Judge Denies Release Request from Murder Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge denied a release request from a murder defendant.

Shaka Haltiwanger, 22, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 39-year-old Anthony Kelly on Sept. 10 on the 1400 block of 29th Street, SE.

The prosecution opposed defense attorney Daniel Dorsey‘s request for their client’s release, pointing out that Haltiwanger previously failed to appear in another case, in which he is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine while armed and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.

After denying the release request, Judge Danya Dayson scheduled a hearing to determine if the case has enough evidence to go to trial for Nov. 12.

Document: October 23 Traffic Fatality

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating an Oct. 23 traffic incident that led to a fatality.

An investigation revealed that at approximately 2:17 p.m. a Kia Optima was traveling in the 600 block of South Capitol Street, SE, when the driver lost control, mounting the curb and hitting a light pole. The vehicle stopped in the Unit block of E Street, SE, where the driver was ejected. The driver, 38-year-old Jamal Braddy, was taken to a local hospital where they later succumbed to their injuries, according to the press release.

Document: Arrests Made in Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives have made an arrest in relation to two homicides.

At approximately 8:13 p.m. police responded to the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE, due to a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, police located 23-year-old Juwan Smith with gunshot wounds and transported him to a local hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries, according to the press release.

Police arrested 24-year-old Javon Duckwilder and charged him with first-degree murder while armed. Due to the investigation, Duckwilder was also charged with first-degree murder while armed for an Oct. 5 homicide on the 4900 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW. The victim, in this case, was identified as 23-year-old Alexander Nwogu, according to the press release.

Document: Homicide on the 3600 block of Jay Street, SE

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating an Oct. 23 homicide.

At approximately 10:07 p.m. police responded to the 3600 block of Jay Street, NE, due to sounds of gunshots. Upon arrival, police located 52-year-old Angela White-Hooks with gunshot wounds and transported her to a local hospital. She later succumbed to her injuries, according to the press release.

Document: Homicide on the Unit Block of 54th Street, SE

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating three homicides that occurred on Oct. 23.

At approximately 1:26 a.m. police responded to the Unit block of 54^th Street, SE, due to sounds of gunshots. Upon arrival, police located an adult female victim with gunshot wounds and pronounced her dead on scene. The victim was later identified as 38-year-old Rickisha Waller-Henderson, according to the press release.

Document: Two Homicides on October 22

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating three homicides that occurred on Oct. 22.

At approximately 9:37 a.m. police responded to the 4900 block of East Capitol Street, SE, due to a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, police located 21-year-old Michael Phillip Johnson with stab wounds and transported him to a local hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries, according to the press release.

At approximately 2:10 p.m. police responded to the 600 block of Division Avenue, NE, due to sounds of gunshots. Upon arrival, police located 25-year-old Malik Bullock with gunshot wounds and pronounced him dead on scene, according to the press release.

At approximately 7:52 p.m. police responded to the 5000 block of First Street, NW, due to a report of gunshots. Upon arrival, police located 32-year-old Marquise Jones and pronounced her dead on scene, according to the press release.

Judge Schedules Hearing for Co-Defendants in Murder Case

A DC Superior Court judge continued an Oct. 22 hearing for a murder case after the prosecution said they still have evidence they need to provide to the defense.

Co-defendants Stephon Evans and Kewon Hunter are charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with the shooting of 21-year-old Dion DeMarco Boyd on July 30, 2018, on the 1400 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.

Both are also charged with conspiracy while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.

Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled the next hearing for Dec. 12.

Jury Selection Begins for Homicide Case

Oct. 20 marked the first day of jury selection for the second murder trial to come to the DC Superior Court since the suspension of jury trials due to the COVID-19 pandemic ended.

The defendant, 63-year-old Robert Dean Jr., is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 38-year-old Tamiya White on March 31, 2018, in the 1000 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE. White died from a stab wound to the side of her neck.

During the Oct. 20 proceedings, jurors were asked questions including if they had been victims or witnesses to a crime relating to domestic violence or homicide, if they have previously served as part of a grand jury and if they have any mental or physical health issues that would make it hard to concentrate during the trial.

A total of 80 jurors appeared during the selection, and 29 jurors were approved. Judge Marisa Demeo said she wanted a total of 40 jurors selected, so jury selection will continue on Oct 22.

