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Document: December 10 Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a Dec. 10 homicide.

At approximately 10:06 p.m. officers arrived at the  2300 block of 4th Street, NE, due to a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers located 34-year-old Davon Childs inside of an apartment complex with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on scene, according to the press release.

A second victim was also located outside with gunshot wounds and taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the press release.

Judge Sets Preliminary Hearing for Man Accused of Beating 76-Year-Old to Death

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a hearing to determine if a case where the defendant is accused of beating a 76-year-old man to death has enough evidence to go to trial.

Clifton Browne is charged with second-degree murder in Luther Brooks‘ homicide. Browne, 57, allegedly beat Brooks to death on Sept. 27. 

Police responded to Brooks’ home on the 1300 block of Kalmia Road, NW, that day for the report of an injured person. Upon arrival, they found him on a stretcher being taken to the hospital by emergency medical personnel. He was said to have sustained injuries from an alleged fall down the stairs. His head was wounded and he had multiple rib fractures, according to court documents.

Brooks died on Oct. 8, one week after the Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide branch began investigating the incident due to the seriousness of his injuries.

The doctor who performed Brooks’ autopsy noted that his injuries were too severe to be caused by a fall down the stairs, according to court documents. 

Browne was arrested on Dec. 6. He is currently being held at DC Jail.

Judge Juliet McKenna scheduled the preliminary hearing for Feb. 15 during the Dec. 13 hearing.

Child Sex Abuse Defendant Indicted on 15 Charges

A child sex abuse defendant was arraigned on fifteen charges during a Dec. 13 hearing.

The 59-year-old defendant is indicted on five counts of first-degree child sex abuse, four counts of attempted first-degree child sex abuse, three counts of second-degree child sex abuse, one count of third-degree child sex abuse, one count of first-degree sex abuse and one count of kidnapping. He allegedly sexually abused his 11-year-old niece multiple times over a one-week period.

He was arrested in January after describing many instances of the alleged abuse to detectives, according to court documents. He has been detained at DC Jail ever since.

A plea offer was already rejected during the hearing. Another hearing is scheduled for Feb. 14.

Document: Arrest Made in September Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives have made an arrest in relation to a Sept.1 homicide.

At approximately 3:21 a.m. police responded to the 800 block of 3rd Street, SE, due to a report of an individual down. Upon arrival, members located 35-year-old Carl Harris with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead on scene, according to the press release.

On Dec. 9, officers arrested 25-year-old Antoine Johnson and charged him with second-degree murder while armed, according to the press release.

Prosecutor Gives Update on Indictment Progress in Murder Case as Defense Requests Release

A defense attorney in a murder case requested his client’s release from DC Jail, citing the facility’s conditions as well as the lack of an indictment more than 17 months after the defendant’s arrest.

Glen Dolford is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of Raheem Murray. On the afternoon of Feb. 2, 2020, Metropolitan Police Department officers found 26-year-old Murray on the 4300 block of 3rd Street, SE, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his head and body. Another individual was taken to the hospital in critical condition, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. A third victim also went to the hospital with gunshot wounds to the arm and buttocks, according to court documents.

The prosecutor said she hopes to indict the 28-year-old defendant by the beginning of February. She wanted to complete the process sooner, but witnesses had multiple cancellations due to COVID exposure. 

While discussing his request for Dolford’s release, defense attorney Stephen Brennwald informed DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz that his client is on parole in Maryland for a weapons offense. He said Dolford could resolve the arrest warrant that was issued in that case if he is released. 

Brennwald was unsure if the warrant was issued due to the rearrest or a technical violation.

The prosecutor said she did not anticipate release arguments taking place during the Dec. 10 hearing and asked for time to file something in writing. Judge Kravitz agreed to the request and instructed Brennwald to submit a written release motion.

Parties are slated to reconvene for a felony status conference on Feb. 8.

Judge Prepared to Sentence Sex Abuse Defendant to 6 Years

A DC Superior Court judge said she is prepared to sentence a sex abuse defendant to six years of incarceration in accordance with the plea deal he took.

Bertrand Lebeau pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual abuse and unlawful entry back in August for actions that took place on Aug. 29, 2019.

At the sentencing, the victim read her impact statement aloud to the court. She called the assault “something I will deal with for the rest of my life”. She also described her experience dealing with the aftermath of the assault “as if I was grieving the loss of the person I was before that night”. 

