The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on the 1800 Block of Corcoran Street, NE.
According to a press release, officer found two adult males suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on Dec. 26. Officers transported both victims to a local hospital for treatment
Twenty-six-year-old Andre Carroll was pronounced dead on Dec. 27.
The other victim was treated for non life-threatening injuries.
The department is offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other homicide case in Washington, DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on the 400 block of 42nd Street, NE.
According to a press release, officer found 28 year-old Nyesha Lenea Galloway, a resident of Hyattsville, MD, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The department is offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other homicide case in Washington, DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.
Two defendants in a five-defendant murder case requested counsel changes Dec. 20.
Stephon EvansAlonzo Brown, and Tavist Alston are indicted for first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and assault with the intent to kill while armed charges for their alleged involvement in the death of 22-year-old Michael Taylor on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE on Jan. 12. Naquel Henderson and Carlos Turner are also charged with first-degree murder in relation to the homicide.
Alston, who already opted to keep his defense attorney Marnitta King, filed a motion, requesting Judge Todd Edelman appoint another attorney and retain King as his Criminal Justice Act attorney.
Brown told Judge Edelman that he planned on retaining his own attorney before February of 2020 but wanted Edelman to appoint an attorney to replace his current attorney, Russell Hairston.
The prosecution told the judge that an indictment for Alston would be secured by deadline.
Judge Edelman agreed to appoint new counsel for Alston and told Brown that if he had not retained new counsel by the next hearing, he would be more open to appointing new counsel.
Henderson, 22, is scheduled for a felony status conference and a preliminary hearing on Jan. 24, 2020.
Turner, 21, is scheduled for a felony status conference on Feb. 7, 2020.
Evans, 19, and Brown, 22, are scheduled for a status hearing on Jan. 24, 2020. Alston, 26, is scheduled for a felony status conference on Jan. 24, 2020.
A DC Superior Court judge set an indictment deadline for a prosecutor on Dec. 20.
Xavier Hamilton, 26, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the shooting death of 39-year-old Ivy Smith on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE in 2016. According to court documents, another individual was found suffering from a gunshot wound at a nearby beauty supply store.
The prosecutor told Judge Todd Edelman that he expects that an indictment would be handed down within two months.
The prosecutor told the judge and defense attorney, Heather Pinckney, why an indictment hadn’t yet been secured at the bench.
The parties agreed to an indictment deadline of March 11, 2020.
Judge Edelman set another felony status conference to occur on Feb. 28.
A defense attorney asked a DC Superior Court judge for a continuance so her client could be mentally restored.
Vaughn Alexander Kosh, a resident of Northeast, DC, on Dec. 7. Kosh is charged with first-degree murder while armed and with the intent to kill for allegedly shooting 38-year-old Alayna Danielle Howard in her apartment on the 1700 block of Capitol Avenue, NE. Howard’s mother and boyfriend were also injured in the shooting.
Elizabeth Weller, defense attorney for Kosh, 48, asked Judge Ronna Beck for a continued preliminary hearing because mental competency exam results showed that Kosh could be completely restored.
The prosecution did not object.
A mental observation hearing has been set on Jan. 24, 2020.
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested a second person who is suspected of being involved in a fatal shooting that occurred on the 1600 Block of West Virginia Avenue, NE.
According to a press release, officers charged 21 year-old Malik Tyrone Coghill with first-degree murder while armed on Dec. 18. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 3, 2020.
He is being charged for the crime along with Brandon Wiggins. The men allegedly shot Damon Bell on June 16.
Donald Lewis
Wiggins, 22, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 20. He is also charged with allegedly shooting Donald Lewis on Dec. 18, 2018 on the 1700 block of West Virginia Avenue, NE.
A DC Superior Court judge denied a motion to conduct a pretrial hearing to determine the reliability of the prosecution’s key cooperating witness on Dec. 18.
