Judge Finds Probable Cause for Double Homicide Case

Keanan Turner is charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed and one count of assault with intent to kill while armed in reference to a shooting that killed a mother and daughter and injured a third victim. On Jan. 13, a DC Superior Court judge ruled that his case has enough evidence to go to trial.

The 32-year-old defendant allegedly shot and killed Wanda Wright and her daughter Ebony Wright on the 2300 block of Good Hope Court, SE, on April 10, 2021. He is also accused of shooting a third victim, who ultimately survived.

Turner rejected a plea offer for two counts of second-degree murder while armed along with one count of assault with intent to kill.

The prosecutor asked Judge Maribeth Raffinan to find a substantial probability that if Truner went to trial, he would be found guilty of the offenses. Substantial probability is a higher standard than probable cause.

One witness testified- the lead detective in the case.

The prosecutor showed surveillance footage from a Ring door camera of the three victims and the defendant entering the apartment at separate times. The camera was placed above the door and activates when it senses movement.

The defendant was allegedly at the location because he had received child support paperwork from Ebony Wright. The two had a child together, but Turner was also married. The detective testified that the surviving witness said Turner did not want to be in the child’s life. The surviving victim told detectives that they had planned to meet at that location to discuss the infant and for Turner to meet him for the first time.

The surviving victim said she had heard gunshots in the home and then ran to hide in a closet. The shooter, who she later identified to detectives as Turner, allegedly shot her in her hiding place. She was shot in the face but managed to get out. She noticed that a computer was on fire and her mother, Wanda Wright and sister Ebony Wright were on the ground with gunshot wounds. She grabbed the infant and ran outside.

The surviving victim attempted to talk to officers while in an ambulance but could not speak due to her injuries. However, she wrote Turner’s name down on a piece of paper when they asked who did it.

The detective said they attempted to speak with her again a few days later but she was still unable to talk. They tried a third time, and she was finally able to.

Cell phone evidence was also shown. The detective testified about information found, showing Turner nearby the scene of the crime.

Turner was at his father’s house when he was arrested. The father said Turner had not been to his house in three months and showed up abruptly. He asked about getting money for an attorney. At the time of the shooting, Ebony and Turner had a custody case in the DC Superior Court.

At the time of the arrest, the detective testified that officers located 300 guns in the household. Court documents state that eight of these matched the 9mm bullet casings found at the scene but the detective corrected the matter and said it was only seven. The detective said officers recovered those guns but did not recover the others because Turner’s father had a license.

One of the defense attorneys in this case cross-examined the detective and focused on how the suspect was identified. He questioned if there was a narrative created when writing the affidavit.

“I don’t have a motive, sir,” the detective said.

The detective also testified about a statement Turner allegedly made to an officer at the time of the arrest. Without the officer asking any questions, Turner began talking to the officer. Ber Of the officer could get out a recording device, the detective testified that he said something similar to “things just went left that’s why I had to do it.”

Both the prosecutor and the defense asked about this. The prosecutor said this was an admittance, while the defense said this was lacking evidence because it was not recorded.

Judge Raffinan found substantial probability in the case, noting the security footage and Turner’s alleged statement.

Parties are set to reconvene on March 25.

Multiple Court Hearings Canceled Amid DC Jail Covid Outbreak

Hearings for multiple cases were canceled at the DC Superior Court due to the DC Jail seeing their largest COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic began, according to government data.

As of Jan. 10, 1,081 people were in quarantine or had tested positive at DC Jail. These high numbers have yet to be seen since the start of the pandemic. Judge Rainey Brandt said on Jan. 18 in open court that her entire calendar had been canceled due to the defendants being in quarantine at the jail.

One of the hearings in courtroom 201 was supposed to take place later in the day, but Judge Brandt chose to call it earlier because the defendant, Dedan Williams, is quarantined and could not be brought to court. Williams, 50, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 38-year-old Andrew Tillman to death on Nov. 15, 2020.

“Why put off till 2:30 what you can do now,” Judge Brandt said. Williams’ defense attorney said he was unaware of the defendant being on quarantine.

This is the second time Williams has missed a hearing in 2022 due to being in quarantine. During the first one he missed on Jan. 4, defense attorney Roderick Thompson said he had received plea deal paperwork but has not been able to go over it with his client

Defendants Niko Hall and Kyrie Wells also missed hearings due to being in quarantine. Both are charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Anthony Lee on Sept. 26, 2020.

