Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that took place on Jan. 21.
At approximately 8:36 p.m., officers responded to the 3800 block of Commodore Joshua Barney Drive, NE, for the report of a shooting, according to a press release. There, they found 20-year-old Marquette White suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on Jan. 21.
At approximately 6:43 p.m., officers responded to the Unit block of Forrester Street, SW, for the report of the sound of gunshots, according to a press release. There, they found two men, 21-year-old Terrance Brown and 22-year-old Ezra Beyene, suffering from gunshot wounds in a vehicle. They were pronounced dead on scene.
Approximately three-and-a-half months after a man was fatally shot in Truxton Circle, the defendant charged in his death pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
During the late evening of Oct. 6, 2021, Metropolitan Police Department officers found Rufus Davis on the Unit block of O Street, NW, suffering from gunshot wounds to the head and back. He was 20-years-old.
Marcha Johnson was arrested one week later. He was originally charged with second-degree murder while armed. During a Jan. 21 hearing, the 43-year-old defendant pleaded down to voluntary manslaughter as part of a deal he made with the prosecution.
DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun scheduled Johnson to be sentenced on April 5.
A man facing murder charges for his alleged role in a motor vehicle collision that killed two people received more time to consider a plea offer.
On May 31, 2020, Kyle Wooden allegedly ran a red light on Bryant Street, NW, and struck a Nissan Altima containing two occupants- 82-year-old Donald Malloy and 79-year-old Mattie Young. Both victims sustained life-threatening injuries and were pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to court documents.
After the collision, 34-year-old Wooden allegedly opened his trunk, grabbed some personal belongings and fled the scene. Multiple broken beer bottles were near the crash. Wooden turned himself in the following day, according to court documents. He is currently charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
The defense has until Feb. 21 to accept or reject the prosecution’s plea deal.
DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan continued the Jan. 21 hearing to March 8. In the meantime, Wooden will remain released under the High Intensity Supervision Program.
A DC Superior Court judge granted an attorney’s request to take a child sex abuse defendant off GPS monitoring.
The defendant is charged with two counts of second-degree child sex abuse in a domestic violence case for allegedly abusing two minors from 2012 through 2014. During his initial hearing on Sept. 1, 2021, a judge released him into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) with GPS monitoring.
Defense attorney Leo Alley motioned to modify his client’s release conditions on Jan. 14. The prosecution did not oppose the request but raised concerns that he could flee the country or try to communicate with the victims in this case.
During a Jan. 20 hearing, Alley said the defendant has been in compliance with his pretrial release conditions while working as a painter in Virginia. Alley also noted his client’s lack of a criminal record.
In light of this, Judge Maribeth Raffinan removed the defendant from HISP and instructed him on how to turn in his GPS.
The defendant still must check in with the Pretrial Services Agency over the phone every other week. He is also not allowed to have unsupervised contact with minors.
Parties will return to court on Feb. 22 for a felony status conference. In the meantime, parties are engaged in plea negotiations.
Parties held off setting trial dates for a man charged with murder for his alleged role in a 2018 traffic fatality.
Roger Hamilton is charged with second-degree murder, driving under the influence and reckless driving in connection with a motor vehicle crash that killed 42-year-old pedestrian Vincent Childs. On March 2, 2018, the 41-year-old defendant allegedly drove northbound on Wheeler Road, SE, at a high rate of speed before mounting an east curb and hitting Childs. He then allegedly attempted to flee the scene, according to court documents.
During the Jan. 21 proceedings, DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee expressed concern over setting a trial date, given the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on court operations. He said he was not completely convinced that the suspension of jury trials would end in February and wanted to play it safe.
On Dec. 30, 2021, Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring issued an order that jury trials scheduled through Feb. 11 be continued to the earliest possible date after Feb. 11.
Judge Lee set a new status hearing for Feb. 18. Parties agreed to this as they plan to renegotiate a potential plea deal. In the meantime, Hamilton will remain on pretrial release.
Two days after police made their most recent arrest in connection with a mass shooting that killed three people last September, a DC Superior Court judge scheduled a preliminary hearing to determine if the case against the defendants has enough evidence to go to trial.
On the evening of Sept. 4, 2021, Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW, after hearing gunfire and found six people suffering from gunshot wounds. Three of the victims succumbed to their injuries- 31-year-old Donetta Dyson, 24-year-old Keenan Braxton and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner.
Two days after the triple homicide, a vehicle matching the description of the one believed to have been used in the shooting was set on fire, according to court documents.
