A brawl broke out between the family of a victim and the family of a murder defendant after the defendant pleaded guilty.
Davon R. Peyton, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder while armed, attempted robbery while armed and arson in an unrelated incident for shooting 24-year-old Devon Miler and 27-year-old Lekelefac Fonge on the 1600 block of Rosedale Street, NE Oct. 9. Peyton was initially charged with first-degree murder while armed.
After the hearing, both families exited the courtroom. Almost immediately, screams began to echo down the hallway as several members of each family started to fight.
Court marshals flooded the hallways and separated the family members.
Multiple men were apprehended as they continued to yell threats at each other.
“You killed an autistic man,” one of the victims’ family members yelled at a man who was handcuffed.
A prosecutor said he expects to indict a third man for a 2018 murder soon. A fourth defendant in the case is still missing.
Sean McKenzie, 22, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Kenneth Poindexter on the 4700 block of Benning Road, SE. Charles Young, Steven Robin, and Edward Brown are co-defendants in the case, and are also charged with first-degree murder while armed.
Prosecutors already indicted Young, 26, and Robin, 23 and expect to indict McKenzie within the next month.
In October Brown, who has not been indicted, disappeared from a halfway house in July. DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman issued a bench warrant for Brown on Oct. 31.
Defense attorneys for McKenzie, Robin and Young said they are waiting for the prosecution to provide them with Grand Jury transcripts.
The prosecutor said he was waiting until after the indictment to provide the transcripts. The prosecutor also said that Brown would not be included in McKenzie’s indictment.
Brown, McKenzie, Robin and Young are scheduled for a felony status conference on Jan. 3, 2020.
A DC Superior Court judge ordered Nov. 20 that a murder defendant be transferred to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital.
Reginald Turner, 34, is charged with second-degree murder while armed with a firearm for his alleged role in the shooting of 37-year-old Malik Muhammed on the 800 block of Taylor Street, NE on Nov. 26, 2018. Muhammed died from his injuries on Dec. 1, 2018.
The transfer was ordered after both parties agreed that the defendant should undergo a full competency evaluation.
The evaluation was recommended by an examiner who conducted a forensic evaluation on Turner days before. According to the examiner, Turner’s mental competency could not be verified through the forensic exam.
Neither party objected to a full examination or Turner’s transfer to St. Elizabeth’s.
James King, Turner’s defense attorney, requested that, while the defendant waits to be transferred to the hospital, he be allowed to go to the Central Treatment Facility (CTF).
King requested the transfer to CTF so Turner’s mental health would not get worse.
However, DC Jail is currently under a standard quarterly lockdown. According to Keena Blackmon, the Department of Corrections public information officer, the jail undergoes lockdowns to ensure the safety and security of the facility.
The lockdown began on Nov. 19, Blackmon told D.C. Witness.
Instead of moving Turner to CTF, Judge Craig Iscoe said he would recommend that Turner be placed in the mental health unit at DC Jail. He said he would also request an expedited transfer.
A report on Turner’s mental health is expected to be filed on Jan. 9, 2020. Turner is scheduled for a mental observation hearing on Jan. 10, 2020.
Turner also pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in Prince George’s County, Md. in July. Court documents state that Turner was pulled over in Maryland by Metropolitan Police Detectives a day after the shooting.
Along with assistance from Maryland State Police and the Prince George’s County police, officers approached Turner’s black Hummer. Turner fought with the officers and sped away, striking one of the officers with his vehicle, documents state.
After a 20-mile chase, Turner was apprehended in Adelphi, Md., according to the documents.
A murder defendant’s former roommate admitted, during a jury trial Nov. 21, that she lied during her grand jury testimony.
Sean Baker, 40, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 35-year-old Robert Wiggins on the 300 block of 37th St., SE on Jan. 31, 2016. Baker is a transgendered woman. She was initially charged with assault with the intent to kill.
A key witness for the prosecution, who was Baker and Wiggins’ roommate leading up to the murder, said she lied about having contact with Baker during her grand jury testimony because she felt pressured by the prosecution.
During a meeting with detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department and the prosecution, the witness initially said she did not talk to Baker after the murder. The witness said she only messaged Baker on Facebook.
She said the detectives and prosecution kept asking her about her contact with Baker.
“At first I told them the truth. That I did not have contact with Ms. Baker outside of the messages but, they kept telling me they felt like I wasn’t telling the truth,” said the witness.
She then told the jury that she had a history of mental illness and that she began to cry during that meeting.
“I suffer from anxiety and I was ready for it to be over so I felt like if I told them what they wanted to hear I would be able to get this over with faster.”
She said she told the prosecutor and detectives that she had a phone conversation with Baker after the Public Defender Service hired investigators to search for the murder weapon.
She said once she told that lie to the parties, she was escorted to the grand jury room where she lied under oath. The witness testified in front of the grand jury in July of 2016.
The witness said she was not living in the apartment at the time of the murder.
The witness said she was not close with Baker or Wiggins.
The witness said she only lived with the couple for four days. She said that she would always try to stay out of Baker and Wiggin’s relationship.
