Judge Schedules Trial Readiness Hearing for Murder Case

A murder defendant who was previously scheduled to have a jury trial in September is now set to have a trial readiness hearing in March of 2021.

“The defendant has been in jail for a long time, so I would like the trial readiness hearing to happen sometime in March,” said DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna during the Nov. 19 status hearing.

Elhadji Ndiaye, 21, is charged with armed first-degree murder, obstruction of justice, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, tampering with physical evidence, armed robbery and destruction of property less than $1,000.

Ndiaye is accused of shooting 21-year-old Travis Deyvon Ruth nine times on the 2700 block of Jasper Street, NE, on Jan. 19 of last year.

A week after Ruth’s death the green Honda Accord used in the homicide was found burned, according to court documents.

The defendant was initially charged with first-degree murder while armed in February of last year. He was indicted on his current charges the following November.

Defense attorney Nikki Lotze was assigned to the case in August and said her requests for evidence have not been completed.

Lotze previously requested a copy of the interviews conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the prosecution said there were confidentiality concerns that needed to be addressed first.

“I will not be satisfied with just the transcript,” she said.

Judge McKenna asked counsel to resolve the matters and enter in all motions by the end of February.

Ndiaye’s trial readiness hearing was scheduled for March 18, which is the soonest Judge McKenna said it could be scheduled due to the backlog of cases waiting to move to trial.

Sierra Robbins wrote this article.

Judge Continues Hearing for Murder Defendant Awaiting Competency Eval

A DC Superior Court judge continued a murder defendant’s status hearing following complications regarding his mental competency being evaluated.

Matthew Walker, 22, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old David Anthony Remen on the 1700 block of Hamlin Street, NE on Feb. 14, 2019. The case is one of eight cases Walker has open. All of them were picked up in 2019.

Walker was charged with murder in October 2019, according to DC Courts. The previous July, a full examination of his competency was ordered in other cases he had open at the time. Then, in January, his murder case was continued so that it could trail his other cases, which were still in the process of evaluating his competency.

The expert who was assigned to evaluate Walker’s competency to stand trial is currently in California and cannot travel to DC because he is at high-risk with regards to coronavirus complications.

Judge Juliet McKenna asked the prosecutor if the evaluation could be completed via web conference.

The prosecutor said there are two evaluations: a general competency evaluation and a neurological examination. While the first evaluation could be completed via web conference, the neurological examination needs to be done in person.

Judge McKenna recommended that the prosecutor find an expert that lives near DC to complete the evaluations.

Since the case can’t move forward without the competency evaluation, Judge McKenna decided to schedule another status conference for April 12, 2021.

Walker is also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed for allegedly stabbing a victim in the neck on the 100 block of Michigan Avenue, NE on April 29, 2019 ,in a separate case. In his other six cases, he is charged with unarmed carjacking, robbery, first-degree theft, unauthorized use of a vehicle, prison breach, escape from an officer, assault on a police officer and simple assault.

Walker is currently being held at the DC Jail.

Case Acquitted: Judge Schedules Preliminary Hearing in Murder Case

This case was acquitted on Dec. 16, 2022.

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a preliminary hearing to determine if a homicide case has enough evidence to go to trial.

Reginald Hooks, 35, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 22-year-old Dy’Mani Priestley on Jan. 5 on the 1200 block of U Street, NW. Hooks’ co-defendant, Ladaryl Canty, is charged with obstruction of justice and tampering with physical evidence.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 14.

During the Nov. 19 hearing, parties told Judge Juliet McKenna that Canty, 49, did not have an attorney. They were unsure when to schedule the preliminary hearing because they had no one to contact in Canty’s case.

Judge Juliet McKenna appointed defense attorney Kevin Mosley, who was in the courtroom for a separate matter, to Canty’s case.

Canty is scheduled for a presentment hearing on Dec. 14 as well.

Maria Marzullo wrote this article.

Close to One Quarter of Defendants Held During Initial Hearings in First Half of November

Between Nov. 1 and Nov. 15, DC Superior Court judges presided over 248 cases during initial hearings, which is 28 percent less than the previous two weeks.

Fifty-two defendants were held at the DC Jail and two were held under the supervision of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). The other 194 defendants were released with pretrial supervision conditions or put back onto probation or parole.

Overall, about 78 percent of defendants were released; judges held almost 22 percent. This is similar compared to the last two weeks in October, where judges held just over 21 percent of all cases.

Between the two DC Superior Court judges presiding over initial hearings, Judge Judith Pipe held the lowest percentage of defendants, holding about two percent less than Judge Heide Herrmann.