Defense attorney Prescott Loveland then took to the stand. He described representing Lebeau as “a true privilege”. He explained how Lebeau lived a fairly untroubled life as an accomplished musician until his early 20s when he was diagnosed with a mental illness, became the victim of abuse and was displaced by Hurricane Katrina. He said that he wishes there was a system other than prison to deal with cases such as his client’s. 

According to the proffer of facts, Lebeau was looking through an apartment window and saw the victim sleeping. He entered the apartment and the victim awoke to him performing non-consensual sexual acts on her. 

Lebeau only stopped when the victim forced him off her. She asked him if she had allowed him to enter her home. He said yes but she rebutted, saying she did not. Lebeau gave the victim his phone number and left the apartment. 

Lebeau’s mother also spoke before the court during the Dec. 10 proceedings. She said that her son was a well-behaved and kind child, but the traumatic events changed his life forever. She called her son “a wonderful, loving human being ”and noted that “since being in St. Elizabeths he is so much better”.

Lebeau was deemed incompetent to stand trial in 2019 and transferred to St. Elizabeths Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution, for treatment. He was found competent in 2020 and remains at St. Elizabeths.

Lebeau told the victim in his statement that he “prays every day” that she overcomes any obstacles he placed in her life. 

Parties asked Judge Juliet McKenna to formally accept the sentence of eight years with two suspended followed by five years of probation, which was settled in a plea offer for second-degree sex abuse. Loveland asked to hold off on imposing the sentence until early next year so that they have time to ensure Lebeau will be receiving adequate mental health treatment when he enters prison.

Judge McKenna set a date to formally accept the plea on Jan. 25.

Amid Release Requests, Plea Offer for Murder Defendants Remains on the Table

Prosecutors are keeping a plea deal for two murder co-defendants on the table until the next status hearing in January. In the meantime, the defendants’ lawyers are seeking their clients’ release based on the conditions of confinement at DC Jail.

Co-defendants Derrick Kearney and Daquan Anglin face murder charges for their alleged roles in the shooting of 26-year-old Devonte Speight on the 1800 block of Maryland Avenue, NE. The two are indicted on eight different counts in relation to the homicide that occurred on April 29, 2020. 

Kearney’s attorney Lawrence Kupers, and Anglin’s attorney Dominique Winters also made arguments for their clients’ release from DC Jail during the Dec. 10 proceedings. DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz said he has spent a lot of time presiding over trials since emergency release motions started being filed in cases following the U.S. Marshals Service’s findings on the facility’s conditions. While he would not make a ruling that day, he still agreed to hear arguments.

“I think the court has a duty and an obligation to make sure its detention order is being applied competently and in a constitutional manner,” Winters said.

Winters said the “harsh reality” is that “DOC is not doing much of anything to address these conditions.” 

The prosecutor said if the 26-year-old defendants plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed, they will dismiss all remaining charges. The plea deal does not include an agreed-upon sentencing recommendation. 

A condition of the plea is that both men have to agree to it. The prosecutor said they will keep the offer open until the next status hearing on Jan. 13.

Kearney and Anglin will remain at DC Jail as they await a ruling on the motion.

Judge Finds Substantial Probability in Mass Shooting Case

A DC Superior Court judge found substantial probability cause in a mass shooting case where the defendant is accused of killing 6-year-old Nyiah Courtney.

Marktwan Hargraves is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Courtney and five others on the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE. Courtney’s parents were two of the five shot during the mass shooting on July 17.

Hargraves was on release in a weapon possession case in Maryland at the time of the shooting.

Both parties examined a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) special victims officer who handled the case during the Dec. 9 hearing. The prosecution began by asking about evidence linking him to the shooting. Cell phone data was shown from Hargraves’s phone showing that it was turned off shortly before the shooting and turned back on shortly after. The cell phone was linked to Hargraves through a text message that had been sent with a job application that stated his name. He also showed the cell phone to call someone after the shooting, telling them he felt bad for a recent event.

The MPD officer testified that calls went to voicemail during this time, confirming that his phone was off.

The MPD officer explained how they had been made aware of how two groups that intersect in that area had been beefing leading up to the shooting, which helped form a motive. She noted that Courtney may not have been the target, even though she was killed in the shooting.

An audio recording of Hargraves allegedly telling a witness that the car was blown up was played. The officer testified about this evidence and how it links Hargraves to the car since it matches surveillance footage of the scene of the shooting. A witness said she owned the car but lent it out to Hargraves.

The prosecution was able to link Hargraves to the alleged murder weapon through his phone communications. Hargraves allegedly attempted to sell the gun online after the shooting. The officer said the bullet casings found in the shreds of the car and the gunshot wounds matched the weapon.

