Judge Schedules Trial Date for 2018 Homicide

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a trial date for a 2018 murder case to begin in October as the court continues to deal with a backlog of cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sixty-three year-old Robert Dean is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of Tamiya White. On March 31, 2018, 38-year-old White was found on the 1900 block of 9th Street, NE suffering from multiple stab wounds. It was later determined that the stabbing occurred on the 1000 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE.

During the March 1 hearing, parties estimated the trial could take about two weeks, accounting for jury selection and the amount of witnesses they planned to call.

Judge Michael Ryan scheduled the trial to begin on Oct. 27. He also set an additional hearing for Aug. 2 to allow time for counsel to submit any last motions before the trial begins.

Jury Trial for Drive-by Shooting Unlikely to Happen in 2021

Parties discussed jury trial dates for six of the 10 co-defendants charged in connection with a 2018 drive-by shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl.

Qujuan Thomas, 22, Quentin Michals, 23, Gregory Taylor, 25, Mark Price, 26, Quincy Garvin, 21, and Saquan Williams, 20, are facing charges for first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, weapon possession, assault the intent to kill, aggravated assault while armed and felony criminal street gang affiliation for their alleged roles in the drive-by shooting of Makiyah Wilson on July 16, 2018, on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE.

The shooting is alleged to have been the result of a neighborhood rivalry.

Garvin and Williams are also charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 24-year-old Carl Hardy on Oct. 4, 2017, on the 1200 block of I Street, SE.

DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan said it was unlikely they would find a trial date in 2021.

A prosecutor said she had estimated the trial to take around six to eight weeks before adjusting for any impact COVID-19 protocols may have.

Parties discussed setting the trial to take place within the June – July range of 2022. The defendant’s next trial readiness hearing is scheduled for May 10.

Antonio Murchison, 28, Darrise Jeffers, 21, Marquell Cobbs, 19, and Isaiah Murchison, 21, are also charged with murder in Wilson’s death. Another defendant in the case, Quanisha Ramsuer, 27, is charged with obstruction of justice. Their cases were not called during the March 1 hearing.

Antonio, Isaiah, Jeffers and Cobbs are scheduled to have a trial readiness hearing on March 8.

Ramsuer is not being held in jail. Her next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3.

Judge Schedules Trial Readiness Hearing For Murder Defendant

On March 1, a DC Superior Court judge scheduled a trial readiness hearing for a murder case.

Larry Brown 34, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing of 33-year-old Derrick Wright on March 24, 2018, on the 1300 Block of Florida Avenue, NE. He is also charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and carrying a dangerous weapon in this case.

In a previous hearing, defense attorney Roderick Thompson rejected the prosecution’s plea offer on his client’s behalf.

Judge Yvonne Williams scheduled a trial readiness hearing for March 9.

Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article.

Judge Continues Probation Hearing for Domestic Violence Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge continued a Feb. 25 probation show cause hearing for a domestic violence defendant.

In August 2019, the defendant was sentenced to serve nine months plus two years of supervised probation for assault with significant bodily injury.

He received several notices of non-compliance and, in May 2020, picked up a new case on charges of first-degree sex abuse and kidnapping.

His probation hearing is now trailing the new case. His next probation show cause hearing is scheduled for April 13, the same day that a preliminary hearing is scheduled for his new case.

Document: Human Skeletal Remains Found in Southeast, DC, Death Ruled a Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that happened on the 3600 block of F Street, SE.

At around 1:18 p.m. on Feb. 4, officers responded to the report of human skeletal remains in Fort Dupont Park.

Upon arrival, they located the remains and transported them to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. A post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be a gunshot wound and the death was ruled a homicide.

The decedent has been identified as 44 year-old Keith Johnson.

Crime Alerts: February 28-March 1

Between 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 28 and 9:00 a.m. on March 1, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out two crime alerts.

The most recent alert was sent at 7:27 p.m. for a shooting on the 3800 block of 8th Street, SE. Police are looking for four males who were last seen fleeing the scene.

The second alert was sent at 7:15 p.m. for a robbery of an establishment investigation on the 4600 block of Sheriff Road, NE. Police are looking for a Black male wearing a green jacket with white pants and gray shoes. The suspect is armed with a silver handgun and was last seen running towards 48th Street, NE.

Plea Deal Falls Apart in Domestic Violence Case

A domestic violence defendant decided against entering into a guilty plea after disagreeing with the prosecution’s proffer of facts.

The defendant was initially charged with felony assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to the proffer of facts, the defendant pulled a gun during an argument with the victim. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers later found cocaine at his house.

However, after going through the details, the defendant said he does not remember ever pulling a gun on the victim, which had been the basis for the assault charge.

The prosecutor was not willing to drop the simple assault charge and Judge Michael O’Keefe said he does not want someone to plead guilty to an act that they did not commit.

Defense attorney Sabitiyu Abou said his client initially accepted the deal pleading guilty to simple assault and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance during the Feb. 26 hearing.

The next hearing on May 14 remains in place unless the parties settle on a new plea agreement or the defense decides to go to trial.