Judge Pipe held 28 defendants and released 106. In total, she held almost 21 percent of all defendants she spoke with.

Judge Herrmann held 26 defendants, releasing 88. In total, she held almost 23 percent of all defendants who came through her courtroom.

Compared to judges in October, Judge Pipe and Judge Herrmann were very close to average. The average of all defendants held in October was almost 23 percent. Judge Pipe held slightly below average and Judge Herrmann held right at average.

General Statistics

There were 58 domestic violence cases, 60 felonies, 76 misdemeanors, 12 traffic violations, 28 bench warrants and 56 fugitive case matters. The majority of all cases were misdemeanors, taking up over 26 percent of all cases.

*Note: some defendants have multiple c*ases

At least 41 defendants that appeared for initial hearings were on supervision, which included pretrial, parole and probation. This is less than half of what was seen in the second half of October, though it is worth mentioning that sometimes the parties do not mention whether someone is on supervised release. Due to this discrepancy, there could be more people on some sort of supervision than listed.

Judges mentioned a total of 35 violations of supervision. These include failure to appear at hearings, violating stay away orders, tampering with GPS monitoring devices and being considered a general loss of contact to either the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) or to parole and probation officers.

Domestic Violence Cases

Of the domestic violence cases, 51 of the defendants were released and seven were held.

The domestic violence charges included assault, contempt of release conditions, arson, violating Temporary Protection Orders (TPO) and Civil Protection Orders (CPO), threats to do bodily harm, cruelty to children, destruction of property and weapon possession.

By far, the most common charge in domestic violence cases was simple assault, which consisted of almost 58 percent of all domestic violence cases. This trend has been consistent over the months that D.C. Witness has been tracking all cases.

*Note: some defendants have multiple charges*

The most common charge for held defendants was also simple assault. Contempt was the second most common charge.

Four of the held defendants were on probation or pretrial supervision at the time they allegedly committed their new offense.

Felony Cases

Charges in felony cases include weapons offenses, drug possession and distribution, involuntary manslaughter, first and second-degree murder, first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree child sexual abuse, armed robbery, burglary, assault and traffic violations. Some defendants were charged with multiple offenses.

The most common charge that judges held defendants on, in felony cases, were weapons offenses.

Additionally, at least three of the defendants held on felony charges were on probation or pretrial supervision at the time they allegedly committed their new offense.

This report was written by Caitlyn O’Neil, Maria Marzullo and Krystin Roehl

Editor’s note: All figures in the article should be considered as approximations.

Document: Police Investigate Assault with Intent to Kill Offense

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating an assault with intent to kill offense that happened on Nov. 18.

At around 1:50 p.m., a suspect entered a residence under construction n the 1600 block of Olive Street, NE. The suspect brandished a firearm and fired a shot at the victim, took property and then fled the scene.

The victim was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Document: Police Seek Suspect for Robbery

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking a suspect in relation to a robbery that occurred on Nov. 14.

At approximately 6:00 p.m., the suspect approached the victim and snatched their property on the 1700 block of I Street, NW.

The suspect was caught by a surveillance camera and can be seen in the photos below.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect for Assault With a Gun

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has arrested a suspect in connection with an assault with a gun that occurred on Nov. 17.

At approximately 3:10 p.m., suspects fired guns on the 1400 block of Montana Avenue, NE. One of the suspects was apprehended by responding officers, and during their investigation, they discovered that an adult male sustained non-life threatening injuries. He reportedly transported himself to a local hospital for treatment.

Officers arrested and charged a 27 year-old male with assault with a dangerous weapon.

Document: Suspects Sought for Attempted Robbery

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking two suspects in relation to an attempted robbery that occurred on Nov. 17.

At approximately 5:57 p.m., the suspects entered an establishment on the 5300 block of Wisconsin Avenue, NW. The suspects then demanded property from multiple victims, acting as if they had a weapon.

The victims did not comply with the demand, and the suspects fled the scene without obtaining any property.

The suspects were caught on camera and can be seen in the photos within the MPD press release below.

Crime Alerts: November 18-19

Between 8 p.m. on Nov. 18 and 9 a.m. on Nov. 19, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert.

The alert was sent at 8:23 p.m. for a robbery on the 1300 block of Maple View Place, SE. Police are looking for a Black male with a dark complexion and slim build, wearing a black hat and black shirt. He was last seen running towards Mount View Street, SE.

Judge Schedules Trial Readiness Hearings for 4 Murder Defendants

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled hearings to move forward with four murder cases.

Judge Danya Dayson scheduled trial readiness hearings for Alphonso Walker and Saeve Evans.