Background objects such as a comforter and gaming controller in the photo of the gun were linked to Hargraves. When he was arrested, the room he was staying in had the same comforter and controller.

Surveillance video of Hargraves and another suspect shows him after the shooting, wearing specific clothing. Shoes and other items from the picture were also found in the room where the comforter was seen.

During defense attorney Terrence Austin’s cross-examination, he focused his questioning of the MPD officer on the witnesses, and how nobody at the scene could identify Hargraves. He also asked about the clothing obtained from arresting Hargraves. The MPD officer said they did not obtain the hat or jeans found in surveillance footage of him and another suspect.

He also asked the MPD officer about one of the witnesses, who said she saw the car on Instagram with another person and not Hargraves.

Austin inquired on how the officer was able to find out about two groups beefing in the area. She said they had “previously learned about factors and beef” from police intelligence.

He also asked about the selling of the gun. The officer said witnesses told MPD that Hargraves was known to put guns “on the market” to buy and sell.

After a short break, Judge Marisa Demeo found substantial probability. She said that turning off his phone indicates he was aware beforehand that the shooting was about to happen.

Finishing her statement, Judge Demeo said this is “one of the most dangerous types of crimes in our community.”

Hargraves will continue to be held without bond at DC Jail. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 11 for a felony status conference.

Trial Review: Defendant Acquitted of All Counts in Murder Case

After more than four years of pretrial detention, several weeks of trial proceedings and two days of jury deliberations, a jury found 33-year-old Dewayne Shorter not guilty on all counts in the shooting of Daniel Parker on July 26, 2017.

Shorter was charged with first-degree murder while armed, five counts of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.

All charges against him, in this case, were dismissed on Dec. 9. 

The prosecutors argued that Shorter killed 38-year-old Parker in an act of retaliation after Parker allegedly shot Shorter a few months prior to the homicide. 

After Parker was killed, the doctor who performed his autopsy could not count the exact number of entry and exit wounds he sustained since he had been shot so many times.

Parker’s fatal shooting took place on the 2000 block of Fairlawn Avenue, SE. During the trial, Parker’s brother said he saw Shorter at the scene of the crime and allegedly told the brother “you got bodies, I got bodies.” Parker’s brother said “having bodies” means to kill someone, but denied having ever killed someone himself.

Defense attorney Jon Norris told the jury during his closing arguments that prosecutors had built their case around Parker’s brother’s testimony and the alleged statement about “having bodies.” 

“What you just heard is a case based on falsehood,” he said.

The prosecution was unable to use DNA evidence to point to Shorter as the shooter. During their closing arguments, they told the jury that not every case needs to have DNA evidence. Instead, their arguments focused on the strength of the witness testimony. One of the witnesses was allegedly told by Parker that if anything happens to him, Shorter was to blame. 

A total of 24 witnesses testified during the trial. Norris called an eyewitness – a neighbor who had seen someone leaving the area of the shooting. He said he saw an individual with a light complexion holding a long firearm. He went on to testify that he knew Shorter and would have known if the person he saw was him. 

A member of Parker’s family testified about a conversation between two people at the crime scene, which could be seen in Body Worn Camera footage.

Parker’s family member testified, saying that she had spoken to one of the individuals who was seen conversing at the scene of the crime and they said to her that the other person had requested that she give the police an inaccurate description of the suspect, D.C. Witness previously reported. The victim’s family member also said during the trial that she had spoken to both individuals days after the shooting. Both had told her that Shorter was the shooter, but Norris questioned the legitimacy of these claims since she said she was only relaying what she heard from other people. 

“Mr. Shorter is innocent,” Norris told the jury. Shorter was found not guilty of all counts.

Document: Woman Arrested for Murder

A woman has been arrested for second-degree murder while armed in connection with a Sept. 5 homicide.

According to a press release, at approximately 11:53 a.m., officers responded to the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE, for the report of a shooting. There, they found 37-year-old Tarshaqua Chappel. suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Chakeatia Jackson, 37, was arrested on Dec. 9.

Defense Counsel, Jail Representative Argue Over Defendant’s Medical Care

With a trial approaching in June, a defense attorney said she cannot meet with her client because the Department of Corrections (DOC) is not providing him with a wheelchair that they reportedly determined he does not need.

The defendant was not present for the Dec. 8 proceedings. He is currently detained at DC Jail as he awaits trial on charges of first and second-degree child sex abuse.

