Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that happened during the late hours of Jan. 6.
At around 11:34 p.m. that day, officers responded to the 1300 block of 9th Street, NW for the report of a shooting.
There, they learned that the victim, 20 year-old Ibrahim Sesay, was seeking treatment at an area hospital for a gunshot wound. Sesay was ultimately pronounced dead.
Washington, DC had 205 homicides in 2020. That’s about a 12 percent increase from the previous year, which saw 180.
The homicide count for 2020 is also higher than it was in 2018, 2017 or 2016.
One hundred and seventy-six of the victims were male, 29 were female.
Five of 2020’s homicides were domestic. Four of the victims in these homicides were female. Data shows that even though women were victims in 14 percent of the total homicides that took place in 2020, their deaths accounted for 80 percent of the total domestic homicides in the city.
The sole male domestic homicide victim was Cornell Mason, who was stabbed to death on the night of April 10 on the 4000 block of Clay Place, NE. Phillip Humphrey is charged with second-degree murder.
On July 9, a DC Superior Court judge ruled that Humphrey’s case had enough evidence to go to trial, but only on a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. Ronald Resetarits, the defendants attorney, says his client acted in self-defense.
Humphrey was released into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) in July. His next court hearing is scheduled for April 2.
Mason was 33 years-old. The average age of 2020’s homicide victims was 32. The average age was 30 in 2019.
The two oldest victims, Bobby Poole and Donald Malloy, were 81 years-old when they were killed.
According to a press release, Poole was the victim of an assault with the intent to commit robbery on March 29, 2020 on the 900 block of Eastern Avenue, NE. He succumbed to his injuries on May 6, 2020 and an autopsy determined the cause of death to be complications of a hematoma to the brain. Charges against 50-year-old Tyrone Williams were upgraded to first-degree murder – felony murder the following September.
Williams is being held at the DC Jail. His next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 15.
Malloy was killed in an alleged hit and run offense between the intersection of Bryant Street and North Capitol Street, NE on May 31, 2020. Kyle Alexander Wooden, 32, was arrested for second-degree murder on June 1, 2020.
Woodend was released under the HISP program in June. His next court hearing is scheduled for March 29.
Malloy was one of five homicide victims killed by cars in 2020. A majority – about 86 percent – of the victims were killed by guns. That number was about 78 percent in 2019.
Similar to 2019, Ward 8 had the most homicides. In 2020, the ward had 60 homicides, about 29 percent of the District’s total. In 2019, there were 71 homicides, about 35 percent of the District’s total.
Article and video by Andrea Keckley
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out five crime alerts between 12:00 p.m. on Jan. 6 and 9 a.m. on Jan. 7.
The first alert was sent at 1:01 p.m. for a stabbing on the 3900 block of 13th Street, SE. Police are looking for two Black males. The first suspect is wearing all black clothing with a silver/grey mask. The second suspect is wearing all black clothing and a black mask.
An alert was sent at 5:09 p.m. for a shooting on the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE. Police are looking for a Black male, last seen riding an orange ride share bike.
An alert was sent at 5:39 p.m. for a shooting investigation on the 200 block of K Street, NW. A suspect was stopped by the police.
A stabbing investigation was reported at 6:11 p.m. at the intersection of 12th Street, NW and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Police do not have information about a suspect at this time.
The final alert was sent at 12:08 a.m. for a shooting investigation on the 1300 block of 9th Street, NW. Police are looking for five suspects in a vehicle.
Three murder cases will proceed with litigation as DC Superior Court judges scheduled them for additional hearings on Jan. 6.
Judge Yvonne Williams scheduled a felony arraignment for a defendant accused of killing a disabled woman.
Vaughn Kosh is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Alayna Howard on Dec. 7, 2019, on the 1700 block of Capitol Avenue, NE.
According to court documents, the victim was on dialysis and had one leg, causing her to need assistance getting to and from her apartment.
Last month, the 49-year-old defendant was indicted on charges of first-degree murder while armed with victim who was especially vulnerable due to age or physical infirmity, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, first-degree burglary, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to kill while armed.
Kosh’s next court date is scheduled for April 26.
Two other murder defendants were also scheduled for hearings to determine if their cases have enough evidence to go to trial.
Ernest Cleveland, 27, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Edward Pearson on Nov. 26, 2020 on the 2900 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW.
Defense attorney Madalyn Harvey reported that they have not received a plea offer and asked that the prosecution consider extending one.