In the meantime, the defendant is being held at the DC Jail.

Judge Holds Domestic Violence Defendant for Threats to Kill

During initial hearings on Feb. 26, DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe held one domestic violence defendant and released three.

In total, there were 21 defendants presented before the court. Judge Pipe held two.

Judge Pipe held a defendant who is charged with simple assault and attempted threats to do bodily harm in a domestic violence case.

The defendant allegedly attacked the complainant in front of police, saying, “I’ll be back; I’m going to kill you.”

The defendant is also on probation in another domestic violence case in which he is convicted of attempted threats.

According to the prosecution, the defendant also has a number of theft convictions, a contempt conviction and eight bench warrants in his criminal history.

Given the defendant’s history and the seriousness of the alleged threats, Judge Pipe decided to hold the defendant pending his next hearing, scheduled for March 16.

The defendant was also served with a Temporary Protective Order (PTO) and given a stay-away from the complainant.

One of the domestic violence defendants that the judge released was brought in on a bench warrant for failing to get his GPS monitoring device installed and failing to appear at his hearing. The underlying charges in his case are attempted threats and contempt.

Judge Pipe released him with orders to go to the courthouse to get his GPS installed as soon as he gets released. He has a hearing scheduled for Feb. 27 to ensure he gets the device installed.

Two other defendants, one charged with simple assault and the other charged with simple assault and assault on a police officer, were released with orders to return back to court on July 30.

One of the defendants was given a stay-away order from the complainant and the location of the incident, and the other defendant was given an order not to harass, assault, threaten or stalk (HATS) the victim.

Another domestic violence defendant, charged with simple assault and second-degree cruelty to children, is in the hospital, so her case was continued to Feb. 27.

Defense to Have Their Own Expert Evaluate Murder Defendant’s Competency

At the defense’s request, a DC Superior Court judge extended a murder defendant’s stay at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution.

Jaykell Mason is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 29-year-old Terence Dantzler on Feb. 13, 2020, on the 700 block of 8 Street, NW. The 21-year-old defendant is also charged with assault on a police officer while armed.

A report from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) determined that Mason is competent to stand trial.

But, defense attorney Roderick Thompson objected to the DBH’s findings and requested a continuance, so he can have his own expert independently evaluate Mason’s competency.

Thompson asked Judge Yvonne Williams to keep Mason at St. Elizabeth’s in the meantime.

Judge Williams granted the request over the prosecution’s objection.

The next mental observation hearing is scheduled for April 2.

Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article.

Judge Continues Preliminary Hearing for 17-Year-Old Murder Defendant

DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz continued a preliminary hearing for a 17-year-old murder defendant after the second day of testimony.

Deon Walters is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 42-year-old Arthur Daniels, IV on Oct. 1 on the 6200 block of 8th Street, NW. Walters is being charged as an adult.

The preliminary hearing, which began on Feb. 19, will determine if the case has enough evidence to go to trial.

The lead Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective on the case said he believes there were at least three people present at the crime scene, including Daniels, Walters and another suspect. There have not been any other arrests in this case, according to the police department’s site.

During cross-examination, the detective could not confirm that the voice of the person arguing with the victim is Walters’ voice. Only the voices of the men at the crime scene were captured on surveillance video.

The detective testified that there was no way to prove that the two suspects were acting in unison against Daniels since the verbal altercation was not captured.

The same MPD detective was able to confirm that the defendant does not match the description that the eyewitness provided of the person who stole the victim’s vehicle after the shooting. GPS tracking was also able to show that Walters went straight home after the shooting and did not leave in the victim’s vehicle. At the time of the shooting, Walters was wearing a GPS tracking device.

The detective said he also received information that Daniels sold marijuana on Kennedy Street, NW, some of whose residents reportedly have “beef” with some residents on Rittenhouse Street, NW.

The detective said he was led to believe that the shooter could have been from Rittenhouse; however, the detective does not believe that the shooting occurred because of the neighborhood rivalry.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled to pick back up on March 4.

COVID Concerns Delay Hearing for Brothers Charged with Murder

At the prosecution’s request, a DC Superior Court judge continued a Feb. 26 hearing for brothers Dijon and Davion Williams’ murder case due to COVID-19-related concerns.

Dijon, 21, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, and Davion, 22, is charged with felony murder while armed in the shooting of 30-year-old Nurudeen Thomas on July 21, 2020, on the 4100 block of 14th Street, NW.

The hearing was continued due to an increase in COVID-19 travel restrictions, making it difficult for the co-defendants to appear in court. The two are currently placed on home confinement under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) in their home state of Georgia.

During a hearing in January, Judge Danya Dayson addressed Dijon’s reporting violations. According to his designated pretrial officer, Dijon has been in compliance with his reporting within the past month.

Dijon’s defense attorney, David Knight, asked that the defendant be released from 24-hour home confinement because of his obligations to work, his children, and his education.

Judge Dayson denied this request, given the nature of the charges. She also wants to see a lengthier time of compliance from Dijon.