Defense attorney Jacqueline Cadman said the defendant fell at one point and has been complaining of problems with his leg. She said he cannot walk but is not being provided with a wheelchair, precluding him from attending legal visits or taking care of himself. His feet have also turned a different color, she said.

Cadman also said DOC staff previously brought him to her in a wheelchair, but she was later told this was unauthorized and should not have happened. 

A representative with the DOC told DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee that the defendant has been seen by DOC medical staff on multiple occasions and refused them at one point. He said an x-ray found no issues and that staff gave him ibuprofen and ice but found no reason he needed a wheelchair. 

Cadman asked Judge Lee to transfer her client from the Central Detention Facility (CDF) to the Correctional Treatment Facility if CDF cannot give him a wheelchair, but the DOC representative said they found no reason he would need that, either.

“We can’t have the stalemate,” Judge Lee said. He asked that the defendant been seen again and that his more recent medical records be sent to him so he’d have them for when parties reconvene to continue discussing the issue on Dec. 16.

Cadman motioned for her client’s release in November, but the request was denied.

D.C. Sees Lowest Homicide Rate in 2021

November had the lowest homicide count in 2021, with only ten in total, according to D.C. Witness data.

One homicide victim recently had a homicide case of his own dismissed in the DC Superior Court. Antonio Deshaun Gladden was previously charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 36-year-old Marcus Wallace on the 1400 block of L Street, SE, near the Navy Yard on Nov. 21, 2020. Less than a year later, the 22-year-old’s charges were dismissed and he was released from DC Jail.

On Nov. 26, Gladden was shot and killed on the 2300 block of 25th Street, SE.

Gladden was one of the seven people killed in a shooting in November. Three others were stabbed to death including Chanea McLaughlin, the only woman killed in November.

On the afternoon of Nov. 12, officers were flagged down to the Unit Block of Florida Avenue, NW, due to a reported assault. They found 35-year-old McLaughlin suffering from stab wounds and transported her to a local hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries, according to the press release. An arrest has not been made in relation to her death.

November saw six arrests in relation to homicides. MPD Police Chief Robert J. Contee III held a press conference for one of them on the eve of Thanksgiving.

Chief Contee announced on Nov. 24 that 25-year-old Dearay Anthony Wilson had recently been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in relation to the shooting of 53-year-old Peace Corps Executive Jeremy Black. Black was leaving a restaurant with his wife and their friends on the 1400 block of R Street, NW, on June 29 when he got caught up in gunfire. Wilson and other individuals were engaging in ” reckless behavior” while shooting on the street, Chief Contee said. They are still looking for additional suspects.

An arrest was made in a homicide case that has been open for nearly two years. On Nov. 15, 24-year-old Robert Hunter was charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly killing 26-year-old Andre Carroll on Dec. 26, 2019, in the 1800 block of Corocan Street, NE.

The average age of homicide victims in November was 36, which is well above the yearly average of 33.

Ward 8 had the most homicides, with four in total. Wards 7and 5 tied for second with two homicides each. Wards 1 and 6 both had one homicide each. All other wards did not have any homicides.

Murder Defendant to Remain Detained Despite Concerns Over Jail Conditions

A DC Superior Court judge denied a murder defendant’s emergency release request. 

Davon Patterson, 30, is accused of shooting 46-year-old Bryant McClain on the 800 block of Crittenden Street, NW, on June 8, 2019. 

Defense attorney Pierce Suen filed the motion on Nov. 3, citing the U.S. Marshals Service’s findings during an unannounced inspection of the DC jail. Patterson has been held there since his arrest in March 2020. 

In the bond review motion, Suen argues that the facility’s conditions violate Patterson’s due process rights. 

The prosecution filed their opposition to the motion on Nov. 12. Judge Milton Lee sided with the prosecution, denying the defense’s request during a Dec. 7 hearing. 

Patterson is indicted on charges of first-degree murder while armed, posessing a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful posession of a firearm with a prior conviction. He is scheduled for a felony arraignment on Dec. 14.

Metropolitan Police Department Officer Arrested for Child Sex Abuse

A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer was arrested for first-degree child sex abuse on Dec. 6.

The 49-year-old Maryland resident had been employed with the MPD since 2001, according to a press release.

“His police powers had been revoked and in a duty status that does not require him to interact with the public,” the press release states.

The suspect is accused of sexually abusing a juvenile female victim between September 2005 and June 2006. The allegations were investigated by the MPD’s Internal Affairs Division.