Judge Finds Probable Cause in Homicide Case

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

Co-defendants Delonta Stevenson, 26, and Vorreze Thomas, 23, are both charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 32-year-old Terrence Allen on Jan. 18, on the 3000 block of Stanton Road, SE. Stevenson and Thomas allegedly cut Allen off in a vehicle before shooting close to 50 rounds at Allen’s car, D.C. Witness previously reported.

During the April 28 hearing, Judge Juliet McKenna said she based her finding of probable cause primarily on the video surveillance and the testimony of a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective on the case.

When the hearing began on April 26, the prosecutor showed surveillance footage of two people alleged to be the co-defendants leaving an apartment complex and entering a brown Volvo that looks consistent with the car involved in the shooting.

During closing arguments, Joseph Wong, Thomas’ attorney, argued that the clothes his client is wearing in surveillance footage of the incident was not distinctive enough that it can be determined to match clothing police found while executing a search warrant of his home. He also pointed out that no witnesses identified Thomas as the car’s driver.

Defense attorney Elizabeth Weller argued that there was no forensic, fingerprints, or location data that can point Stevenson, her client, to the crime. She argued that one of the prosecution’s witnesses is unreliable since their testimony does not support the video surveillance.

Although Wong and Weller asked Judge McKenna to release their clients, the judge decided that Stevenson and Thomas should remain held to ensure the public’s safety.

The next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 4.

Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article.

Judge Schedules Preliminary Hearing for Homicide Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence against a homicide defendant to bring the case to trial.

Jonathan Young, 36, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 22-year-old Dewayne Shorter III. On Jan. 26, Shorter was found unconscious in the back seat of a car located on the 1200 block of Saratoga Avenue, NE. According to court documents, it was later determined that Shorter was shot six times on the 1300 block of Brentwood Road, NE before a witness carried him to a car to be transported to a hospital.

During the April 28 hearing, parties discussed potential dates that would work to hold the preliminary hearing.

Judge Judith Smith said all of May up to mid-June is booked and unavailable.

Parties agreed that June 11 would be the best time to have the preliminary hearing.

Murder Defendant Held Since Dec. 2016 Scheduled for Jury Trial in 2023

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a murder defendant who has been held at DC Jail since his arrest in December 2016 to go before a jury in July 2023.

Clinton Womack is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 45-year-old Terry Crutchfield on the 1500 block of Olive Street, NE, on Dec. 6, 2016.

Womack, 31, has previously been scheduled to go before a jury once in 2018, twice in 2019 and once in 2020. These trial dates have fallen though due to matters including evidence and investigation issues raised by the defense in 2018 and the appointment of new defense counsel in 2019.

By the time Womack reaches the jury trial dates Judge Michael Ryan set , he will have been in jail for more than six years.

Defense attorney Steven Kiersh said he has not made a final decision on if he’d be calling witnesses.

“Primarily, I agree that the issue is a legal issue, not a factual issue,” Kiersh said. “We don’t want to do anything to delay the resolution of the case.”

The prosecution said they expect to call witnesses including a medical examiner, DNA experts, phone experts and at least two to three Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers.

Judge Ryan set dates from July 5 through July 28, 2023, for the jury selection and trial.

Womack is also charged with first-degree armed burglary, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, armed kidnapping and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction in this case.

Brennan Fiske wrote this article.

Preliminary Hearing Begins for 2 Homicide Defendants

April 26 marked the first day of a hearing to determine if a murder case has enough evidence to go to trial.

Co-defendants Delonta Stevenson, 26, and Vorreze Thomas, 23, are both charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 32-year-old Terrence Allen on Jan. 18 on the 3000 block of Stanton Road, SE.

Stevenson and Thomas allegedly cut Allen off in a vehicle before shooting close to 50 rounds at Allen’s car, D.C. Witness previously reported.

During the hearing, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective on the case discussed surveillance video of two people alleged to be the co-defendants leaving an apartment complex and entering a brown Volvo that looks consistent with the car involved in the shooting.

According to court documents, Stevenson is believed to have been in the passenger seat of the car involved in the shooting and is believed to be the one who shot at Allen and two other victims, who sustained non-life threatening injuries. The detective said no source saw shots coming from the driver’s side.