Judge Makes Substantial Probability Finding in Murder Case

A DC Superior Court judge ruled that a fatal shooting case has enough evidence to go to trial.

Malachi McFarland, 21, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 29-year-old Kerry Odoms on April 15 on the 3300 block of 10th Place, SE.

During the Oct. 22 hearing, Judge Marisa Demeo made a finding of substantial probability.

The prosecution presented surveillance footage showing a group of individuals in a parking lot. Two shooters are seen in the video. The first shooter starts to fire and the group disperses. Odoms is initially shot by the first shooter.

An individual in a red hat is seen running from the scene but then returning and firing eight shots at Odoms.

The prosecution said witnesses identified McFarland as the man in the red hat. They also said that McFarland’s work identification card was found at the crime scene.

Defense attorney Jacqueline Cadman argued that the lack of physical evidence, such as fingerprints or DNA, precludes the prosecution from proving McFarland to be the shooter.

Cadman also argued against the reliability of the Metropolitan Police Department officer who identified McFarland as the second shooter, pointing out that he became the subject of public condemnation last August after a video showed him repeatedly striking a man in the face while he was under arrest.

After making a finding of substantial probability, Judge Demeo scheduled the next hearing for Dec. 17. She also denied Cadman’s request for her client’s release from DC Jail.

Judge Releases Man Charged in Father’s Death

A DC Superior Court judge granted a motion to release a defendant charged in his father’s death.

Stephon Darnell Williams is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting of his 49-year-old father, Stephen Magruder, on Sept. 11, 2020. According to the prosecution, before the shooting, the two reportedly got into an argument over five dollars and there is evidence a physical altercation took place, D.C. Witness previously reported.

The 30-year-old defendant was initially charged with second-degree murder while armed, but during a preliminary hearing in November 2020, Judge Neal Kravitz ruled that the case only has enough evidence to go to trial on the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. During that hearing, defense attorney Jason Tulley emphasized Magruder’s longstanding history of violence, which includes 2017 convictions for assault and destruction of property. He also called upon an investigator with the Public Defender Service about her interviews with several relatives, who she said told her that Magruder had a vicious temper and beat his son.

Towards the conclusion of that hearing, Judge Kravitz decided to release the defendant from DC Jail and put him in the High Intensity Supervision Program.

Last August, Williams was arrested on misdemeanor theft and assault charges while on release. According to court documents, he allegedly walked into a Subway restaurant and unplugged the soda machine to plug up a television he was attempting to sell. When someone tried to stop him, Williams allegedly punched him in the face, fled the scene and returned to threaten him. As a result, Williams was re-arrested and sent back to DC Jail.

The following October, Tulley motioned for his client’s release. During the Oct. 21 hearing, Tulley argued that Williams’ loss of housing and addiction-related struggles contributed to the brief period of erratic behavior that got him re-arrested while on pretrial release. Tulley explained Williams has since reflected on his actions and actively engaged with mental health, drug treatment and career training programs. Tulley also laid out several options for where his client could go if released.

Tulley read a letter from the defendant reflecting on his motivation to see his family. In his letter, Williams did not request immediate release but instead asked for Judge Milton Lee to put him in a 28-day federal recovery program which would then transition into home detention at a relative’s house.

“Even though he kept up with [his] pretrial officer in spring and summer, he was in and out of homeless shelters and homes. Mr. Williams would be the first to say his mind wasn’t in the right place,” Tulley said. “Reading this letter isn’t usual when the case is pending but at this point, this is the most important thing to him to get back to his family and convince the judge to stay sober and stay out of trouble.”

“Mr. Williams was out for about a year in this case and it sounds like he didn’t really have it easy during that time because there wasn’t anything firm with the living situation,” Judge Lee said. “So he did have a period of stability that got interrupted.”

The prosecution said the nature of his case, which is currently awaiting indictment, shows Williams to be dangerous. They said one witness claims that Williams shot his father with a gun Williams himself owned while his father had his hands in the air. Parties disagreed on if there was any evidence that Williams brought the gun with him to the house where the shooting took place.

Tulley also emphasized the apparently abusive dynamic between Williams’ father and the rest of the family. Judge Lee agreed with the defense’s point, saying there was a “backdrop” of conflict to this incident due to the “lengthy period of abuse not just by the decedent against Mr. Williams but also members of the family.”

