Witnesses Describe Aftermath of Deadly 2014 Stabbing During Trial

Eyewitnesses in a murder trial described the aftermath of a 2014 altercation that left a woman dead from more than 40 stab wounds, with their statements facing the scrutiny of a defense attorney who compared them to what was said in prior years. Two experts also took the stand.

Mark Bowser, 42, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 39-year-old Tracy Womack to death on Sept. 20, 2014, in an apartment on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE.

The second day of Womack’s trial began with defense attorney Dorsey Jones cross-examining one of the prosecution’s eyewitnesses. Jones sought to point out inconsistencies between her current testimony and what she said in 2014, as he went on to do with other eyewitnesses who took the stand during the March 24 proceedings.

During re-direct examination, a prosecutor asked this witness if she watched any videos or read any transcripts from the grand jury proceedings. The witness said she did not.

The second witness knew Womack and Bowser for approximately four years. After the stabbing, he arrived at the apartment to find Womack’s son in shock.

A childhood friend of Womack’s son testified that he was with his friend when someone informed him something had happened to his mother. After learning this, the two went back to the crime scene, which the witness described as very hectic, filled with yelling and screaming. The witness said he tried to convince his friend to stay in the car but was unsuccessful.

Video footage shows the witness who knew the victim and defendant for several years arriving at the crime scene as others ran out of the apartment. He tried to break a stool in an attempt to defend himself and keep Bowser at the scene after the defendant exited the apartment, allegedly holding a knife.

“I never saw him act violent nor did I see any blood on Piggy,” the witness said. “When I ran back to the apartment he did have a knife in his hand as he was coming down the stairs.”

During cross-examination, Jones pointed out how in 2014, the witness said he left Womack’s place to go to a party in the second court of the apartment complex, but during the trial, he said he went to his relative’s house, which is in a different court.

Jones also pointed out contradictions in current and previous statements made by the friend of Womack’s son. During the trial, this witness said that as he sat in the car, he saw someone with a knife in their hand running across the street towards Fletch Hill, SE. He could see the glair off the knife from the street lights.

“In 2014, you said that you saw someone walking across the street not running, correct?” Jones asked.

“No. It was someone running sir,” the witness responded.

“Well, back in 2014, based on the grand jury transcripts, you testified that as you were sitting in your car you saw someone walking across the street,” Jones said.

Two expert witnesses testified— a forensic DNA analyst who tested evidence in the case and a medical examiner who performed Womack’s autopsy.

The analyst worked for Bode Technology in 2014 and tested the defendant’s clothing for blood using serology testing. Multiple spots came back positive for blood.

“Bleach, animal blood and food processing are some of the things that can cause a positive test, but it is very rare that these items would contaminate evidence,” she said. “That is why we do not further test once we get a positive screening.”

The medical examiner said Womack was stabbed 47 times. According to court documents, the victim sustained stab wounds to the face, back, chest, abdomen, arms and both hands. The medical examiner said some of these injuries were defensive wounds.

Jones asked her if someone stabbed that many times would be spewing a lot of blood, but the medical examiner said that much of Womack’s bleeding was internal.

Jurors were instructed to return to court on Aug. 28.

DC Homicide Count Lower in First Quarter of 2022 Compared to Same Period in 2021

There have been slightly fewer homicides between Jan. 1 and March 27 of 2022 compared to the same time period in 2021, according to D.C. Witness data.

Jury Decisions in Murder Trials Stagnate

Six murder trials have concluded in the DC Superior Court since the suspension of jury trials due to the COVID-19 pandemic was lifted. The court did not hold jury trials for more than a year until the first one began in July 2021. That trial ended with a jury convicting two men of murdering 37-year-old Christopher Heard.

The six trials have ended in three ways–– mistrial, a guilty verdict or the defendant being acquitted.

This graphic does not account for two ongoing murder trials in the court.

One of the mistrials was for Tony McClam, who prosecutors accused of murdering 11-year-old Karon Brown. A jury acquitted him of first-degree murder while armed but could not reach a verdict on lesser homicide charges of second-degree murder while armed and voluntary manslaughter while armed. The jury convicted McClam of carrying a pistol without a license but could not reach a decision on any other charges filed against the defendant.

Document: 16-year-old Killed in Kingman Park

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a shooting that killed a 16-year-old in Kingman Park.

At approximately 2:34 a.m. on March 25, officers responded to the 1500 block of Isherwood Street, NE, due to a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located 16-year-old Khalil Rich with gunshot wounds in a residence. He was pronounced dead on scene, according to the press release.

