt agreed to the continuance but made it clear that she wants to see this case tried in 2023 as Walker has been in jail for five years.

To allow the prosecution time to contact their witnesses, a preliminary trial date was set for April 20.

All parties are scheduled to reconvene on Feb. 23 to officially reschedule Walker’s trial date.

Defendant Brought to Tears After Pleading Guilty to Assault

During a Feb. 22 status hearing, the defendant in a firearms case pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after shooting a man in the foot.

The incident occurred Sept. 7, 2021, on the 200 block of 36th Street, SE. According to court documents, Ameer Culbreath, 48, assaulted the victim while at a party. After a scuffle between the two, the defendant brandished a firearm in his direction. The victim, in an attempt to stop the attack, lunged forward and knocked the gun from Culbreath’s hand, discharging the weapon. The victim was struck in the foot from the stray shot.

Culbreath was arrested Sept. 12 on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to a proffer of facts, the prosecutor said she had witnesses who could attest to the shooting and call into light the defendant’s criminal record.

The attorney began to list each of Culbreath’s past offenses, but was interrupted by the defendant’s tears.

During the reading of the charges, he leaned in toward his defense attorney, Adam D. Harris, and confided in him. The court marshal retrieved tissues for the defendant and DC Superior Court Judge Sean C. Staples called a brief intermission.

Judge Staples said he wanted Culbreath to hear the prosecution’s words and understand with complete clarity the charges that he was pleading guilty to.

Before the prosecution continued, Harris told Judge Staples that Culbreath confessed that he was unaware that he had harmed the victim in this case and this was the first time Culbreath heard about the injuries he’d inflicted to the victim’s foot.

The prosecution said the victim survived and has since received several surgeries to reconstruct the damage done to his foot.

After seeing how this information negatively affected Culbreath, the prosecutor quickly wrapped up her closing statement and allowed Judge Staples to proceed with the hearing.

Culbreath wiped his tears, sat up straight, and took a deep breath. He then assured Judge Staples that he was ready to continue with his guilty plea.

The case will reconvene April 25 for sentencing.

Neighborhood Dispute Turned Deadly- Defendant Indicted for Murder

Defense attorney Dana Page will not challenge the results of multiple mental competency evaluations of a defendant in a murder case.

Jamaarr Morgan, 22, was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license. He was originally charged with first-degree murder of Jacques Benjamin Russ, 44, on the unit block of 61st Street, NE on Dec. 14, 2021.

Morgan has been held at DC Jail since March 1, 2022, and was transferred to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in July for further evaluation.

According to court documents, one witness living in the same neighborhood as Russ stated that he suffered from mental illness, had harassed others nearby, and that he walked around like a “Billy bad ass.”

That witness had multiple disputes with Russ but said he had not ordered a “hit” on him.

Another witness stated that Russ was very paranoid and accused neighbors of watching his movements and stalking him.

Morgan was staying at a hotel nearby the incident, and checked out shortly after the homicide, according to court documents. Another witness told the police that Russ told an unknown individual “You ain’t seen me”.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 21 to pick a trial date.

Defendant Resists Marshals After Preliminary Hearing

After a preliminary hearing, a defendant in a murder case resisted U.S. Marshals and shouted, “Get off me” as she left the courtroom.

Latasha Gray, 35, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection to the death of Anthony Thomas, 40. The incident occurred on the 4200 block of 7 Street, NE on Feb. 7.

Gray and Thomas were engaged in a romantic relationship and lived in the apartment with their two children. According to court documents, a dispute over an expensive pair of shoes for their child preceded the shooting.

Thomas was pronounced dead on the scene, suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

DC Superior Court Judge Marisa J. Demeo had to repeatedly warn defense attorney Joseph Yarbough on Feb. 21 to remind Gray to be respectful during the proceedings. Gray was also charged with second-degree cruelty to her children and simple assault prior to the homicide.

Prosecutors played a 911 call placed minutes after the shooting. One witness is heard crying out “Oh my God, what are you doing mommy?”

“Call them, get them here!” Gray states in the call, asking for help.Thomas is heard in the background moaning in pain on the floor.

The couple’s children said they were sleeping before they were awakened by the gunshot.

Yarbough stated that Gray had “no intentions” to murder Thomas.