After the case was transferred from Judge Todd Edelman to Judge Ronna Beck, Judge Beck ruled that there was no need to have a hearing to test Massaquoi’s reliability because the prosecution made representations that his statements were all corroborated by other witnesses involved in the case.
The prosecution said Massaquoi told the police, when he turned himself in, that he drove the car that picked up Taylor from a recreation center in Silver Spring, Md. He said he was followed by a purple car, which was corroborated by the witness who was driving the purple car.
Massaquoi also said he was trying to lose the car and made a series of quick turns and U-turns in order to lose the vehicle. This was also corroborated by the witness who drove the purple car.
Massaquoi also gave the police the specific location where Taylor’s car was left after the murder, which was confirmed by a Carfax report that said the car was abandoned in the exact area that Massaquoi told officers. The vehicle was never found by police following the murder.
Because of this Judge Beck denied the defense’s motion for a pretrial hearing, however she did grant a motion for a competency exam for Massaquoi.
Judge Beck also denied the prosecution’s theory of an extended ammunition magazine, which could have held the same type of bullets that killed Taylor.
Judge Beck also denied a motion to continue the trial based on the fact that the defense only wanted the trial to continue because of the amount of motions that were presented and unaddressed.
Trial is scheduled to begin, for Binion and Carvajal, on Jan. 21, 2020.
A trial readiness hearing for Binion and Carvajal is scheduled on Jan. 16, 2020.
Massaquoi is being tried separately. A status hearing is scheduled for Massaquoi on Feb. 5, 2020
A DC Superior Court judge released a murder defendant on Dec. 17.
John Fenner is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Jonathan Hernandez on the 100 block of T Street, NE. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe ordered for Fenner, 49, to be released on Dec. 16 but pre-trial services were not available to fit Fenner with a GPS monitor so Judge Iscoe continued the hearing to the next day.
Judge Iscoe released Fenner to 15-days of home confinement, followed by a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Iscoe also ordered that Fenner be allowed to go to work and make two shopping trips per week. He also told Fenner he must clear all other activities with pre-trial services.
Roderick Thompson, Fenner’s attorney, told the judge that Fenner owned a used car dealership and needed to attend auctions to obtain the cars.
A status hearing is scheduled to occur on Jan. 24, 2020.
Prior to a preliminary hearing, a defense attorney said the prosecution had not given all the evidence needed for a murder case.
Melvin Simmons is charged with first-degree murder while armed with a firearm for the shooting of 28-year-old Ronald Brown on the 3400 block of 18th Street, SE on Aug. 22.
Simmons defense attorney, Ieshaah Murphy, told DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe that the prosecution had not turned over all of the evidence, including the full surveillance video and the multiple 9-1-1 calls made by residents in the area.
Murphy said that multiple people gave descriptions to police of who the shooter is. Those descriptions may or may not be accurate of Simmons, but she said she would need those calls to find out.
She also said that the surveillance footage was grainy and it was hard to identify people within the footage but that she would be happy to sign a protective order for it.
Murphy also said that it was hard for her to prepare for the preliminary hearing because she did not have access to the evidence. She also said the prosecution was using this evidence as part of the arrest warrant affidavit and therefore believed she deserved access.
The prosecution said they provided stills of the videos showing someone, who they believe is Simmons, walking around the area of the murder.
Judge Iscoe found that there was probable cause that Simmons committed the murder and also ordered the prosecution to turn over all evidence available to them, including the full surveillance footage and the 9-1-1 calls with the descriptions.
A felony status conference is scheduled to occur on Jan. 17, 2020.
During a status hearing Dec. 17, three murder defendants pleaded guilty to killing a man in 2016.
Marcus Martin, Marc Butler and William Cunningham are charged with felony murder while armed, assault with intent to kill, conspiracy, attempted robbery and firearms offenses, for their alleged roles in the shooting death of 19-year-old Derryk Johnson on the 600 block of N Street, NW in 2016. It is believed the men murdered Johnson during a robbery.