“At least to the extent Mr. Williams is aware of what happens with other family members, he’s aware of what occurs with [his father] in that context, makes his fear more reasonable because of his father’s conduct,” Lee said.

Although the defendant’s misdemeanor case is the subject of the re-release effort, Judge Lee emphasized that it is still his manslaughter case that ultimately controls the decision. He singled out the absence of concrete evidence for who owned the gun as well as the physical altercation that preceded the incident as the controlling factors in his decision.

Judge Lee agreed to do what the Williams requested in his letter, assigning him to 28 days in a drug treatment program before being released his godmother.

The next hearing is set to take place on Dec. 17.

Judge Denies Release Requests for Three Teenage Murder Defendants

A DC Superior Court judge denied defense attorneys’ requests for the release of three teenage murder defendants.

Co-defendants Nelfy Hernandez, 18, Deandre Levy, 18, and Trey Prillerman, 17, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 17-year-old Taijhon Wyatt, Jr. on the 5500 block of 9th Street, NW, on Aug. 10, 2020.

The three are accused of shooting into a crowd of juveniles from inside of a vehicle, D.C. Witness previously reported.

“The types of crimes that I see that make me the most nervous are when young kids commit drive-by shootings into crowds of people,” Judge Neal Kravitz said during the Oct. 21 hearing.

Hernandez’s attorney, Douglas Wood, Levy’s attorneys, Thomas Healy and Jonathan Zucker, and Prillerman’s attorney, Elizabeth Weller, all filed bond review motions.

“The prosecutor is saying [Prillerman] is one of the most dangerous people without any proof,” Weller said during the hearing .

However, Judge Kravitz said that, although Prillerman has no prior convictions, he has been indicted as an adult in Prince George County, Md., in connection with two armed robberies.

Hernandez does have prior convictions, which Judge Kravitz said “shows a level of criminality that is disturbing.”

Judge Kravitz also said that Levy’s several pending cases, which include assault and armed robbery charges, give reason to believe that “no condition of release could protect the community.”

After denying all three release requests, Judge Kravitz scheduled parties to reconvene on Jan. 13.

Judge Releases Child Sex Abuse Defendant

After ruling that his case has enough evidence to go to trial, a DC Superior Court judge released a sex abuse defendant from DC Jail.

The 68-year-old defendant is charged with first-degree child sex abuse for allegedly abusing two young girls: one when she was 10-years-old and another when she was about 14-years-old.

The prosecutor argued against his release, saying there are “multiple counts of allegations over multiple years, with multiple victims.”

However, defense attorney Joseph Wong told Judge Neal Kravitz he “should view these allegations skeptically.”

As conditions of his pretrial release, Judge Kravitz ordered the defendant to stay away from schools, recreation centers and playgrounds. He must also stay away from the victims and is required to wear a GPS monitoring device.

The defendant also rejected a plea deal during the Oct. 21 hearing.

Release Denied for Co-Defendants in Murder Case

A DC Superior Court judge denied release requests from two co-defendants in a homicide case.

Niko Hall, 30, and Kyrie Wells, 19, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Anthony Lee on Sept. 26, 2020, on the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, SE.

During the Oct. 21 hearing, defense counsel for Hall sought to have him released so he can receive treatment for a physical condition he has.

The prosecution brought a statement from the victim’s mother that said the co-defendants should not be released because they both pose dangers to their communities.

DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson denied this motion, saying that no conditions or accommodations could ensure the safety of the community if Hall were released.

However, Judge Dayson said that pretrial conditions may be modified to make sure the defendant receives the proper medical attention.

The court will reconvene on Jan. 14.

Document: October 21 Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating an Oct. 21 homicide.

At approximately 1:22 a.m. officers were nearby the 2200 block of Nicholson Street, SE, when they saw an unconscious female victim with gunshot wounds. The victim, 44-year-old Sharon Robinson, was pronounced dead on scene, according to the press release.

Judge Sets Prelim for Murder Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a hearing to determine if the case of a fatal shooting that occurred in June has enough evidence to go to trial.

Aaron Jackson, 28, is charged with the second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 27-year-old Damohn Gill on June 24 in the 3600 block of 22nd Street, SE.

Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled the preliminary hearing to take place on Nov. 16.

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