Walker, 42, is charged with first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, first-degree murder while armed while committing or attempting to commit a robbery, attempted armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.

Walker is accused of fatally shooting 23-year-old Dalonte Wilson and 44-year-old Anton Brown on April 25, 2018, on the 400 block of 61 Street, NE.

His jury trial was scheduled to start in June, but was delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Walker’s trial readiness hearing is scheduled for March 23.

Evans, 34, is charged with armed kidnapping, armed robbery and first-degree murder while armed in the death of Kareem Ware. On May 2, 2009, Ware was killed in a shoot-out between two cars on May 2, 2009. Evans was charged in Ware’s death in May of last year.

Evans’ trial readiness hearing is scheduled for March 15.

On May 17, 2019, Evans was sentenced to 4.6 years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction during a shootout that killed Breyona McMillian on the 1200 block of I St., SE in 2016. The judge also applied good time served to Evans’ sentence, reducing it by 8.4 months. He was acquitted on murder charges in the case.

A trial readiness hearing for Jaykell Mason may be set at a later date. But during his Nov. 18 hearing, Judge Dayson scheduled him for a status hearing.

Mason, 21, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and assault on a police officer while armed. He is accused of shooting 29-year-old Terence Dantzler on Feb. 13 on the 700 block of 8th Street, NW, and then shooting at Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers when they pursued him.

Judge Dayson scheduled Mason’s status hearing for April 5, 2021. She also said the defendant will continue to be held in DC Jail without bail until his next hearing.

Mason is also scheduled for a mental observation hearing on Dec. 17.

Judge Dayson also scheduled Demetrious Void for a status hearing on April 12, 2021.

Demetrious Void is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, armed carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.

The 33-year-old defendant is accused of fatally shooting Anthony Lawson, 24, on the 6200 block of Eastern Avenue, NE, on Sept. 25, 2018.

Sierra Robbins wrote this story.

Judge Holds Three Defendants During Presentments

A DC Superior Court judge held three defendants, releasing 20 during initial hearings on Nov. 18.

Brian Clinton is charged with simple assault and destruction of property under $1,000.

The offense occurred on Nov. 17. According to court documents, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received a radio call for someone destroying property on the 2400 block of Virginia Avenue, NW.

Upon arrival, the victim reported that Clinton, 41, became agitated when he was asked to leave, so he picked up a rock and threw it at the victim’s car. Three bystanders who saw what took place restrained Clinton from leaving and called the police.

Judge Renee Raymond decided to hold Clinton at DC Jail, where he will remain until his next hearing on Dec. 8.

Louis Hicks is charged with second-degree theft, unlawful entry onto private property and contempt for violating a condition of his release in another pending case.

On Nov. 17, Hicks, 31, allegedly entered and stole from The Benning Market, which is located on the 2000 block of Benning Road, NE. Shortly after Hicks’ arrest, the MPD discovered his outstanding stay-away order from that very same location in a pending case in which he is charged with attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, attempted threats to do bodily harm, unlawful entry into private property and simple assault.

The prosecution requested Hicks be held due to the continuous violation of his stay-away order.

Judge Raymond granted the prosecution’s request since she did not see conditions that would reasonably assure the safety of the community.

Hicks’ next hearing date is scheduled for Dec. 8.

One defendant appeared before the court regarding two different cases.

Deandre Smith is charged with being a fugitive from justice, where he is wanted in the state of Maryland for failing to appear at a hearing for a larceny charge.

In the second case, Smith, 22, is charged with possession of an unregistered firearm, resisting arrest and carrying a pistol without a license. He was ordered to appear before the court on Sept. 16, but he failed to appear, so the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

The prosecution was amenable to Smith’s release in his fugitive case but requested Smith be held on his bench warrant in order to ensure his appearance in court. Judge Raymond granted the request and held Smith with no bail.

His next hearing is scheduled to take place on Dec. 18.

Judge Raymond released seven defendants charged with misdemeanors, including attempted threats to do bodily harm, assaulting a police officer, second-degree theft, parole violation and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon.

All seven defendants were issued stay-away orders from victims or places of the alleged incidents. The defendants were also required to report to the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA).

One defendant is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and operating a vehicle while impaired. She is released on the condition that she does not drive at all in DC.

She was also required to report to PSA.

Seven defendants with domestic violence-related charges were released. All seven of the defendants were issued stay-away orders from the victims and places of the crimes. Additionally, one defendant was ordered to wear a GPS monitor.

All seven are scheduled to return to court April 21, 2021.

Four defendants, charged with being fugitives from the state of Virginia, were released. Their charges included possession of a weapon, vehicle theft, failure to appear larceny and probation violation in an assault case.