Judge Denies Motion to Suppress Evidence Ahead of Murder Trial

A DC Superior Court judge denied a motion to suppress evidence as attorneys in the case of 48-year-old Ivan Lynch‘s homicide prepare for trial.

Marquette Jordan is charged with first-degree murder while armed, armed robbery, threat to kidnap or injure a person, assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon and simple assault. The 30-year-old defendant is accused of stabbing Lynch multiple times on April 30, 2018, in an apartment on the 900 block of 5th Street, SE.

During a March 23 motion hearing, Judge Rainey Brandt heard testimony from a criminal investigator with the Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide unit. Body-Worn Camera footage from the night of Jordan’s arrest was also presented.

The defense is seeking to bar statements Jordan allegedly made shortly after his arrest from being admitted as evidence during his upcoming trial. A motion to suppress was filed by previous defense counsel in 2019 and later adopted by the defendant’s current attorney, Elliot Queen.

Queen argued that his client may have been put under pressure and it is not clear these statements were voluntary. The prosecutor argued that Jordan was not coerced at any point, as police did not cause him any physical harm, nor did they make verbal threats.

The prosecutor alleged that Jordan gave a fake name in his first encounter while being detained and lied that he has cancer.

Judge Brandt said the officer who interviewed Jordan “bent over backwards to extend courtesy.” She also called the defendant “no stranger to the criminal justice system.“

Jury selection for Jordan’s trial is set to take place on March 24.

Murder Trial Begins for Defendant Accused of Brutal Stabbing

Attorneys delivered their opening arguments in the trial of a defendant who allegedly stabbed 39-year-old Tracy Womack more than 40 times nearly eight years ago.

Mark Bowser, 42, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in Womack’s death. The homicide occurred in an apartment on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE, on Sept. 20, 2014.

The prosecution alleges that at approximately 1:30 a.m., the defendant approached the victim in her second-floor apartment and stabbed her 47 times. Womack was found by her son and his friends covered in blood, a prosecutor told jurors during opening arguments.

Multiple 911 calls were made from the scene. A witness who was friends with the victim for several years picked Bowser out from a photo array shown on the night of the homicide, and the defendant was arrested the next day.

The victim’s friend was the only person in the apartment when the stabbing happened. Defense attorney Dorsey Jones cast doubt on her credibility during his opening statement, emphasizing her history of PCP use and the contradictions between her current testimony and previous statements, as well as contractions between her current testimony and statements made by other witnesses.

Prosecutors also plan to present evidence that the victim’s DNA was found on the defendant’s clothing. Humans can shed DNA, and Jones referred to the concept of transfer DNA to argue that this evidence cannot prove his client to be the perpetrator.

The prosecutor outlined all the charges the defendant faces and what they say led to those charges. In addition to the murder charge, Bowser faces two counts of assault, one count of carrying a dangerous weapon and two counts of obstruction of justice for a letter sent from jail to the defendant’s ex-wife, allegedly outlining a plan to stop two witnesses from testifying.

Jones said the letter has no evidence of obstruction of justice as there is nothing blatantly stated about preventing the witnesses from testifying. He also argued that his client’s actions are not consistent with someone who just committed a murder, as he didn’t flee the scene immediately after. Instead, he is seen in video footage hanging around and talking to witnesses.

After opening arguments were completed, prosecutors called three witnesses to the stand, starting with the victim’s daughter.

The daughter described the Marshall Heights neighborhood as a “close-knit community” where everyone looked out for each other. She said she was very close to her mother.

“I am my mother’s child. Everything I am today is because of her,” Tracy’s daughter said.

When asked about her mother’s PCP use, the daughter told the court that she knew her mother used to smoke it, but described her as a “calm and peaceful” woman who cleaned the house after smoking.

Three jurors appeared emotional as the daughter described what it was like to grow up with a hard-working single mother. She said her mother was caring for her son and grandson when she was killed. She learned about her mother’s death through a phone call from a family friend.

The defense did not cross-examine this witness.

Prosecutors then called the first Metropolitan Police Department officer to arrive at the crime scene.

“The bedroom was in disarray; there was blood on the bed and things were scattered around,” the officer recalled. He said upon arrival, the victim was unresponsive, laying on the floor by her bed with visible wounds to her face and neck.

The officer testified that he had basic medical training but didn’t perform it on the victim, as he believed it would harm her further and cause her to lose blood. Instead, the officer called for emergency personnel, who transported Womack to a local hospital.