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

Convicted Child Sex Abuse Defendant Says He ‘Can’t Explain What Happened’ During Sentencing

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man to prison for sexually abusing a family member when she was approximately nine years old. During the proceedings, a prosecutor spoke to the difficulties of understanding what motivated the defendant’s behavior.

Ada Pineada pleaded guilty to second-degree child sex abuse in September. He was originally charged with both first and second-degree child sex abuse. During the Jan. 14 sentencing, a prosecutor said Pineada’s abuse of the young girl included forcible oral sex.

“There’s a little girl out there waking up in the middle of the night screaming because of what this defendant did to her,” said the prosecutor, who read a victim impact statement written by one of the girl’s parents during the sentencing. The parent explained in the letter that their daughter avoids leaving her room and doesn’t talk much. Her grades have suffered and she struggles to concentrate in school.

Pineada had previously admitted that he abused the victim to one of her parents over text. “He could not bear to live with what he had done,” his lawyer, Rachel McCoy, said.

The prosecutor said she believes that Pineada feels guilty for what he did and commends him for pleading guilty to the charge, but during the Jan. 4 hearing she accused him of minimizing his conduct and argued that this makes it harder to understand why he did what he did. She noted inconsistencies in his statements about the abuse.

McCoy said her client wants to receive treatment to “understand what’s going on with him.” But when asked by Judge Kravitz, McCoy said her client has not sought out treatment during the time he spent on release while awaiting sentencing.

“Mr. Pineada, are you able to say anything that can help me understand why you did this?” Judge Neal Kravitz asked the defendant during the Jan. 14 sentencing.

“The honest truth is, at this moment, I can’t explain what happened,” Pineada responded.

Judge Kravitz took a few minutes to think before handing down his sentence. “I find this to be a very difficult case,” he said afterward.

The prosecution and defense did not agree on a specific sentence as part of the plea deal but did agree on a range of 18 to 60-months. The prosecution asked Judge Kravitz to impose a 60-month sentence. The defense asked for his sentence to be fully suspended except for what time he has already served. The defendant was held at DC Jail for approximately 49 days following his arrest before his eventual release into the High Intensity Supervision Program.

“One of the things I always feel the worst about when I send people to prison is that prisons are horrible places and we should do so much better than we do for people while they are separated from the rest of us,” Judge Kravitz said. He imposed a 54-month sentence. Pineada will receive credit for time served.

Judge Plans to Address Motions in Five-Defendant Murder Case

A DC Superior Court judge continued a hearing in a murder case so she could have time to look over outstanding motions filed by four of the five co-defendants.

Tyiion Kyree Freeman, Reginald Lopez Steele, jr., Koran Jackson and Aaron Dequan Brown are charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020, on the 600 block of S Street, NW. A second juvenile male was wounded in the shooting.

Judge Rainey Brandt was recently assigned to the case. “It sounds to me like parties, in this case, aren’t nearly ready to set a trial date yet,” she said during the Jan. 13 proceedings. Parties are expected to set a trial date during the next hearing on March 25. In the meantime, several motions await rulings.

Jackson’s lawyer, Kristin McGough, made note of Jackson’s motion to reconsider the Oct. 20 court order denying a voucher that would allow him to observe the DNA testing process by Bode Technology, a private forensic lab based out of Virginia. McGough has since filed a motion for reconsideration that is waiting for the prosecution’s response.

The prosecution affirmed their intent to consume DNA during testing. Motions were filed in opposition and the court initially ruled that the prosecution could consume on the condition that the defense could allow experts to observe testing. All defendants in the case chose not to make observations except Jackson.

“Bode doesn’t conduct videotaping of their testing. That’s not their policy,” the prosecutor said. “Their policy is that they do not videotape their testing.”

Freeman has a motion for release from custody that awaits a judge’s decision. Defense attorney Andrew Ain requested an expedited hearing and court decision in the matter on his behalf. “My client doesn’t want his motion to linger for months,” he said.

Brown also has an outstanding release motion. According to his defense lawyer, arguments were made during a December hearing, but the judge held off on making a ruling. However, the online case docket listed the motion for release was based on the conditions at the jail as rejected. Judge Brandt said she would have that corrected and that the motion would remain held in abeyance.