Judge Gerald Fisher scheduled Cleveland’s preliminary hearing for Feb. 12.
Cleveland is also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed in this case.
Kevin Goggins, a 20-year-old charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of Yisa Jeffcoat, is scheduled to have his preliminary hearing on Feb. 5.
Jeffcoat was 28-years-old when he was fatally shot on Oct. 9, 2020, on the 1600 block of W Street, SE.
On Jan. 6, DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond heard three cases that involved domestic violence out of 15 total cases during initial hearings.
Of the three domestic violence cases all were released.
One of the domestic violence defendants is charged with aggravated assault while armed. The defendant allegedly pulled a gun on a victim and shot him once, but defense counsel argued that it was in self defense as the victim pulled a gun on him first.
In the end, Judge Raymond agreed that there is a case for self defense and released the defendant under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) with GPS monitoring and an order to stay away from the victim.
The second defendant is charged with simple assault and destruction of property, and he was released with a stay-away order as well as an order not to possess any firearms or ammunition in DC while the case is ongoing.
The final defendant is charged with simple assault, destruction of property and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, which was a knife. The defendant was released with an order to get a GPS monitoring device installed and an order to not possess firearms or ammunition in DC.
Overall, Judge Raymond released 14 defendants and held three defendants at DC Jail, pending their next hearings.
Between 6 p.m. on Jan. 5 and 10 a.m. on Jan. 6, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert.
The alert was sent at 6:06 p.m. for a shooting on the 3800 block of South Capitol Street, SE.
Police do not have a description of the suspect(s) involved in the shooting.
On Jan. 5, DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond presided over 27 defendants during initial hearings. Of the 27 defendants presented before the judge, only four were charged in domestic violence cases.
Judge Raymond held a total of eight defendants, two of which have domestic violence charges.
Of the domestic violence defendants she held, one was charged with simple assault. The defendant, an adult male, has a pending felony case in which he is also charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance while armed.
The defendant allegedly got into an argument with a woman and held a gun to her head.
Defense counsel requested the defendant’s release, citing that the police report lacks evidence showing corroboration of the victim’s allegations. The attorney also said the defendant has been compliant with his pretrial release conditions in his other case.
Judge Raymond decided to hold the defendant, citing the seriousness of the allegations as well as the fact that his pending case also involves a firearm.
The second domestic violence defendant that the judge held was brought into court on a bench warrant for failing to appear at a hearing. The underlying charge in his case is simple assault. Judge Raymond held the defendant, saying he is out of compliance with his pretrial release conditions. The defendant was deemed a loss of contact as he never reported to get his GPS monitoring device installed.
One of two additional domestic violence defendants is charged with simple assault, violation of a Temporary Protection Order (TPO), and attempted threats to do bodily harm. The other is charged with simple assault and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, respectively.
Both defendants were released with stay-away orders. The second defendant was also ordered to get a GPS monitoring device installed.
On Jan. 5, a DC Superior Court Judge sentenced a domestic violence defendant to 12 months of incarceration after the defendant accepted a plea deal from the prosecution.
The defendant, Jesse Boyd, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a pistol without a license and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction on Feb. 11, 2020, after getting into an argument with his then-girlfriend and pulling a gun on her.
According to the prosecutor, Boyd fled from police after his girlfriend asked for aid in a nearby store in Southeast, DC. During the chase, the defendant dropped a pistol, which was recovered by officers.
The defendant agreed to the facts in court and pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm through a plea agreement, which dropped the other charges.
When discussing the proper sentence for Boyd, the prosecution requested 12 months of incarceration with credit for time already served. She said there was no concern with this becoming a pattern as Boyd does not have a history of violence.
The victim and defendant have completely reconciled and were married since the incident occurred. According to the prosecutor, the victim has repeatedly stated that she does not fear Boyd.
Defense attorney Matthew Wilson said Boyd has a job waiting for him upon re-entry, and his employer raved about his performance as an employee, always showing up on time and working extremely hard.
Wilson also mentioned that Boyd has had ample time to think about the incident as he has been on lockdown for 23 hours a day with limited access to recreational and common facilities, given the pandemic. He said, in normal circumstances, Boyd would have only been treated this way in a punitive sense, acknowledging how unprecedented everything has been in recent months.
Judge Julie Becker said she was originally concerned about Boyd given the facts of the case, denying three bond review motions in the past year. But after hearing everyone speak about the defendant she said, “I don’t see any reason why this is not a fair resolution of this case.”