Damonta Thompson, 24, was arrested two days before the Jan. 20 hearing. He is charged with first-degree murder while armed along with 24-year-old Kamar Queen and 27-year-old Erwin Dubose. Toyia Johnson, 49, is also charged with tampering with physical evidence.
The prosecution told Judge Robert Okun they don’t anticipate needing more than an hour or two to present their case, saying they only have ten short clips to show.
Parties agreed to set aside March 18 for the proceedings.
A suspect has been arrested in connection with a homicide in Northwest, DC.
At approximately 8:52 p.m. on Jan. 10, officers responded to the scene for the sound of gunshots, according to a press release. They found 33-year-old Jerrame Watts seated in a vehicle at 13th and Irving Street NW, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
On Jan. 20, 21-year-old Darnell Crawford was arrested for second-degree murder while armed.
A sex abuse defendant was released after a DC Superior Court judge decided that his injuries were too complicated for the DC Jail to handle.
The defendant’s leg injury first occurred on approximately Sept. 1, 2021, at the DC Jail, where he was held after being arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a child. Parties discussed the issue during at least four hearings since the initial injury before they convened again on Jan. 20.
The defendant has been arraigned on his indictment and scheduled for trial since the injury first occurred. He is now charged with two counts of first-degree child sex abuse and one count of second-degree child sex abuse but rejected a plea offer for a lesser charge in January. The trial is set to commence in June.
Eric Glover is the General Counsel for the Department of Corrections (DOC). He gave information on the defendant’s medical situation, explaining that the defendant had received an MRI. This showed that while the defendant may not need surgery, the injury has not gotten healed and rehabilitation is required.
In response, defense attorneys Jacqueline Cadman and Leo Alley requested their client’s release because it had been five months since his initial injury, yet he had not received full medical treatment. The defendant had been given crutches months before.
Judge Milton Lee said from watching him come in and out of the courtroom, it was “obvious” the defendant did not know how to use them.
Judge Lee noted that on two separate occasions the DC Jail had said the defendant was on quarantine due to either a positive COVID test or an exposure to someone who did. One of these occasions led to the defendant missing a doctor’s appointment for his injury.
It was later found that this was a mistake the Department of Corrections had made. The defendant had not been in quarantine either time. They had also made a second mistake. The defendant had fallen when being transported. In order to help assist the defendant, one of the DOC officers took his medical paperwork from him. The officer had then misplaced the documents and as far as the court knows, they are gone.
Judge Lee said he was incredibly disappointed and frustrated by the jail’s handling of the defendant’s medical issues. He said if anyone in the general public had the same injury, they would not have to wait months to seek help as the defendant did and that he was concerned about the “absence of response to an injury.”
“The jail just did not believe he was injured,” Judge Lee said.
The prosecution had questions based on a previous determination that the defendant was too dangerous to be released. They said that in the preliminary hearing the defendant was found too dangerous to be released and was supposed to stay at DC Jail.
“I am ruling now that he is no longer a danger,” Judge Lee said, explaining that the defendant’s injury directly affects the danger he presents to the community. He also said that after the jail made mistakes with the defendant’s COVID test, he does not trust them to appropriately handle his medical issues.
The prosecution questioned if releasing the defendant would be safe since he would be released into the case of his mother, who allegedly knew about the allegations the children made about the defendant before his arrest but did nothing.
Judge Lee maintained that, because of his injury, he is not at the same level of dangerousness compared to before. He ordered that the defendant be released into the High Intensity Supervision Program under 24-hour home confinement.
As 2021 wound down, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser sent out a public missive focusing, again, on illegal guns as the cause of D.C.’s ever-rising homicide rate.
For the last six years D.C. Witness has been tracking every homicide in D.C. and we have pointed out, and will likely have to again, that pointing to guns is too simplistic.
We could once more point to the data that the most prevalent motivation to kill someone in D.C. is petty disputes. We could point to the fact that illegal guns are readily and legally available JUST across the bridge in Virginia (and become illegal only once they cross into the city), so even removing them all would just create a new vibrant market. We could point to the average age of victims and alleged perpetrators as being in their late 20’s, which shows this is something more than a “youth issue.”
But there is one statistic from 2021 that is perhaps most disturbing of all, that reinforces guns are a symptom, not the cause.
In 2021, stabbing deaths in DC doubled from 14 the year before to 27. This is something that presents a new frightening trend.
What is significant is that stabbing is a different level of violence. It is personal and physical, and not done at a distance with minimal pressure applied by a finger.
Rather than guns as the cause of all the killing, it points to a culture of violence that the data suggests is becoming the new normal in our city.
So yes, getting rid of the illegal guns would definitely be good but it is too facile to say it is just the guns. And it ignores a trend that needs to be addressed now rather than when it is the stuff of press conferences, or other Mayoral emails.