Stephen Nelson, who faces two counts of accessory after the fact for assault with intent to kill while armed and a firearm possession charge, does not have any outstanding motions that need to be addressed by a judge.

Judge Brandt is expected to pass down decisions when parties reconvene on March 25.

Freeman is also charged with eight counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and 13 charges of unlawful firearm possession. He is represented by Andrew Ain and Rebecca Vogel.

Brown, represented by Joseph Wong, is also charged with four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and seven counts of illegal firearm possession.

Steele is charged with first-degree murder while armed. He was represented by Wole Falodun. Steele is also charged with 10 counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of conspiracy and 14 firearm possession charges.

Preliminary Plea Negotiations Underway in Case of Fatal Traffic Accident

Parties are negotiating a potential plea deal for a man charged with murder in relation to a traffic incident. On the afternoon of June 13, 2021, Gerald Lewis was allegedly driving a vehicle that crashed into a bus shelter near 14th and P Street, NW, in Logan Circle, according to court documents. Fifty-nine-year-old Antonio Felder was struck and killed in the collision. Lewis, 30, was arrested that same day. Metropolitan Police Department officers could allegedly smell alcohol on him.

Lewis is charged with second-degree murder in Felder’s death.

During a Jan. 14 satatus hearing, parties told DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt that they most recently spoke yesterday and would like more time to continue their plea negotiations.

Judge Brandt scheduled parties to reconvene on March 4. In the meantime, Lewis will remain released into the High Intensity Supervision Program. A representative with the Pretrial Services Agency reported that he is in compliance with his pretrial release conditions.

According to court documents, Lewis approached an officer after the crash saying, “I’m right here. I was driving. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”

The defendant reportedly became irate as he tried to help Felder. An officer assured him that someone had called an ambulance. Lewis then allegedly said, “Y’all not about to get me for a f—— murder bro. Y’all not about to do that to me. Can’t nobody do that to me.”

Document: Two Teenagers Arrested for Murder

Two male teenagers have been arrested for murder in connection with a shooting that occurred on Dec. 6, 2021.

At 11:25 p.m. officers responded to the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE, due to a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found 21-year-old Derico Justice Miles with gunshot wounds and pronounced him dead on scene, according to a press release.

The 16 and 17-year-old suspects were arrested for first-degree murder while armed on Jan. 12.

Document: One Killed, Two Injured in Shooting

One man was killed and two others were injured in a shooting that occurred on Jan. 12.

At approximately 6:54 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the 1400 block of Good Hope Road, SE, for the sounds of gunshots, according to a press release. There, they found three men suffering from gunshot wounds. They were taken to an area hospital.

One of the men, 24-year-old Nathan Outlaw, succumbed to his injuries.

Judge Grants Defendant’s Request for New Defense Counsel

A DC Superior Court judge agreed to appoint new counsel for a murder defendant who said he was displeased with his lawyer’s work in his case.

Herman Williams is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 36-year-old William Boykin, Jr. on May 28, 2019. He is also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed in the non-fatal shooting of another man during the incident, as well as four firearm possession charges.

According to court documents, surveillance footage shows an individual suspected to be Williams firing at a group of people on the 2600 block of Birney Place, SE.

During a status hearing on Jan. 13, the 30-year-old defendant said he has not spoken to his defense attorney, Roderick Thompson, and did not want him as his lawyer.

“I’ve never spoken to this man. I don’t have any paperwork from any lawyer,” Williams said. “I’ve never met with him, I’ve never talked with him. No use talking about trial dates.”

Williams was indicted on March 3, 2020. His trial was postponed multiple times.

Judge Rainey Brandt paused the hearing for another matter so Thompson and Williams could speak. The hearing was recalled approximately 20 minutes later. Having spoken to Williams, Thompson requested another hearing for the purpose of getting the defendant a new lawyer.

“The communication between Mr. Williams and myself, and his expectations for the work that has been done thus far is not up to par and not effective from his point of view,” Thompson said. “He’s expressed displeasure with my effectiveness.”

Judge Brandt decided to appoint Russell Hairston as Williams’ new lawyer. The defendant is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 23.

Jury Returns Partial Verdict in Murder Trial

After approximately five days of deliberations, a jury returned a partial verdict in a murder trial.