During cross-examination, the detective told Jones he does not recall if he noticed any blood on the handle of the bedroom door.

Jones cross-examined the officer and asked the MPD officer if he noticed any blood on the door handle of the bedroom where the homicide took place. “I don’t recall, sir,” the officer said, saying nobody was in the apartment when he entered.

The final witness to testify during the March 23 proceedings was the one who knew the victim for several years. She confirmed that she and Womack did PCP together a couple of days a week. When asked by prosecutors how Womack acted on drugs, she said her friend acted like her regular self.

The witness said she knew Bowser, who went by the nickname Piggy, for about a year. She had smoked PCP with him on several occasions at a friend’s house.

On the day of the homicide, she testified that she was at Womack’s house with a mutual friend. She said she saw Womack get into bed and later heard the defendant walking up the stairs to approach her.

“Let me say something to you,” the witness recalled him telling Womack. Womack refused, saying she was talking to the mutual friend. After that, the witness says Bowser walked into the victim’s room and closed the door behind him.

During cross-examination, Jones pointed out how when the witness testified before a grand jury, she said she did not recognize the voice as belonging to the defendant.

At trial, she said she clearly heard the victim say “what are you doing?” and “you’re hurting me, you’re stabbing me.” Upon entering the bedroom, the witness says she saw Tracy standing up, and before she could do anything, the defendant shut the door in her face and locked it.

Video footage shows the witness running out of the house and returning a few minutes later with two men. The witness alleged that Bowser pushed the three of them down the stairs of the apartment complex, knife in hand. One of the men tried to use a bar stool as a makeshift weapon.

Video footage shows Womack’s friend standing by the front of the apartment after the stabbing. She backs away from Bowser, who appears to be holding something resembling a knife.

Jones’ cross-examination of the witness is scheduled to resume on March 24.

Judge Releases Suspect in Deadly Park View Shooting

A DC Superior Court judge released a homicide defendant less than one month after the deadly shooting at the center of the case occurred.

On the night of March 8, officers found 56-year-old James Jackson, Jr. on the 3400 block of Sherman Avenue, NW, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Dawit Guevara was apprehended by responding officers. The 28-year-old suspect is now charged with second-degree murder while armed.

During the most recent hearing for this case on March 23, the prosecutor said they are no longer opposed to Guevara being released from DC Jail.

Members of Jackson’s family attended the proceedings remotely and pleaded for the court not to release the defendant. Still, Judge Rainey Brandt agreed to release Guevara into the High Intensity Supervision Program. He will be required to wear a GPS monitor and refrain from possessing or purchasing firearms.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on April 19 for a preliminary hearing, which will serve to assess if the case has enough evidence to go to trial.

Judge Finds Probable Cause After Domestic Violence Defendant Rejects Plea Deal

After a domestic violence defendant rejected a plea offer, a DC Superior Court judge ruled that the case against him has enough evidence to go to trial.

The defendant is accused of stabbing his roommate following a verbal altercation on May 30, 2020, in Petworth. He is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

During a March 23 hearing, the defendant rejected the prosecution’s offer to plead down to one count of simple assault and one count of attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, both of which are misdemeanor charges.

With the plea deal turned down, the prosecutor called the lead detective on the case to testify about their investigation.

The detective arrived at the scene and was told the defendant and the victim got into a verbal argument about the rent. This argument reportedly became physical as the two began to wrestle, allegedly prompting the defendant to pull out a five-inch knife and stab the victim in the arm.

“Did anyone live in the apartment with the complainant and the defendant, and did they see the incident?” the prosecutor asked.

“Yes, two others do live in the apartment, but they did not see the stabbing,” the detective responded. “They managed to break up the tussle. After the tussle they did see the knife and stab wound.”

The detective said he interviewed the victim over the phone.

“He told me he was walking in the hallway and felt pain in his arm and noticed that the defendant had a knife in hand. That is when he called the police. He did not see the defendant before he jumped out,” the detective said.

Defense attorney Tammy Jacques began her cross-examination by questioning the detectives’ procedures and knowledge of the case.

“Did you watch the bodycam footage of the defendant saying he stabbed the complainant or did you not watch the whole video?” she asked.

“No, I did not watch the whole video,” the detective responded.

The prosecutor argued there was no proof of the defendant acting in self-defense, alleging the defendant intended to force injury onto the victim.

“Just holding a knife is enough to frighten an assault,” she said.