Gray told homicide detectives she opened the drawer looking for cigarettes, took out a gun, then exclaimed, “What the fuck!” Gray says the gun then accidentally fired, and Thomas was shot in the abdomen.

Judge Demeo said there was probable cause in this case and that Gray could not have mistakenly shot Thomas as she claimed.

Judge Demeo also stated the court needed to take into consideration how the murder would affect the couple’s children long term. Gray is being held at DC Jail pending trial.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 24.

Witness Testifies About the Day A Drive-by Shooting Killed Her 10-Year-Old Sister

The prosecution called several witnesses to try to convince the jury that only a guilty verdict was just in a case involving the murder of a 10-year-old girl.

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 Makiyah Wilson’s death. The shooting happened on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE on July 16, 2018.

The witnesses included Makiyah’s older sister, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer who responded to the scene, a real estate and facilities manager of a local public school, an IT lead for surveillance retrieval at the MPD and a resident of Wellington Park.

The victim’s sister, who also endured a gunshot during the July 16, 2018 incident, said Makiyah had gone to get a snack from the ice cream truck near their Clay Terrace home. She was eating the snack on the front porch when shots were first fired.

According to the sister, there were three other individuals with them on the porch when the shooting took place.

She said she remembers a black car showing up at the entrance of Clay Terrace and hearing several gunshots. The sister said her initial reaction was to duck her and her sister’s head down to avoid getting hit.

After struggling to open the door to their home, Makiyah’s sister, alongside the victim and a few other individuals, stumbled into their house. She said Makiyah got up and started holding her chest.

Makiyah collapsed into her sister’s arms. Even though the sister was shot herself, officers had to remove Makiyah from her arms to be able to perform CPR, but she never let go of her hand.

“I was not worried about that, I was worried about my sister,” she stated.

During cross examination, defense attorney John Zucker, who was representing Taylor, repeatedly asked the sister why she never mentioned the “beef” between Wellington Park, a gang the defendants are allegedly a part of and Clay Terrace, the name of the neighborhood Makiyah was shot, to the prosecution when she testified in 2018.

The testimonies along with photos that were used left the victim’s family in tears. DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun reminded the audience to limit their reaction as to not sway the jury’s verdict.

A lady, who took the place of another witness the prosecution originally selected to testify, said she saw Michals, Cobbs, Murchison, another defendant ,who she refused to identify in court, and others who are not involved in the trial at a trap house, where she lived, all the time. The lady was a neighbor to the intended witness who recently died before the trial began.

The witness was not cooperative while she answered the prosecution’s questions. She kept answering with; I do not know, or no which led the prosecution to retrieve her answers from Grand Jury testimony.

The witness previously testified that Michals, Cobbs and Murchison had guns on them all the time except when police were around.

The witness also testified, during her Grand Jury testimony, that she had knowledge from social media of a “beef” between Clay Terrace and Wellington Park .

Other witnesses who spoke to the jury Tuesday included an administrator for Knowledge Is Power Program( KIPP) public schools in DC, the lead for the MPD Information Technology team and a the first responding officer to the scene.

The trial is set to resume on Feb 22.

Document: Suspect Wanted in Connection to a Non-Fatal Shooting

Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Feb. 21, on the 1500 block of Benning Road, NE.

According to a press release, at about 5:39 pm, officers located an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds.

Document: 21-Year-old Killed in Northeast

Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on Feb. 21, on the 1400 block of Saratoga Avenue, NE.

According to a press release, at about 10:36 pm, officers located 21-year-old Jayvon Jones and two other adult male victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. All of the victims were transported to a local hospital.

Jayvon Jones was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Defense Plans to Conduct Independent DNA Testing in Murder Case

During a Feb. 17 hearing, defense attorney Roderick Thompson expressed his desire to conduct independent testing on behalf of a murder defendant.

Daniel Fleetwood, 28, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the death of 26-year-old Shana Donahue on May 28, 2020, on the 2900 block of N Street, SE. The incident is listed as domestic violence.

The prosecution informed the court that they provided the defense with the evidence they would use.

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan said motions are due on March 3 and responses are due on March 23.

A motions hearing is set for April 14.

The next hearing is scheduled for March 15.

Document: Vehicle Wanted in Connection to a Non-Fatal Shooting

Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a vehicle in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Feb. 19, on the 100 block of Wayne Place, SE.

According to a press release, at about 6:56 pm, officers located an adult female suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

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