Texts between Wiggins and ‘Keke’ were also read to the jury.
“After I cop this shit, I promise we going fight,” Keke, which is Baker’s nickname, said.
“I’m about to show you how crazy I’m about to get,” read another text ‘Keke’ sent Wiggins on Jan. 17, 2016.
Baker’s trial is scheduled to continue on Nov. 25 with testimony from two or three more witnesses for the prosecution.
During closing arguments of a trial, the defense said the investigation of a murder defendant was based on “hunches”
Leonard Smith, 33 is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Leonte Butler, 26, on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, SE in 2017. According to court documents, Smith and two other individuals were seen on surveillance footage, covered in blood and changing clothes after the incident.
Smith’s defense attorney, Anthony Matthews, said the entire investigation was based on, “hunches,” because the only source all the information came from was an eyewitness, who Matthews said, became the prosecution and police’s source after tests showed no evidence of Smith’s DNA.
“No one even saw the blood on Mr. Smith’s hand, not even the eyewitness to the crime saw blood,” said Matthews.
Matthews said both the prosecution and the police department needed a witness to corroborate the “hunches.”
He said the prosecution did not ask any of the witnesses that knew Butler if he actually had a stutter that would corroborate the prosecution’s theory that Smith stabbed Butler because Butler stood up for himself after Smith continually bullied him that night.
The prosecutor said that, according to the eyewitness, Smith had been picking on Butler the entire night because Butler had a stutter.
He also said that when Butler finally had enough of the teasing, so he and Smith got into and argument which turned physical. When Butler tried to break free of Smith’s grip, he hit Smith in the face which, then cause Smith to stab Butler more than 45 times.
The prosecutor said there were six reasons why Smith should be convicted of first-degree murder while armed and those reasons were the eyewitness testimony, the apparent motive; video footage of Smith with what the prosecution called “a bloodied hand;” blood on the eyewitnesses’ jacket, which the prosecution said comes from Smith putting his hand on the witnesses’ back and the possible murder weapon being discovered in Smith’s possession.
The prosecutor also said the eyewitness’ testimony was all the jury needed to convict Smith because the witness had proven himself credible. The witness told the jury exactly what he recalled from the night of the murder, including not recalling Smith with bloody hand.
>A murder defendant told a DC Superior Court judge that he wanted to plead guilty to stabbing a man in 2018.
Dazmine Anderson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for stabbing Jean-Claude Jackson on 30-year-old Jean-Claude Jackson on the 1300 block of Good Hope Road, SE on Oct. 7, 2018. Anderson, who was 16 at the time of the crime, is being charged as an adult. He was initially charged with second-degree murder.
According to the terms of the plea agreement, Anderson, who is now 17 years old, could be sentenced from five to six years in prison. The prosecution would drop the carrying a pistol outside of a home or business charge.,/p>
If Anderson had gone to trial, he could have received a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison or a fine of $250,000.
According to court documents, Anderson was being chased, along with three other juveniles, by a group of people, including Jackson, after the juveniles allegedly robbed a person near Ketcham Elementary School in Southeast, DC.
After being cornered by one of the members of the group of residents chasing the juveniles, Anderson allegedly ran into a house on the 1300 block of T street, SE.
As the victim began to walk away, Anderson came out of the house shirtless, and stabbed the victim with a kitchen knife, documents say.
During the hearing, Anderson told Judge Milton Lee that he had stabbed Jackson. However, the defense disagreed with the prosecution’s proffer of fact that stated that Anderson stabbed the victim from behind.
Anderson is currently being held at a facility under the Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services. He is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 14, 2020.
October continued Washington, DC’s all too common tale of loss and death.
According to D.C. Witness data, 19 people have been killed by homicides during the month, three more than the number of homicides in September. There was also one traffic fatality in October.
Fourteen males and one female lost their lives to gun violence during the Fall month. According to D.C. Witness data, the victims ranged in age from 15 years old to 36. Suspects were apprehended in three of the deaths and the Washington Metropolitan Police Department is searching for a suspect wanted in connection to a shooting in Northeast, DC.
Data also shows that three men were killed from stabbings and one woman was killed in a vehicular homicide. The police have arrested suspects for five of the homicides as of Nov. 20.
Kevin Better
Thomas Johnson
Of the 15 gun-related homicides, the first in the month was 24-year-old Kevin Better. Better was fatally wounded by multiple gunshots on Oct. 8 on the 5200 block of Sheriff Road, NE. The next day 15-year-old Thomas Johnson was killed near his home on Oct. 9 on the 1300 block of Half Street, SE near Nationals Park. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
According to Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham, Johnson was targeted. A suspect has not been apprehended even though police released a photo in early October.
Devon Miler
Lekelefac Fonge
The third and fourth gun violence deaths in the District were 24-year-old Devon Miler and his caretaker 27-year-old Lekelefac Fonge. Miler suffered from autism. It seems that both men were killed in a robbery attempt on Oct. 9 on the1600 block of Rosedale Street,NE.