Judge Dayson said she will also review more of Georgia’s restrictions to get a better understanding of their supervision protocols.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 1.

Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article.

Case Involving Sex Abuse and Domestic Violence Goes to Trial

A DC Superior Court judge ruled that a child sex abuse case has enough evidence to go to trial.

The defendant is charged with first-degree child sex abuse and second-degree child sex abuse against three victims who are nine, 10 and 11 years old.

During the Feb. 25 proceedings, the lead Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective on the case said that, in a series of interviews, the victims accused the defendant of touching them inappropriately and sending inappropriate text messages, including pornography.

But, the defense attorney said that one of the victims has been sexually abused before, which caused the defendant to worry that any of the three would be victimized by another act of sexual abuse.

Because of this concern, the defendant says he periodically “checked” the victims for signs of sexual abuse, including by checking if the victims’ hymens were intact.

Although they never witnessed it, four people, who know the defendant personally, said they knew the defendant did this, but that he never touched the children inappropriately.

The defendant says a doctor showed him how to check for sexual abuse. The defendant also says he sent the inappropriate text messages as a “test” to determine how the victims would respond in an abusive situation.

The prosecution called this absurd and “self-serving.”

The prosecution argued that the victims were consistent with the content of their allegations and confided in each other to help determine what happened to them, and not to fabricate a story against the defendant.

Judge Michael Ryan agreed with the prosecution, saying the defendant created a “fantasyland” to excuse his behavior.

The judge said it was not credible that a doctor would have showed the defendant how to “check” for sexual abuse.

Judge Ryan determined the defendant was a risk to the victims, and chose to hold him at the DC Jail.

A status hearing is scheduled for July 8.

Alaina Provenza wrote this article.

Judge Continues Murder Hearing, Allowing More Time to Review Competency Report

A DC Superior Court judge continued a Feb. 25 hearing, so parties and the judge would have more time to review a competency report submitted by the DC Department of Behavioral Health.

Carson Posey, 21, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 28 -ear-old Shantal Hill on April 15, 2020, on the 1200 block of North Capitol Street, NW.

The report was not submitted until the day of the hearing, which did not allow enough time for counsel, the defendant and the judge to review it.

Judge Danya Dayson continued the hearing for March 25.

Judge Holds Murder Defendant Charged with Triple Homicide During Initial Hearings

During initial hearings on Feb. 25, DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe held a defendant charged with second-degree murder.

In total, there were 25 defendants presented before the court. There were six domestic violence defendants, one sex abuse defendant and one homicide defendant.

Jibri Qayyum is charged with second-degree murder while armed for the deaths of three victims. Qayyum, 44, is alleged to have shot 56-year-old Claudette Williams, 29-year-old Marquise Lewis and 20-year-old Juwan Wade on the 5000 block of Bass Place, SE on July 7, 2020.

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers previously arrested 33-year-old Dale Benjamin and charged him with second-degree murder while armed. Benjamin and Qayyum are co-defendants.

Qayyum is alleged to have shot at the decedents after they allegedly attempted to rob him, Benjamin and another person.

Qayyum’s defense counsel, Kristin McGough, asked the judge to not find probable cause, saying there is a question of the strength of the identification of Qayyum.

One of the witnesses identified Qayyum from a video, but McGough said how close the shot is or the quality of the video is unknown. She also said that on the second watch, the witness said “I think that’s Jibri,” which, she said, does not instill confidence.

Despite the defense attorney’s argument, Judge Pipe found probable cause. She said she even found substantial probability that Qayyum committed the offense.

McGough also asked Judge Pipe to release her client, saying his criminal history is dated and only involves non-violent misdemeanor offenses. She asked for Qayyum to be placed into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP).

Judge Pipe said that since there are three people dead and that she believes Qayyum was one of the shooters, she was not going to release him.

Qayyum will be held at the DC Jail until his next hearing, which is scheduled for March 5.

Judge Pipe also held a defendant who is charged with simple assault in a domestic violence case. The defendant, a 31-year-old male, is also charged with carrying a pistol without a license and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine while armed in a felony case.

Judge Pipe held the defendant in his felony case and, for his domestic violence case, she placed a $50 cash bond in order to give him credit for time served.

The defendant was also given a stay-away order from the victim for whenever he may be released. His next hearing, in the domestic violence case, is scheduled for July 29. The next hearing in the felony case is scheduled for March 17.

Five other domestic violence defendants were presented before the judge. Their charges include simple assault, destruction of property, unlawful entry, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and violation of a Civil Protective Order (CPO).

Four of the defendants were given stay-away orders, and one defendant was given an order not to harass, assault, threaten or stalk (HATS) the alleged victim.

A defendant , who is charged with sex abuse, was released with a stay-away order from the complainant.

All released defendants were ordered to return to court on July 29.

Crime Alerts: February 25-26

Between 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 25 and 9:00 a.m. on Feb. 26, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert.

The alert was sent at 6:22 p.m. for a shooting investigation on the 4400 block of Gault Place, NE.

Police do not have a description of the suspect(s) involved.

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