Boyd acknowledged his regret, saying, “this is a terrible mistake I have made…I want to move forward.”
Judge Becker agreed with the proposed sentence and sentenced him to 12 months of incarceration with credit for time served. She is also requiring him to register as a gun offender for 2 years in DC, pay $50 to the Victims of Violent Crime compensation fund and ordered him not to harass, assault, threaten or stalk (HATS) his wife.
Boyd has been incarcerated since Feb. 11, 2020, so he will be released in just over a month.
“It is a bit of a different world out here,” Judge Becker said. “I wish you the best of luck.”
A domestic violence defendant pleaded guilty to felony assault with the intent to kill while armed and felony assault with a dangerous weapon in the aftermath of a shooting on the night of July 15.
According to the prosecution’s proffer of facts, which was read during the Jan. 5 hearing, Nicholas Richardson was arguing with one of the victims when he threatened to kill her. He loaded a firearm as she fled from him and jumped into a truck, at which he fired two shots.
The defendant followed her as she and another victim drove away in the truck. He fired several more shots throughout the course of the incident.
The front of the truck had multiple bullet holes in it, according to court documents.
The victims ended up hiding in the woods from him. The defendant was arrested five days later.
As part of the plea deal Richardson took, the prosecution agreed not to seek indictment and to seek a sentence of 13 years followed by five years of supervised release.
Judge Gerald Fisher scheduled Richardson to be sentenced on March 1.
A domestic violence defendant pleaded guilty to attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.
According to the proffer of facts, the William Glover pointed a gun at the victim and threatened to kill her on or about March 10.
Glover was initially charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. He pleaded down to his updated charges as part of an agreement with the prosecution.
The prosecution also agreed to request that the sentences for his two charges run concurrent to one another.
Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled Glover to be sentenced on March 15. In the meantime, he will remain held at DC Jail.
On Jan. 4, DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond presided over 38 defendants during initial hearings.
Of the 38 defendants heard, Judge Raymond held nine and released 29. In total, only seven were charged with domestic violence or sexual abuse cases.
The judge held one domestic violence defendant, who is charged with simple assault and destruction of property. The male defendant was also brought in on a bench warrant for failing to appear at his probation hearing for a traffic conviction.
The prosecution requested that the defendant be held, given the allegations of strangulation.
Judge Raymond decided to hold the defendant given that he is on probation in another domestic violence case, which involves the same complaining witness as his new case. She said she could not ensure the safety of the victim, which is why he will be held at DC Jail until his next hearing, which is scheduled on Jan. 19.
The judge also gave the defendant a stay-away order from the victim once he is released, but the defendant stated, on the record, that he would not stay away from her. Judge Raymond said that his declaration would be taken into account at his next hearing.
Five other domestic violence cases were heard by the judge. The charges include simple assault, destruction of property less than $1,000, attempted threats to do bodily harm, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of a controlled substance, which was PCP.
All of the defendants in these cases were released with stay-away orders from the alleged victims.
One final defendant is charged with sexual abuse and simple assault. He was released with an order not to harass, assault, threaten or stalk (HATS) any employees of Howard University Hospital in DC.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrested a suspect for assault with a dangerous weapon and second-degree theft.
At around 6:53 a.m. on Dec. 29, the suspect allegedly entered and establishment on the 3000 block of 14th Street, NW, took property and cut an employee with a knife when they intervened.
Afterwards, the suspect fled and the employee was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
A 50 year-old suspect was arrested on Jan. 4.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) are asking the public’s help identifying the suspect of a robbery offense that happened on Jan. 3.
At around 11:40 a.m., the suspect approached the victim on the 1600 block of New York Avenue, NE, according to a press release.
The suspect then forcibly took the victim’s property and fled the scene in a vehicle. The suspect was captured by a surveillance camera.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested a 14 year-old for armed robbery and unauthorized use of a vehicle on Jan. 2.
At around 9:19 p.m. on Dec. 31, the suspects approached the victims on the 500 block of 33rd Street, SE, according to a press release. One of the suspects allegedly brandished a knife and demanded the victim’s property. The victim complied with the demand and the suspects fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle.
The case remains under investigation. Additional subjects were captured by a surveillance camera.
Between 9 p.m. on Jan. 4 and 9 a.m. on Jan. 5, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert.
The alert was sent at 1:02 a.m. for a shooting on the 600 block of Edgewood Street, NE. Police do not have a description of the suspect(s) involved.
