DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan found probable cause for second-degree murder defendant in connection to a 2021 shooting but denied the prosecution’s request to find probable cause for first-degree murder.
Jordan Jones, 21, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the Oct. 11, 2021, shooting of 18-year-old Noel Prince Nicol on the 2000 block of Savannah Place, SE. According to court documents, Metropolitan Police Department officers found Nicol’s body slumped over in the driver seat of his blue Chevrolet Malibu three days after his murder on Oct. 14, 2021. An autopsy confirmed that Nicol suffered two gunshot wounds to the head.
During the July 11 preliminary hearing, the prosecutor alleged that Jones arranged to meet Nicol to purchase marijuana and then shot him twice from the passenger seat of Nicol’s car.
The lead MPD detective testified that Jones’ phone location was “consistent with him being in the area of the murder.” Nicol’s cell phone records also indicate that Jones was the last person he spoke to on the night of his death.
To corroborate the cell phone data, the prosecution played video surveillance from the crime scene. In the video, three individuals are seen approaching Nicol’s car. Jones is seen entering the vehicle through the passenger door, while the other two individuals are seen continuing down the street.
The detective said, based on the trajectory of the bullets and the stippling, forensic evidence suggested that the shots were fired from the passenger side of the vehicle.
During cross-examination of the detective, defense attorney Anthony Matthews raised doubt about the witness’s testimony because he relied on the medical examiner’s opinion. Matthews also questioned the certainty with which the detective ruled the death a homicide.
“Charitably, it was a little less than expert,” Matthews said of the detective’s testimony.
The defendant confessed to being inside Nicol’s car in a post-arrest interview, but his account of what happened is inconsistent with an additional video that appears to show a silver vehicle driving down the 2000 block of Savannah Place, SE before promptly turning down an alley and driving away.
“The defendant stated that shots were fired from the silver vehicle into the Chevy Malibu,” the witness said. “This is not consistent with the evidence on video.”
Although the murder weapon was never recovered, the detective stated that two 9mm cartridges were recovered from the scene. Instagram direct messages suggest that Jones purchased a 9mm handgun – consistent with the murder weapon – the night before the murder.
“There were direct messages between Mr. Jones and another user on Instagram to buy a Glock 9mm handgun,” the detective said. “They arranged to make the purchase the night before the murder.”
The prosecution argued that these messages supported a premeditation theory.
The witness also testified that the location of blood spatter indicated that the door was ajar as Jones allegedly fired at least one of the shots. The prosecution asserted that Jones was exiting the vehicle, suggesting that the defendant’s life was not threatened because two shots were fired.
Judge Raffinan agreed that this evidence supported probable cause. She said the evidence suggests that Jones played a role in the murder but did not find it sufficient to show premeditation.
Matthews also argued that the murder may have been committed in self-defense, suggesting that there was a high probability that Nicol was armed because he was known to sell marijuana.
“I don’t know if he carried guns, but I know he had large amounts of cash and drugs,” Matthews said. “If I were to switch careers, I would look into investing into a 9mm firearm. Someone is always out to take what you have.”
However, there is no evidence on the record that Nicol was armed, causing Judge Raffinan to reject the case for self-defense.
“On a probable cause standard, I think the government has shown he was present for the shooting,” Judge Raffinan said.
The defense asked that Jones be released under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) to allow him to seek comprehensive mental health treatment, but Judge Raffinan denied the request.
“I think with regard to the question of dangerousness and related to his prior convictions, combined with the nature and circumstances of the case and the strength of the government’s case,” she said, “I don’t find that there are any conditions that can assure the safety of the community.”
Judge Raffinan scheduled a status hearing for Oct. 6. Matthews indicated that he would file a motion to reconsider bond review in the interim.
