Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating a homicide that occurred on July 19 on the 1000 block of Southern Avenue, Southeast.
According to a press release, 57-year-old Charles Davis was found suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee denied the defense’s request to release a homicide defendant charged in connection to a 2010 shooting.
Kavon Young, 31, is charged with first-degree murder while armed with a firearm in connection to the fatal shooting of 66-year-old John Pernell on July 3, 2010. According to court documents, Pernell was found on the 3000 block of Nelson Place, SE, with multiple gunshot wounds after what witnesses described as an armed robbery that turned fatal.
Young was arrested in Sept. 26, 2019, after authorities matched his DNA profile from a separate shooting incident with DNA recovered from Pernell’s autopsy. Court documents also stated that a witness incarcerated for a felony conviction connected Young to the homicide.
At the July 12 hearing, the prosecution said a new round of DNA testing was conducted and the results were expected by the end of the month.
“Plenty of time to get results to the defense by the trial date,” the prosecutor said.
The trial is currently scheduled to begin on Feb. 13, 2023.
However, defense attorney Matthew Davies argued that Young should be released while the prosecution waits for the test results, saying the prosecution’s case “depends entirely on DNA results’ that the defense has yet to receive.
D.C. Witness previously reported that the prosecution was experiencing delays with testing at a Feb. 11 hearing. The prosecutor informed the court that Bode Technology, a private laboratory conducting the testing, would ensure that the evidence was “first in line” to be tested.
Judge Lee denied the defense’s motion, explaining that DNA test results are irrelevant to his decision to detain Young.
“This isn’t a case where I need to find substantial probability,” Judge Lee said.
“I just can’t overlook his prior history,” he said. “Mr. Young has a phenomenal record of firearms violations. It’s not safe to put him in the community.”
Young will continue to be held at the DC Jail. His next court appearance is set for Sept. 2 to discuss the DNA test results.
The prosecution announced that an indictment was expected for a murder defendant.
Marcus Isom, 42, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing his 67-year-old uncle, Michael Stover, on Jan. 3 on the 500 block of 55th Street, NE. According to court documents, Isom accused Stover of taking his money during a party on Dec. 27, 2021.
During the July 13 hearing, the prosecutor told DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun that she expected to have an indictment in three months.
Defense attorney Jason Clark confirmed the prosecutor’s expected indictment date.
Isom’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 5.
DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun denied releasing a former Metropolitan Police Department officer on July 18. He also rescheduled the officer’s preliminary hearing.
A former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer is charged with two-counts of child sex abuse in connection to the repeated sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl from January 2020 to September 2021. Court documents state that the offenses started when the victim was nine years old.
The 28-year-old defendant was arrested on July 14. He had been a MPD officer since 2019.
According to court documents, the victim’s mother reported the abuse to authorities when her daughter revealed that she wanted to commit suicide and disclosed the crimes done to her on July 8. The victim stated that the defendant raped her, forcing his penis into her mouth and anus, and touched her breasts 20-30 times while her mother was asleep or absent. She told police that the defendant told her that “it was a game.”
The victim’s mother had previously been in a romantic relationship with the defendant and had lived with him from November 2019 to September 2021 on the 1600 block of V Street, SE, where the victim stated the crimes were committed. The victim said the defendant threatened to kill her and her mother if she reported the abuse.
At the July 18 hearing, the prosecution told Judge Okun that additional discovery was introduced and the defense needed more time to review it. To give the defense more time to review, Judge Okun rescheduled the preliminary hearing for Aug. 3 at 10:30 a.m. The prosecutor said she is expecting to call one witness.
Defense attorney Steven Kiersch introduced a motion to release the defendant under the High Intensity Supervision Program, arguing that the defendant’s position as a former officer “poses significant problems for him” in the jail, despite the precautionary measure taken to segregate him from other inmates.
Kiersch requested that the defendant be released to his home in Northwest D.C. He said the defendant’s father has been an MPD officer for 25 years and that the defendant’s brother is also on the force. Multiple family members were present in court during the proceedings.
Kiersch also said the defendant’s history as a MPD officer meant that “he is an asset to the community.”