“The police was called to the apartment and the complainant said that someone just jumped on him,” said Jacques. “I want the court to consider the credibility of the complainant. He did not state that there was a physical altercation before the stabbing. The complainant only has one cut. I know there is no set number of how many cuts you have but we should take that into consideration.”

DC Superior Court Judge Lloyd Nolan did find probable cause in the case. Parties have yet to set a date for the next hearing. The defendant is currently on pretrial release.

Document: Suspect Arrested in Relation to Special Police Officer’s Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department has made an arrest in relation to a September 2021 homicide.

At approximately 8:42 p.m. police responded to the 3300 block of 10th Place, SE, due to sounds of gunshots. Police located 41-year-old Angela Washington and pronounced her dead on the scene, according to the press release.

According to the press release, “at the time of the offense, the victim was in uniform and working as an on-duty Special Police Officer.”

On March 23, officers arrested 23-year-old Jadohn Bracey and charged him with first-degree murder while armed, according to the press release.

Document: 18-Year-Old Arrested in January Homicide

A suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of Dmaree Miller.

At approximately 4:37 p.m. on Jan. 4, Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the 3300 block of 12^th Street, SE, for the report of a shooting, according to a press release. There, they found Miller, 18, suffering from gunshot wounds in the hallway of an apartment building. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

On March 22, 18-year-old Devon Edwards was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed.

Jurors in Murder Trial Unable to Reach a Verdict

A DC Superior Court judge declared a mistrial in the case of Antonio Bassett‘s fatal shooting after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.

Chad Hawthorne, 41, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. He is accused of shooting 35-year-old Bassett in an apartment on the 3900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, during the early hours of May 22, 2017.

The jury received their instructions and began deliberating on March 16. On March 21, they informed the court they could not decide on a verdict.

Hawthorne will remain held at DC Jail as prosecutors decide if they want to re-try the case. Judge Robert Okun scheduled parties to meet in court for a status hearing on April 13.

Case Acquitted: Judge Questions Prosecutor on Lack of Indictment in 2020 Murder Case

This case was acquitted on Nov. 15, 2023.

A DC Superior Court judge questioned a prosecutor on why a murder defendant arrested in July 2020 has not yet been indicted.

During the early hours of May 24, 2020, 26-year-old Kayvon Kinney was found in a parking lot on the 1800 block of Gainesville Street, SE, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Approximately one-and-a-half months after his death, 26-year-old Michael Austin was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed. He has remained held at DC Jail ever since.

The lack of an indictment was a point of contention during the most recent hearing for this case on March 21. During those proceedings, the prosecutor asked for two more months to continue working on the case.

Judge Milton Lee was curious as to why the indictment is taking this long. The prosecutor’s office is trying to prioritize older cases for indictment. The prosecutor for this case said they are not completely finished with getting the grand jury testimony.

Defense attorney Jason Tulley pointed out that nearly two years have gone by since the defendant’s arrest. He asked for a trial date to be scheduled and said he may motion for the case’s dismissal or the defendant’s release if an indictment does not come soon.

Judge Lee immediately said a trial date will be set. The prosecutor, in response, said there is no guarantee witnesses will be available.

A jury trial date was scheduled for Nov. 13, 2023. Parties are expected to reconvene for a status hearing on May 24.

Victim Recounts Sexual Assault During Perpetrator’s Sentencing

One of two victims 20-year-old Darnell Peoples pleaded guilty to sexually abusing said she would never walk alone again during the defendant’s sentencing hearing.

Peoples admitted to sexually assaulting two women on Sept. 15 and 16, 2021, on the 1700 block of Gainesville Street, SE. He pleaded guilty to third-degree sex abuse and misdemeanor sex abuse and was sentenced on March 21.

“It has been six months since I was near my daughter’s home,” one of the victims said during the proceedings. “Before I was attacked by Mr. Peoples, I would walk my dog. I walked past a younger lady and the defendant. The younger lady told me, hello but the defendant did not. I walked across the street once the traffic cleared but I got a sense that someone was following me.”

“As I turned around, I felt a man grab my buttocks and pushed me to the ground,” she continued. “He repeatedly said to me, ‘Come on, give it up.'”

She said that for some reason, he stopped assaulting her but took her phone instead.

“I will never walk alone again,” the victim said. “It is very scary that this man will be back into the neighborhood preying on women.”

The prosecutor wanted Peoples to receive both rehabilitative treatment and prison time. He asked DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt to impose a two-year sentence for the third-degree sexual abuse charge and a 180-day sentence followed by two years of probation for the misdemeanor sex abuse charge.