The MPD detective also said that, during a search of Stevenson’s home, police found black pants with red stripes that matched what the suspects in the surveillance video were wearing during the time of the homicide.

Due to time constraints, the hearing did not finish. DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna scheduled the proceedings to pick back up on April 28.

Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article.

Document: Police Investigating 2 Homicides

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating two fatal shootings: one on April 27 and the other on April 15, from which the victim died on the 27th.

On April 15 at around 4:34 a.m., officers responded to the 3600 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW for the sounds of gunshots.

There, they found 49-year-old Oscar Rodas suffering from a gunshot wounds.

Rodas was taken to a hospital. He died from his injuries on April 27.

At around 11:14 p.m. on April 27, officers responded to the 100 block of 35^th Street, SE for report of a shooting.

There, they found 20-year-old Malik Tyger suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on scene.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect for Murder

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has arrested a suspect in connection with a homicide that happened on March 27.

At around 1:33 p.m., officers responded to the 600 block of Forrester Street, SE for the report of a shooting, according to a press release.

There, they found 34-year-old Evan Wood with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead on scene.

John Philogene, 23, was arrested for second-degree murder while armed on April 27.

Judge Finds Substantial Probability in Homicide Case

A DC Superior Court judge ruled that there was enough evidence against a homicide defendant to bring his case to trial.

Steven Arrington-Rodgers, 28, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 25-year-old Martez Jackson on Nov. 9, 2020, on the 1400 block of Howard Road, SE.

During the April 27 hearing, defense attorney Douglas Wood argued that Arrington-Rodgers shot Jackson in self-defense after Jackson robbed him.

However, Judge Juliet McKenna found there was substantial probability Arrington-Rodgers committed the crime and was not acting in self-defense. She said the fact that he did not notify authorities after the crime suggested he did not feel he was in imminent danger at the time.

The prosecution said surveillance footage shows Jackson robbing Arrington-Rodgers at gunpoint and fleeing the scene in Arrington-Rodgers’ car. They said Arrington-Rodgers shot Jackson as Jackson drove away.

Wood argued that the only evidence the prosecution has against his client is that he was at a public establishment when he was robbed at gunpoint in a matter of 15 to 30 seconds. Woods emphasized that Jackson had a history of violent crimes, including robbery, and presented a clear and present danger to his client.

In the closing arguments, the prosecution noted that Arrington-Rodgers did not turn himself in right away, but was arrested two months later. They also said the shooting could not have been self-defense because Jackson was driving away immediately after the robbery with the windows up, trying to get away from the defendant.

Wood argued his client only had 15 seconds to react and did not know if Jackson was reaching for his gun when he ran after the car speeding away. He also said the car contained information about his client and where he lived, which would present a continued threat to his and his family’s safety. Woods also said that, after the shooting, Arrington-Rodgers called his fiancé crying and told her to report the car stolen and used the two months before his arrest to gather funds to hire a lawyer.

Although Wood asked that his client be placed in the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP), Judge McKenna said Arrington-Rodgers’ prior robbery and firearms convictions were concerning. She also noted that, at the time of the crime, he was allegedly in illegal possession of a firearm and that his alleged actions could have caused numerous bystanders to be killed.

She granted the prosecution’s request that Arrington-Rodgers remain held at DC Jail.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 8.

Homicide Case Continues to Await Indictment

A DC Superior Court judge recommended that the prosecution use a thumb drive to exchange large amounts evidence with the defense in a murder case that is currently awaiting indictment.

Diantre Smith, 45, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 28-year-old Nyesha Galloway on Dec. 20, 2019, in a wooded area on the west side of the 400 block of 42nd Street, NE.

During the April 27 hearing, the prosecution said they have provided all DNA results and discovery material in the case; however, the file is too large for the defense to upload. The prosecution will send a thumb drive with the discovery evidence to the defense.

Defense attorney Madalyn Harvey asked the prosecution when the case would be indicted, which would allow them to progress towards setting a trial date. The prosecution did not have a definitive answer.