“There is no evidence whatsoever besides this recent charge that he is a danger to the community,” Kiersch said. “All we have is allegations … Quite frankly this is not a strong case.”
The prosecution rebutted, highlighting that this is a strong case because the 11-year-old victim, who was known to the defendant, provided a very detailed account of the crimes, including precise descriptions of sexual acts that no 11-year-old should ever be familiar with.
“This is a pattern of sexual abuse that occurred over years,” the prosecutor said.
The defendant’s position as a former MPD officer should work against him, according to the prosecution. The prosecutor said the defendant’s position as a police officer, which granted him access to a gun, dissuaded the victim from coming forward sooner.
“He abused his power,” the prosecutor said.
Judge Okun ultimately denied the motion for release, citing the strong “weight of the evidence” and the “nature and circumstances of the case.”
He did, however, grant the defense’s request to issue a recommendation to transfer the defendant to Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Va., on the grounds that the move will reduce the threat to the defendant’s safety.
On July 18, after a month-long trial and a week of deliberations, the jury for a 2018 homicide trial unanimously found the two defendants guilty on all charges.
Saquan Williams, 20, and Quincy Garvin, 22, faced multiple charges including first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy and criminal street gang affiliation in connection to the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Carl Hardy on the 1200 block of I Street, SE, on Sept. 10, 2017.
DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun presided over the trial that began on May 31 and ended with closing arguments on July 7.
On July 13, the jury gave a partial verdict finding Williams guilty of conspiracy, first-degree murder while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. They also found Garvin guilty of conspiracy. The jury has been deliberating the remaining charges since then.
Neither Williams nor Garvin were present in the courtroom when the final verdict was read. Garvin was placed in quarantine by the Department of Corrections (DOC) on July 12 due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the DC Jail. DOC policy mandates that inmates are quarantined for a full ten days.
“This was a lengthy case, longer than what was expected, and I want to thank you all for your service,” Judge Okun told the jury after the guilty verdict.
Judge Okun scheduled an additional hearing on Sept. 9 with the parties to confirm a sentencing date..
During closing statements July 18, the prosecution showed the jury the defendant’s social media posts to prove he committed the crime.
Torey Stockton, 24, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in a drive-by shooting that killed 23-year-old Jasmine Light and injured three other people on Jan. 17, 2018, on the 1500 block of U Street, SE.
Stockton is also charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of obstruction of justice. His co-defendant, Kayla Thompson, is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly helping Stockton remove evidence. Thompson is currently released on personal recognizance.
During closing statements, the prosecution went through the defendant’s social media posts specifically pointing to the language the defendant used.
“It went from the virtual world to the real world,” the prosecutor said.
The prosecution argued that Stockton committed the shooting in retaliation for someone stealing his handgun. The prosecution then showed surveillance footage, from the scene, and social media posts from after the shooting.
“He is saying he did it,” the prosecutor said.
The prosecutor asked the jury to “hold [Stockton] accountable for his actions.”
During closing arguments, Stockton’s defense attorney, Rachel Mccoy, called the evidence, “emotionally inflammatory material.” Mccoy pointed to the alibi provided by Stockton’s grandmother and the possible car from the shooting not being linked to Stockton.
“There is no physical evidence,” Mccoy said. “There is nothing that connects Mr. Stockton to the shooting.”
Mccoy further argued that the social media posts do not prove guilt.
The defense called an associate of Stockton’s grandmother to the stand to corroborate the time of Stockton’s potential alibi.
According to the witness, Stockton and his grandmother picked her up on Jan. 17, 2018, between 1:15 and 1:30 p.m. Stockton’s defense attorney, Justin Okezie, asked her if she was sure about the dates.
“I’m 100% sure,” the witness said.
During cross-examination, the prosecutor emphasized that Stockton and his grandmother were late picking her up.
Mccoy then read into the record sections of an affidavit from the lead homicide detective on the case. According to the affidavit, the detective was looking into a car which was possibly connected to the shooting. The car was linked to a person with no connections to Stockton.
