Document: Police Investigate Homicide on Sheridan Road, SE

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) are investigating a homicide that occurred on Jan. 14, 2021, in the 2600 block of Sheridan Road, Southeast.

At approximately 9:11 am, members of the Seventh District responded to the listed location for the report of an unconscious person. Upon arrival, members located an adult female victim, unconscious and unresponsive. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene, and after finding no signs consistent with life, the victim remained on the scene until transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The decedent has been identified as 42 year-old Lakisha Barnes, of no fixed address.

An autopsy was performed on the decedent’s remains. As a result, the cause of death was determined to be manual strangulation, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.

Murder Defendant Set for Trial for 2018 Homicide Next Year

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a trial date for a homicide defendant.

Mark Price is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 47 year-old Andre Hakim Young. On July 30, 2018, Young and another victims were found on the 1500 block of 19th Street, SE suffering from gunshot wounds. Young was pronounced dead on scene, but the other victim survived and was taken to a nearby hospital.

During the March 3 proceedings, parties agreed that eight days to two weeks seemed like an accurate prediction of how long the trial would take.

Price, 23 has ten additional charges which include possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill while armed, first-degree burglary while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, threat to kidnap or injure a person, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Price is also charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with a 2018 drive-by shooting that killed 10 -year-old Makiyah Wilson on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE.

Judge Michael Ryan scheduled trial to take place from March 23 to April 6, 2022. Jury selection is scheduled for March 14 and 15, 2022.

9 Domestic Violence and Sex Abuse Cases Presented During Initial Hearings

During arraignments on March 1, DC Superior Court Judge Heide Herrmann presided over 34 defendants.

Of the cases, nine of them were either domestic violence related or included sexual abuse charges.

The judge held five defendants.

Judge Herrmann held a defendant who is charged with assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse, threatening to kidnap or injure a person and assault with a dangerous weapon.

The defendant, a 31-year-old male, threatened to rape a woman after pushing her down on the bed and covering her face with a pillow. The defendant also threatened to kill the victim with a gun and burn their house down.

When officers responded to the house, the defendant allegedly assaulted them with a knife. Through the encounter, two officers discharged their guns, and one of the bullets hit the defendant in the arm.

Defense counsel requested the defendant’s release, saying he appeared to be having a breakdown and was not in his right mind. Per the police report, the victim thinks the defendant was on some sort of drug.

The judge decided to hold the defendant, however, citing his attempts to keep the victim from contacting the police and his alleged assault on officers when they arrived in addition to the assault on the victim herself.

The defendant’s next hearing is scheduled for March 22.

Judge Herrmann held a defendant who is charged with violating a Civil Protection Order (CPO), simple assault and destruction of property. Defense counsel requested the defendant’s release, but the judge decided to hold him, citing two domestic violence cases that involve the same complaining witness for which he is on probation. The defendant’s next hearing is scheduled for March 16.

The judge held a defendant charged with unlawful entry onto private property and destruction of property. The defendant is also on probation for three domestic violence cases which all involve the same complaining witnesses.

Judge Herrmann cited the probation cases in her hold decision, noting that two of the cases involved assaultive conduct and the other involved contempt. Additionally, the defendant violated a stay-away order when allegedly committing this new offense.

The defendant will be held until his next hearing, which is on March 16.

A defendant charged with attempted threats to do bodily harm and contempt was also held pending his next hearing. The defendant has a pending case for which he is charged with parental kidnapping. In his new case, the defendant allegedly violated a stay-away order.

Judge Herrmann decided to hold the defendant because of his underlying case as well as the fact that the defendant allegedly threatened to assault the victim and take the children.

The defendant’s next hearing is scheduled for March 16.

Judge Herrmann also held a defendant who is charged with a CPO violation and destruction of property.

The defendant is on probation for contempt in another domestic violence case involving the same victim.

The judge said she could not ensure the safety of the victim, so she chose to hold him at the jail until his next hearing, which is scheduled for March 16.

The judge released four additional defendants that have charges involving second-degree theft, destruction of property, unlawful entry, simple assault, attempted second-degree cruelty to children, attempted threats to do bodily harm and sex abuse.

The defendants were ordered to return to court on Aug. 2 and were given stay-away orders except for one defendant who was given an order not to harass, assault, threaten or stalk (HATS) the complaining witness.

A domestic violence defendant, who was scheduled for an initial hearing was still in the hospital, so the judge moved their presentment to March 2.