“[Peoples] is well above and at an active risk of committing another assault based on his criminal score,” he said.

The defendant has previously been convicted of multiple counts of misdemeanor sex abuse.

Defense attorney Jason Kalafat asked Judge Brandt to impose an 18-month sentence with six of those months suspended since Peoples has been held at DC Jail for approximately six months before the sentencing. Kalafat also asked Judge Brandt to impose the Youth Rehabilitation Act, which would allow his case to be sealed if he successfully completes his sentence.

“[Peoples’] father was murdered in 2016 and after that, he was beaten and bullied in high school, which led to him dropping out in the 11th grade,” he said.

Judge Brandt was curious as to why Peoples did not have anything to say to the courts or to the victim.

“I find it interesting that the victim was giving her statement and you showed no remorse. I gave you the opportunity to say you were sorry and that you were young and a changed man, but you chose to say nothing,” Judge Brandt said. She later denied the defense’s request to impose the YRA.

“The Youth Act should not be used to shield sex offenders. The public has the right to know plus he has failed probation twice and has had two adult cases against him,” she said.

Judge Brandt sentenced Peoples to 180 days for the misdemeanor sex abuse charge. For the third-degree sex abuse charge, she sentenced the defendant to 24 months, half of which was suspended, followed by two years of supervised probation. The prison sentences will run consecutively.

As part of his probation, Peoples must receive a mental health evaluation, a sexual assault evaluation and drug treatment. He is also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Detective Details Investigation Into 2019 Homicide During Preliminary Hearing

The lead detective in a 2019 homicide investigation finished his testimony during the second day of a preliminary hearing to determine if the case has enough evidence to go to trial.

On the night of Sept. 3, 2019, two men were shot on the 900 block of Division Avenue, NE. One of them, 28-year-old Kalin Middleton, succumbed to his injuries. The other victim became stable after treatment. In December 2021, Lavelle Watts was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed.

The preliminary hearing spanned over two days and concluded with DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan making a finding of probable cause.

During the second day of the proceedings on March 21, the lead detective was again sworn in to testify to his findings. Attorneys on both sides referred to the detective’s affidavit, which provided the surviving victim’s recollection of the events surrounding the shooting.

The surviving victim said he was driving on Eastern Avenue, NE, with Middleton in the passenger seat when he noticed someone following them in a green two-door Lexus. After taking several turns to confirm they were being followed, the surviving victim says he parked the vehicle and told Middleton to settle whatever dispute he has with the operator of the other vehicle, as there were indications of a conflict between the two earlier in the day. The operator of the Lexus walked up to the passenger side of the victims’ vehicle and began firing his gun without warning, according to court documents.

During the first day of the preliminary hearing on March 18, video footage from the 900 block of Eastern Avenue, NE, supported the detective’s testimony by showing an individual in a dark coat or jacket exiting a gray Acura and standing on the passenger side of the second victim’s BMW and firing multiple shots inside the vehicle. Investigators used the make, model and license plate of the suspect’s vehicle and traced it back to someone close to Watts.

During defense attorney Quo Judkins‘ cross-examination, the detective said the car owner told them she lets Watts use her car frequently and she could not have been the shooter since she was at work when the homicide happened. However, the green Lexus the surviving victim described turned out to be a gray Acura.

Judkins used the victim’s misinterpretation of the suspect’s vehicle as an argument against probable cause, saying “it comes down to this car.” She noted how the prosecution’s case lacked DNA evidence, a recovered murder weapon or witness statements from anyone besides the surviving witness. She also argued her client did not have a motive to kill Middleton.

The detective analyzed Watts and Middleton’s phones for any evidence and showed that the decedent and defendant did know each other as there were messages sent and received two days prior to the shooting. Still, the defense pointed out how cell phone data the detective looked into did not put pick up Watts’ location at the time of the homicide.

Judge Raffinan noted that the vehicle in the surveillance footage can be connected to the defendant, indicating that Watts could be the shooter. She ruled that the case has enough evidence to go to trial.

Watts will remain held at DC Jail as he awaits his next hearing on April 26.

Document: Suspect Wanted in Deadly Shooting

Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help locating a suspect wanted on a DC Superior Court arrest warrant charging him with first-degree murder while armed.

At approximately 8:30 a.m., officers responded to the 2300 block of 18^th Street, NE, for the report of a shooting, according to a press release. There, they found 42-year-old Sedrick Miller suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have identified the suspect in this homicide as 27-year-old Jarrell David Harris, of Southeast, DC. He can be seen in photos released by the MPD.

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