The prosecution called a Metropolitan Police Department detective to the stand. According to the detective, the MPD was not able to confirm the connection between the car and the shooting. A search of the suspects house and phone provided no evidence in connection with the shooting.
Thompson’s attorney, Kevin McCants, argued that there is “very little if any evidence that Ms. Thompson broke the law.”
DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled the jury to be read instructions on July 19. Deliberations also began on Tuesday.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives made an arrest in a homicide that occurred on Jan. 18, on the 5000 block of Cloud Place, NE.
At approximately 7:59 p.m., officers located two adult male victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. One of the victims succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The decedent has been identified as 19-year-old Devin Brewer.
On July 19, a 15-year-old male was arrested and charged with first degree murder while armed.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on July 16, on the 1900 block of Anacostia Drive, SE.
At approximately 9:00 p.m., officers located an adult male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The decedent has been identified as 22-year-old Keynote Broads-Gallman.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on July 16, on the 1900 block of Anacostia Drive, SE.
At approximately 9:00 p.m., officers located an adult male suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
According to a press release, the decedents identity is being withheld pending next of kin notification.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on July 16 on the 200 block of Adams Street, NE.
At approximately 8:55 p.m., officers located three adult male victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. One of the victims succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The decedent has been identified as 27-year-old Jaquan Bragg.
Metropolitan Police Deparment detectives arrested a 34-year-old man in connection to a homicide that occurred on Jan. 25 on the 3700 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.
At approximately 12:00 a.m., officers located 58-year-old Eduardo Cruz, inside of a vehicle on the 4800 block of Colorado Avenue, NW. A few days later, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
On July 15, officers located and arrested 34-year-old Jose Ramos. He was charged with second degree murder while armed.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a traffic fatality that killed a 65-year-old man at the intersection of 7th Street and Rhode Island Avenue, NW.
At approximately 2:31 a.m., a bicyclist struck the passenger side of a Peterbilt dump truck. The bicyclists went underneath the truck and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The bicyclist is identified as 65-year-old Michael Gordon.
A murder defendant waived his right to independently test DNA evidence ahead of his trial.
Maurice Johnson, 23, allegedly shot 38-year-old Lamar Walters on Jan. 6, 2020, on the 2400 block of Franklin Street, NE. Lamar suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body and succumbed to his injuries later that day.
Defendants in the District of Columbia who are accused of violent crimes have a right to independently test DNA evidence obtained during the investigation.
According to the prosecution, over 200 pieces of evidence was collected in the case, but the only evidence tested was a battery attachment from a flashlight.
During the July 15 hearing, defense attorney Jason Clark confirmed that the defense won’t be testing any of the material.
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt accepted Johnson’s request to waiver his rights.
The next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 18.
(2019 Cf1 015087)
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt rescheduled a July 15 sentencing hearing for a murder defendant that is under COVID-19 quarantined at the DC Jail.
Gregory Washington, 32, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed on April 26 in connection to the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Alie Labay on the 900 block of 21st Street, NE on the morning of Oct. 24, 2019.
According to court documents, Labay was in a relationship with Washington’s ex-wife.
On the day of the incident, the couple was sleeping on the couch when the ex-wife awoke to the defendant tussling with the decedent. The ex-wife tried to separate the defendant from Labay, but became afraid and fled to another room with her child. Shortly after, she stated that she heard two to three gunshots.
Defense attorney Amanda Rogers waived Washington’s presence, saying he will be in quarantine until July 23.
Washington is now scheduled to be sentenced on July 25.
A DC Superior Court judge schedules an arraignment for a man charged with homicide.
Darius Robertson, 29, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 33 year-old Andre Robertson who was assaulted in the Clay Terrace neighborhood of Northeast, DC. Antonio Hensley is the co-defendant in this case.
Robertson allegedly beat his cousin to death on a street corner.
The defendant’s appearance was waived during the July 15 hearing, due to a scratch and COVID-19 quarantine.
The prosecution has not indicted the case.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Milton Lee set an arraignment date of Aug. 10.
Defense attorney Michael Madden requested a trial date, but Judge Lee said a trial date would be decided at a later time.