2018 Murder Case Set for Trial in 2022

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a 2018 murder case to go to trial early next year.

Robert Edward Green, 30, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 43-year-old Andre Junior on the 1500 block of Park Road, NW on March 15, 2018.

Judge Michael Ryan set aside Feb. 11 through Feb. 28, 2022 for the trial, the earliest possible date. Jury selection is scheduled to take place on Feb. 7 and 8.

The defendant’s last two trial dates were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prosecution expressed concern about the length of time between now and the trial date and requested a hearing before the trial.

The judge agreed with the prosecution and scheduled a trial readiness hearing on Sept. 17 to discuss the status of the case and the likelihood of the trial proceeding as scheduled.

Judge Sets Trial Dates for 2017 Homicide Case

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a 2017 homicide case to go to trial in 2022.

Chad Hawthorne is charged with second-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 35-year-old Antonio Bassett on the 3900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, on May 22, 2017.

During the March 2 trial readiness hearing, Judge Michael Ryan set the trial to begin on March 9 and end on March 18, 2022. Jury selection will take place on Feb. 28 and March 1, 2022.

The prosecution is anticipating three to four witnesses, including two to three expert witnesses and two to three law enforcement officers. Defense attorney Steven R Kiersh said the defense may call five witnesses with one expert witness and three to four additional witnesses.

The deadline for jury instruction requests, witness lists and exhibits is set for Feb. 1, 2022.

Hawthorne, 39, is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction in this case.

This article was written by Vanessa Sousa.

Domestic Violence Defendant Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

A domestic violence defendant pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and will remain held at DC Jail as he waits sentencing.

Fate Collins, 25, was charged in May 2020 after being found in possession of a pistol despite having been previously convicted of robbery.

As part of a plea deal, parties agreed to a minimum sentence of 36 months in prison followed by a period of probation.

The prosecution also agreed not to seek any additional charges against the defendant in this case.

Judge John Campbell scheduled Collins to be sentenced on May 28.

McKenzie Beard wrote this article.

Document: Suspect Wanted for Murder

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is asking for the public’s help locating a suspect of a Jan. 26 homicide.

At around 2:51 p.m. that day, officers responded to the 1200 block of Saratoga Avenue, NE, where they found 22 year-old Maryland resident Dewayne Shorter, III suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

“Further investigation revealed that the offense took place in the 1300 block of Brentwood Road, NE,” the press release states.

However, the location is contested by the victim’s family member.

The suspect in this case has been identified as 36 year-old Jonathan Young, of Southeast, DC. He is wanted for first-degree murder while armed.

Crime Alerts: March 1-2

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out two crime alerts between 9:00 p.m. on March 1 and 9:00 a.m. on March 2.

An alert was sent at 10:09 p.m. for a shooting on the 3700 block of Jamison Street, NE.

The second alert was sent at 9:35 p.m. for a robbery investigation on the 2600 block of 10th Street, NE.

Police do not have descriptions of the suspects in either case.

Hearing for 3 Teen Murder Defendants Set for Wednesday

A DC Superior Court judge confirmed a preliminary hearing date to determine if a case against three teenage defendants charged with murder has enough evidence to go to trial.

The three co-defendants, 17-year-old Nelfy Hernandez, 16-year-old Trey Prillerman and 19-year-old Deandre Levy are charged with first-degree murder while armed for their alleged roles in the shooting of 17-year-old Taijhon Wyatt, Jr. On Aug. 20, 2020, the three allegedly shot blindly into a group of juveniles on the 5500 Block of 9th Street, NW.

All three defendants are being charged as adults.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 3.

Sasha Ridenour wrote this article.

Homicide Defendant Wants to Withdraw Guilty Plea

A DC Superior Court judge continued a March 1 hearing to give counsel time to file paperwork regarding the defendant’s request to withdraw his guilty plea.

A little over a year ago, 20-year-old Elijah Jarmon pleaded guilty to first-degree murder while armed in the death of 18-year-old Taquan Pinkney. Pinkney was shot on the 2000 block of Stanton Road, SE on Sept. 9, 2018.

Defense attorney James King said he would be able to officially file the withdrawal motion next week. The prosecutor requested a few days to respond, saying she plans to object to the motion.

Jarmon was also indicted on charges of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and assault with intent to kill while armed, but those charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Judge Milton Lee scheduled the next hearing for March 29.

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.

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