Parties in a murder case agreed to reschedule the defendants’ trial to begin approximately one month earlier.
Co-defendants Tony Morgan and Martinez Raynor are accused of traveling to a holiday market on the 3500 block of Wheeler Road, SE, in a stolen SUV and opening fire on Oct. 20, 2018. Malik McCloud, 19, was killed in the shooting.
Morgan, 28, was arrested on Dec. 5, 2019. Raynor, 22, was arrested five days later. Morgan is charged with first-degree murder while armed. Raynor is charged with felony murder while armed.
The two were previously set to go to trial on Aug. 8. But during a Jan. 20 hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan said she is scheduled to go on leave and won’t be available to preside over the trial at that time. Because of this, parties agreed to reschedule the trial to begin on July 6.
Parties are slated to reconvene on March 16 for a status hearing.
Attorneys for both defendants have filed emergency release motions citing the conditions of confinement at DC Jail. Judge Neal Kravitz, who was previously assigned to the case, will address these.
Morgan is also charged with conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm in this case.
Raynor is charged with conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol without license outside a home or business and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance while armed.
A suspect has been arrested in connection with a homicide that occurred on Sept. 18, 2021.
At approximately 9:20 p.m., officers responded to the 1300 block of Nicholson Street, NW, due to a report of a shooting victim. Officers located 17-year-old Brayan Villataro with gunshot wounds and pronounced him dead on scene, according to a press release.
Mussay Rezene was arrested for first-degree murder while armed on Jan. 19.
Rezene, 29, was also charged with felon in possession of a firearm pursuant to a United States District Court arrest warrant. This alleged offense is unrelated to the homicide. As well as this, Rezene was charged with failing to register as a gun offender pursuant to a DC Superior Court arrest warrant.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide where a 27-year-old was shot and killed.
At approximately 8:04 p.m. on Jan. 19 officers responded to the 2500 block of Georgia Avenue, NW, due to sounds of gunshots. Upon arrival, officers located 27-year-old Sierra Johnson, with gunshot wounds and transported her to a local hospital. She later succumbed to her injuries, according to the press release.
The Metropolitan Police Department made an arrest in a homicide that occurred that same day.
At approximately 12:42 p.m. on Jan. 19, officers reported to the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, SW. Upon arrival, officers located 32-year-old Darryl Hall with gunshot wounds inside a residence. He was pronounced dead on scene.
That same day, officers arrested 35-year-old Jinard Kearney and charged him with second-degree murder while armed. According to the press release,the homicide was domestic in nature.
Parties discussed preparations for the upcoming trial of two defendants charged in connection with a teenager’s death.
James Mayfield and Robert Moses, both 22, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor. Sydnor was reportedly shot while driving on the 1400 block of Saratoga Avenue, NE, on Aug. 12, 2017.
The two defendants are scheduled to go to trial in late March.
Moses is being represented by Steven Kiersh and Kevin McCants. Moses was unable to attend the hearing due to being in quarantine at the DC Jail. Moses defense attorneys said during the Jan. 18 hearing that they expect to file multiple motions once Moses is out of quarantine and they can speak with him.
Mayfield is represented in his cases by Sweta Patel and Veronice Holt. He is currently unvaccinated and DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan said he must be vaccinated before the trial date. His counsel said they plan to file new motions once they are able to have a status hearing where both parties are present.
Prosecutors in this case said that no plea deal has been extended to the defendants. Judge Raffinan told defense counsel they should speak to their clients about their interest in possibly pleading out instead of going to trial.
Updated expert notices from the prosecution are due by Feb. 8. The defense has until Feb. 22 to file objections with the prosecution’s responses due by March 7.
Towards the end of the hearing, Mayfield attempted to speak directly to Judge Raffinan about a separation order. Judge Raffinan advised that before he spoke more he should communicate with his lawyers. Mayfield sat back down and spoke with his counsel. Holt then addressed the judge saying that the question regarding the separation order would not be resolvable at the moment.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene on Feb. 10 for a status hearing.
Moses is also charged with possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy, aggravated assault and obstructing justice in this case. Mayfield is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, threat to injure or kidnap a person, armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault, possession of an unregistered firearm and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.
Moses is also charged with first-degree murder while armed in the deaths of 38-year-old Jermaine Bowens and 21-year-old Elijah Henry. On Dec. 26, 2017, Bowens was found on the 2200 block of Douglas Street, NE, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The next day, Henry was found unconscious in a residence on the 1800 block of Bryant Street, NE, also suffering from gunshot wounds.