The prosecution plans to provide an update about the indictment at the next hearing, which Judge Milton Lee scheduled for Sept. 20. The defense will follow up on any outstanding motions with the judge’s chambers.

In the meantime, Smith will remain held at DC Jail.

Lauren Pelzner wrote this article.

Crime Alerts: April 26-27

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert between 9:00 p.m. on April 26 and 9:00 a.m. on April 27.

The alert was sent at 9:37 p.m. for a stabbing investigation on the 600 block of Chesapeake Street, SE.

Police do not have a description of the suspect(s) in this case.

Judge Holds Two Domestic Violence Defendants and Releases Four During Initial Hearings

DC Superior Court Judge Heide Herrmann presided over initial hearings for six domestic violence defendants on April 26.

The first defendant is charged with attempted threats to do bodily harm and was released on personal recognizance under the supervision of the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA). He was also given a stay-away order and has a status hearing scheduled for June 23.

The second defendant is charged with simple assault, and the third defendant is charged with both simple assault and second-degree theft. Both of these defendants were released on personal recognizance under the supervision of the PSA and given stay-away orders. They have status hearings scheduled for Nov. 1.

The fourth and fifth defendants have charges that include simple assault, violation of a Civil Protection Order (CPO) and contempt. Both defendants have two other domestic violence cases open.

In the case of both of these defendants, the other open domestic violence cases involve the same complainants, so Judge Herrmann decided to hold them. They both have status hearings scheduled for May 11.

The final defendant was charged with simple assault but the case was dismissed by the prosecution, and the defendant was released.

Sasha Ridenour wrote this article

Judge Sets Murder Case for Trial Readiness Hearing

On April 26, a DC Superior Court judge scheduled a trial readiness hearing for a murder case.

Vaughn Kosh is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 38-year-old Alayna Howard on Dec. 7, 2019, on the 1700 block of Capitol Avenue, NE.

Defense attorney Elizabeth Weller said plea negotiations are ongoing, but she wants to move the case forward in the event it cannot be resolved through a plea deal.

Judge Milton Lee scheduled a trial readiness hearing for June 14.

Kosh, 49, is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, first-degree burglary while armed, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction and assault with intent to kill while armed in this case.

New Defense Attorney Assigned to Homicide Case

A new defense attorney took on a 2019 homicide case on April 26.

Andre Smith, 33, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 23-year-old Delwaun Lyons on the 3000 block of 30th Street, SE, on July 20, 2019.

Defense attorney Anthony Matthews was recently assigned to Smith’s case, replacing the previous attorney, Ieshaah Murphy. Matthews said he has not had much time to review the case, besides a short conversation with the defendant.

“If Mr. Matthews can settle in more, then maybe we can have more meaningful discussions on this case,” said Judge Milton Lee.

This case is also awaiting indictment. If there is an indictment by the time of the next hearing, which Judge Lee scheduled for June 28, an arraignment will be scheduled.

Brennan Fiske wrote this article.

Plea Offer Under Consideration in Homicide Case

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a hearing in a murder case about three weeks out to give the defense more time to consider a plea offer.

Karlos Kinney, 21, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 25-year-old Resha Blount. On April 30, 2020, Blount was found in a residence on the 900 block of New Jersey Avenue, NW with four gunshot wounds.

During the April 26 hearing, defense attorney Antoini Jones said he needed more time to discuss a plea offer with his client. Jones said Kinney had recently received some new information about the case that was making him reconsider the offer.

Judge Milton Lee said he will give the defense three weeks instead of the usual two because he heard it has been difficult to get in touch with defendants incarcerated at DC Jail as of late.

The next hearing is scheduled for May 18.

Crime Alerts: April 25-26

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert between 9:00 p.m. on April 25 and 9:00 a.m. on April 26.

The alert was sent at 12:20 a.m. for a shooting on the 1800 block of 8th Street, NW.

Police are looking for three Black males in a black jeep, which was last seen heading south on 8th Street, NW.

Document: Homicide in Southeast, DC

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that happened the night of April 22.

At around 10:26 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of 37^th Place, SE, according to a press release.

There, they found two men inside a residential building with gunshot wounds.

The victims were taken to the hospital. One of them, 21-year-old Malik Morris, died from his injuries.

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