Tony McClam faced multiple charges in reference to the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Karon Brown on July 18, 2019, in Southeast, DC. A jury found the 31-year-old defendant not guilty of first-degree murder while armed. They were unable to reach a verdict on lesser homicide charges of second-degree murder while armed and voluntary manslaughter while armed. The jury was also unable to reach a verdict on the charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and the lesser-included offense of assault with a dangerous weapon as well as possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

McClam was only convicted of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.

The verdict was delivered on Jan. 12, more than one month after parties delivered their opening arguments. The trial was delayed for two weeks after the defendant tested positive for COVID-19.

DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz, who presided over the trial, scheduled a status hearing for Jan. 19 to give parties time to decide how they would like to proceed.

Document: 18-Year-Old Arrested for Sexual Abuse

An 18-year-old suspect has been arrested for first-degree sexual abuse, armed kidnapping and armed carjacking.

At approximately 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 11, the suspect approached the victim as they sat in their vehicle on the 4500 block of 9^th Street, NW, according to a press release. The suspect then allegedly brandished a gun, entered the victim’s vehicle and forced them to drive to the 500 block of Crittenden Street, NW. There, he allegedly engaged in a forced sex act with the victim before feeling the scene in the victim’s vehicle.

An arrest was made the following day.

Domestic Violence Defendant Sentenced for Armed Break-In

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man for forcing his way into his ex-girlfriend’s home while armed with a pocket knife.

Marlin Reynolds went to his ex-girlfriend’s home and knocked on the door. After not being let in, he managed to kick the door down. He entered, brandishing his knife. But his ex’s significant other quickly fired his gun, shooting Reynolds around his armpit.

But Reynolds gave differing narratives about the incident- when being questioned at the hospital, he told police he was shot while visiting his girlfriend’s apartment. The prosecutor said he later gave a different story to change the trajectory of the blame, saying he was shot on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.

The prosecutor displayed security footage to clarify the narrative. While short, it showed Reynolds entering the area of the apartment complex. He could then be seen leaving while a second bullet was fired in his direction by his ex-girlfriend’s partner.

The prosecutor said Reynolds’ history includes “a terrifying series of assaults and break-ins.” In one of the incidents, his ex-girlfriend’s eardrum was permanently broken. Another ex-girlfriend previously accused him of domestic violence as well. They requested a total of five-and-a-half years in prison for all of the offenses Reynolds pleaded guilty to. This was in the upper half of the sentencing guidelines provided by evaluating a variety of factors, including the defendant’s criminal history score and the incident itself.

Defense attorney Frederick Iverson requested a two-year sentence, which is in the lower half of the guidelines. He said Reynolds was being “unfairly penalized” for his prior cases, many of which he was not convicted in. He provided context not only for Reynolds’ life but for his issues with his ex-girlfriend as well.

Reynolds grew up in a household where he experienced beatings and other forms of abuse throughout his childhood. He also had debilitating ADHD and was in special education programs. The fact that the defendant was able to admit these details about his life was monumental to Iverson, who said this shows his growth and that he should receive treatment for his issues.

“Everyone agrees he should receive treatment,” Judge James Crowell responded. “The problem is he is absolutely a danger to the community.”

Iverson said the prosecutor’s narrative does not make full sense, telling Judge Crowell that Reynolds did not go to the apartment complex to attack but still conceding that his actions were wrong. Reynolds and his ex-girlfriend’s “horribly dysfunctional” relationship was a mitigating factor for Iverson because he said they were not pointing fingers since she was also an aggressor. He said the incident leaned towards self-defense and the whole reason he pulled out the knife was because of the history and feeling he was being threatened after entering her apartment.

“It’s a distinction because it is a different mindset, Your Honor,” he said. “It’s still wrong as the day is long.”

Reynolds’ ex-girlfriend had planned on attending the Jan. 12 hearing but felt sick the morning of. She instead gave a written victim impact statement to the prosecutor, who read it aloud in court.

“I’m afraid to be by myself,” she wrote. “He’s threatened me, he’s threatened my life.” The victim also wrote that she does not wish him any pain, but needs him to understand what he did wrong.

Judge Crowell echoed both the prosecutor and the defense in his conclusion.

“These are incredibly difficult cases and incredibly difficult for those involved,” Judge Crowell said. “Maybe there was violence on both sides.” He noted that the ex-girlfriend had left the situation but Reynolds had been unable to.