One defendant, who has been in the hospital since Nov. 2, was released and scheduled to return to court for an arraignment citation hearing on April 8, 2021.

Emily Pengelly wrote this article.

Judge Rules There’s Probable Cause in Murder Case

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

Nathaniel Bates, 36, is charged with first-degree murder while armed. He is accused of shooting 28-year-old Eddie Crist on May 8 on the 4000 block of South Capitol Terrace, SW.

The Nov. 18 proceedings concluded the two-day long preliminary hearing, which began on the Nov. 16.

During the first day of the hearing, the defense asked for the remaining Jencks material in the case, but the prosecution had not review all the Body Worn Camera (BWC) footage from the officers at the scene, which could possibly include Jencks material.

Judge Neal Kravitz ordered the proceedings to pick back up on the Nov. 18 to give the prosecution time to review all the footage and hand over material to the defense.

During the final day of the proceedings, the prosecution said they reviewed BWC footage from the incident and did not find any to be evidence for the case.

Defense attorney Pierce Suen asked about the identities of two people who sent in tips to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), but the information wasn’t handed over.

The prosecution said a protective order needed to be in place before the material could be shared.

Due to the withheld information, Suen motioned for the case to be dismissed, arguing that the prosecution did not hand over relevant evidence.

“Dismissal isn’t necessary, we’re in the middle of a pandemic and there’s a lot of information to review,” said Judge Kravitz. “This isn’t a case where the prosecutor is trying to hide the ball.”

Suen said his client is being accused of this crime because he was merely present at the scene. His GPS device placed him at the scene when the murder happened, according to court documents.

During cross examination, Suen asked the lead Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective on the case if there was any other evidence that showed that her client committed the crime other than his GPS putting him at the scene.

The detective said “no.” However, he did say that the GPS was consistent with gunfire location technology.

According to the detective, the only other people proven to be there was Crist and one of the witnesses, who has a pending arrest warrant.

“We have evidence that witness one was involved in an argument with the decedent,” he said. “There’s no evidence that Mr. Bates even interacted with the decedent.”

Suen continued by saying that Bates showed up to the scene because he has a romantic relationship with witness one, who was just involved in a car accident along with the decedent.

But, the prosecution said Bates denied being at the scene until evidence using GPS tracking was brought forth. The defendant gave a contradictory statement about seeing the person who shot Crist, the prosecutor said.

“Many people don’t want to talk to detectives because they’re afraid of what will happen to them,” Suen said in response to the contradictory statements.

Although Judge Kravitz said it was a close call, he found probable cause, citing evidence placing Bates at the scene.

“The timing here is quite extraordinary if the defendant has nothing to do with it,” said Judge Kravitz. “The shots ring out within a minute of the defendant’s arrival.”

Judge Kravitz decided to continue holding Bates at DC Jail due to his criminal history with firearms coupled with the seriousness of this case.

The judge scheduled Bates’ next hearing for March 9, 2021.

Judge Continues Hearing for Co-Defendants In Homicide Case

A DC Superior Court judge continued a Nov. 18 status hearing for two co-defendants in a homicide case.

Delonte Sameuls, 28, and James Flemings, 23, are both charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 30-year-old Michael Bright. Bright was shot to death – allegedly in the process of a robbery attempt – on Oct. 6 on the 4500 block of Lee Street, NE, according to court documents.

Judge Steven Wellner scheduled their status hearing for Dec. 9.

Document: Police Investigate June Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that happened on June 30.

At around 10:12 p.m., officers responded to the 5000 block of Hanna Place, SE for the report of a shooting.

There, they found 41-year-old Carey Edwin Jones suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and took him from the hospital.

Jones died from his injuries on July 21. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be complications of gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Document: Police Investigate 2019 Homicide

Appropriate upgraded charges are pending against a defendant who was arrested for assault with intent to kill while armed in 2019 after the victim died from his injuries, according to a press release.

At around 2:52 p.m. on July 30, 2019 on the 3rd Street Tunnel near Massachusetts Avenue, NW, the suspect allegedly brandished a handgun and fired at the victim following a traffic related dispute, and then fled the scene.

The victim, 52 year-old Leon Williams, of Northeast, DC, was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries.

A 21 year-old adult male, of no fixed address, was arrested in connection with the incident on Aug. 5, 2019.

On Oct. 22, 2020, Williams succumbed to his injuries.

An autopsy determined that the cause of death was complications from gunshot wounds and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. This case remain under investigation.

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General Statistics

Domestic Violence Cases

Felony Cases