All three defendants pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and assault with intent to kill. Defendant Martin also pleaded guilty to possession of PCP, a hallucinogenic drug, with the intent to distribute.
A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a murder defendant on Dec. 17, despite a last minute effort to have his sentence delayed.
Kenneth Adams was found guilty of first-degree murder while armed, obstruction of justice and other firearms offenses for allegedly shooting 21-year-old Dante “Te” Kinard on the 1800 block of Benning Road, NE in 2016.
Judge Judith Bartnoff sentenced Adams to 32 years in prison, which was two years more than Adam’s defense attorney, Nikki Lotze, requested. It was five years less than the prosecution’s request.
Lotze said Adams deserved a second chance at life because of his tough upbringing.
Adams, 21, tried to delay the sentencing by filing a motion to delay and asking Judge Bartnoff for a new attorney. Adams told the judge, at the bench, why he wanted to replace Lotze.
However, despite his request, Judge Bartnoff continued with the sentencing as scheduled. She said the case had gone on too long.
The prosecution said it would be unfair to delay the sentencing because Kinard’s family had been waiting for almost four years for justice.
Once the sentencing proceeded, members Kinard’s family told the judge how life had been hard for the entire family since Kinard’s death.
“Do you know what it’s like to have to be so strong for your family that you go in and identify your brother’s dead body because no one else can,” said Kinard’s sister.
Adams said he was sorry for what happened to Kinard, but he was maintaining his innocence and that he did not carry out the shooting.
A three co-defendant murder case was continued in order to finish details on a potential global plea deal.
Marcus Martin, Marc Butler and William Cunningham are charged with felony murder while armed, assault with intent to kill, conspiracy, attempted robbery and firearms offenses, for their alleged roles in the shooting death of 19-year-old Derryk Johnson on the 600 block of N Street, NW in 2016. It is believed they murdered Johnson during a robbery.
DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe continued the status hearing by one day in order for the prosecution to finish and extend a global plea deal to all three defendants. The deal will only be accepted if all three defendants agree to the terms.
The hearing is scheduled to continue on Dec. 17 where a formal plea offer is expected to be placed on the record.
A murder defendant said recording a mental observation interview would be an “invasion of his privacy” during a status hearing, Dec. 16.
Daryl Thompson, who is also known as Darryl Tomkins, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license outside of a home or business, obstructing justice and threat to kidnap or injure a person for his alleged involvement in the deaths of Edward Roberts Jr. and Tyler McEachern. Roberts, 29, was killed on the 3500 block of 14th Street, NW on July 30, 2016. McEarchern, 23, was killed on the 3100 block of Beuna Vista Terrace, SE on Aug. 29, 2016.
Thompson said that he previously refused DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe‘s order to complete a mental competency exam because he felt as though the psychologists were “twisting his words to make him sound worse.”
He also said he was opposed to recording his competency exam interviews, which his attorney, Dana Page, suggested. Thompson said he felt it was an invasion of his privacy to disclose information.
Judge Iscoe told Thompson that not completing the exam meant that the medical professional’s previous finding of incompetency would stand and Thompson may end up staying in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital, longer.
Thompson agreed to another exam that would not be recorded.
A status hearing is scheduled to occur on Jan. 3, 2020.
A DC Superior Court Judge continued a status hearing for counsel to discuss a potential plea negotiation.
Bernard Coleman III, 26, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, burglary, robbery while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence for allegedly shooting his father, Bernard Coleman Jr., 43. The shooting occurred on the 4000 block of Cole Boulevard on March 17, 2017.
Judge Craig Iscoe continued the hearing by one day after Coleman’s defense attorney, Dominique Winters, said that the parties were very close to a global plea deal and needed to work out a few details.
The hearing is scheduled to continue on Dec. 17.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on the 1000 block of Rhode Island Avenue, NE.
According to a press release, officer found 19 year-old Daquan Hankins, a resident of Northeast, DC, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The department is offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other homicide case in Washington, DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.