However, he disagreed with Iverson’s argument that Reynolds was being unfairly penalized for his prior cases- saying that if he were, his criminal history score would have been much higher.

Reynolds was initially charged with first-degree burglary while armed and simple assault following his arrest in June 2020. Last September, he was indicted on charges of assault with significant bodily injury, stalking, first-degree burglary, first-degree burglary while armed, destruction of property less than $1,000, destruction of property $1,000 or more, simple assault, assault with a dangerous weapon while armed and assaulting a law enforcement officer. Less than one month later, he agreed to plead guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon, destruction of property less than $1,000 and unlawful entry onto private property as part of a deal he made with the prosecution.

Judge Crowell sentenced Reynolds to serve a total of 38 months in prison. The defendant, who has been held at DC Jail since he was arrested, will receive credit for time served.

Reynolds received a fully suspended 180-day sentence with one year of supervised probation for both the unlawful entry charge and the destruction of property charge. He was sentenced to 60 months, 22 of which were suspended, followed by two years of supervised probation for the assault with a dangerous weapon charge.

“This is a classic, serial domestic violence abuse that escalated from beating this woman, beating her again and just not being able to come at her,” Judge Crowell said. “It’s this repetitive escalated domestic violence which in my experience usually ends up with someone dead.” He said it is difficult to believe the idea that Reynolds went to her home without any malice.

Judge Takes Murder Defendant Off Home Confinement

A DC Superior Court judge relaxed the pretrial release conditions of a murder defendant after he spent approximately eight-and-a-half months on home confinement.

Quincy Johnson is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 20-year-old Anthony Riley on July 17, 2020. That day, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers found Riley and another man in a vehicle on the 100 block of Walnut Street, NW, according to court documents. The other man survived the shooting.

Johnson was 16-years-old when he was arrested a little more than one month later but is being tried as an adult.

When defense attorney Roderick Thompson filed a motion to take his client off home confinement in the middle of December, he noted that Johnson had no infractions during the seven months he had spent on pretrial release by then.

“Seven months of compliance is a long period of compliance,” Judge Robert Okun agreed during the Jan. 11 proceedings.

Thompson said his client has a job opportunity lined up if he is allowed to leave his home.

The prosecutor in this case opposed the request to modify Johnson’s supervision, pointing to the seriousness of the allegations against him. Still, she said she did not specifically take issue with the defendant working and suggested a middle ground to allow for more flexibility.

Judge Okun called the prosecutor’s suggestion reasonable but ultimately agreed to lift the home confinement order.

Johnson will remain in the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP). While defendants in HISP typically have a 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew, Judge Okun imposed an 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew for Johnson as a precaution to keep him from being out too late.

Preliminary Hearing Rescheduled After Murder Defendant Requests New Counsel

A DC Superior Court judge rescheduled a hearing to determine if a fatal stabbing case has enough evidence to go to trial after learning that the defendant is requesting new counsel.

Aaron Jackson, 28, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in the death of 27-year-old Damohn Gill. On the evening of June 24, 2021, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers found Gill on the 3600 block of 22nd Street, SE, suffering from multiple stab wounds, according to court documents. He succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.

Defense attorney Ronald Resetarits informed Judge Robert Okun that his client wants new counsel during the Jan. 11 proceedings. After speaking with Jackson and Resetarits outside of open court, Judge Okun agreed to appoint the defendant a different lawyer.

An ascertainment of counsel hearing is now set to take place on Feb. 17.

Document: Fatal Shooting in Columbia Heights

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on Jan. 10.

At approximately 8:52 p.m., 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 13^th and Irving Street NW, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Domestic Violence Defendant Accepts Plea in Revenge Porn, Stalking Case

A defendant accepted a plea agreement in a felony domestic violence case he picked up after publishing explicit material of a victim without her consent.

Carlton Robertson pleaded guilty to first-degree unlawful publication, stalking and threats to do bodily harm on Jan. 11. In exchange for the plea, the prosecutor is dismissing several misdemeanor cases he currently has open.

The defendant admitted to posting lewd and sexual videos of the victim on Facebook and Reddit, as well as threatening to physically hurt the victim and her child.

The defendant is currently on release and attended the hearing remotely. He is required to stay away from the victim and refrain from contacting her. He is also not allowed to post on social media about the victim or any members of her family.

DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 11, which Robertson must attend in person.

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