Police are searching for Davon Payton in connection to a double homicide on Oct. 9
Police arrested 27-year-old Davon Peyton in connection to the murders. Peyton is being charged with first-degree murder while armed. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 22.
Thirty-six-year-old Marcus Williams was shot on Oct. 10 on the 1200 block of I Street, SE. A suspect has not been apprehended in connection to Williams’ death.
Jonathan Jones was shot on Oct. 11 on the 1900 block of 16th Street, SE. Lamar Hicks was charged with second-degree murder while armed. However, the charges were dismissed.
Jaquar McNair
On Oct. 12, 15-year-old Jaquar McNair was fatally stabbed on the 300 block of 1st Street, SE. The juvenile charged for the murder is set to go to trial on March 2, 2020.
Shaquille Simmons , 24, was shot on Oct. 12 on the 2200 block of Savannah Terrace, SE. Police have not apprehended a suspect in connection to Simmons’ death.
Dilcia-Rodriguez
The only woman who was shot and killed in October was Dilcia Rodriguez. Rodriguez, 32, was killed on Oct. 16 on the 700 block of Chesapeake Street, SE. Police have not apprehended a suspect in connection to her death.
Juwaun Robert Smith
Deron Leake
Other gun-related deaths in October, in which police have not apprehended any suspects, include 27-year-old Deron Leake, who died on Oct. 17 on the 4200 block of 6th Street, SE; 30-year-oldChristopher Parks on Oct. 19 on the 2400 block of Hartford Street, SE; 23-year-old Juwaun Robert Smith on Oct. 22 on the 4400 block of Ponds Street, NE; 19-year-old Alvin Barnes on Oct. 23 on the 2200 block of Alabama Avenue, SE; Johnathan Mayrant, 28, on Oct. 26 on the 1700 block of R Street, SE and Aaron George, 22, on Oct. 26 on the 4200 block of East Capitol Street, NE.
Alvin Barnes
Gregory Antwan Washington
Police are searching for Gregory Antwan Washington who is wanted in connection to the shooting death of Alie Labay on Oct. 24 on the 900 block of 21st Street, NE.
Police arrested a 17-year-old juvenile for the one vehicular homicide that occurred in October.
According to the police,15-year-old Amoni Richardson was struck and killed while crossing the street located on the 3900 block of East Capitol Street, SE. The juvenile who struck Richardson is being charged with second-degree murder. The juvenile is scheduled for a status hearing on Nov. 22.
In addition to the gun-related a vehicular homicides, there was also two stabbing that occurred toward the end of the month.
Shevon Ronford Turner
Arthur Randolph
Shevon Ronford Turner and Arthur Randolph, died from stabbings on Oct. 28.The police have not apprehended any suspects in connection to their murders.
The wards with most homicides in October were Wards 6 and 8, according to D.C. Witness data.
There was also one traffic fatality in October.
On Oct. 2, Oliver Romain, a resident of Highland, Md., died in a crash involving a SUV and a motorcycle at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Kansas Avenue, NW on Oct. 2.
According to a press release, during the morning commute, a motorcycle traveling on Kansas Avenue, NW and struck the front passenger door of a Nissan Rogue. The rider on the motorcycle was ejected. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the Rogue sustained non-life threatening injuries.
A defense attorney raised concerns about a lead detective misgendering a murder defendant during her police interview.
Sean Baker, 40, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 35-year-old Robert Wiggins on the 300 block of 37th St., SE on Jan. 31. Baker was initially charged with assault with intent to kill. She is a transgender woman.
Defense attorney John R. Fowler said he was concerned that the lead detective in this case, as well as another detective who is also working on the case, violated a Metropolitan Police Department policy regarding handling interactions with transgender individuals.
The detectives referred to the defendant as a male even though they were aware that she identified as female.
Video evidence from the police interview showed one detective saying, “You are a grown fucking man, you can do whatever you want”.
Fowler said the MPD officers were being prejudice towards Baker.
The defense also said the lead detective in this case failed to look into Wiggin’s past assault charges. Wiggins had a history of gathering sharp objects that could be used for protection, and then beating and abusing transgender women within the household.
Baker’s friend of 19 years spoke about troubles the couple displayed.
This witness told the jury that Baker, at one point, became so enraged with Wiggins that she said “Ima kill him” three times because Wiggins was not answering her phone calls.
The witness said Baker and Wiggins were always arguing about infidelities with other women.
However, the witness said Baker never disclosed any domestic abuse. But, the witness said he knew the couple had a volatile relationship.
The trial is scheduled to continue on Nov. 21.
This article was written by Danuellys Diaz
A murder defendant asked a DC Superior Court judge to schedule sentencing in June 2020, so he could obtain his high school diploma.
Dearren Robert Dawkins and 18-year-old Titus Iracks are charged with felony murder, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, robbery while armed, attempt to commit robbery while armed and conspiracy while armed for their alleged involvement in the shooting of 43-year-old Larry Harrell on the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE on June 13, 2018. Iracks is a Title 16 youth being held at DYRS.
Both Iracks and Dawkins pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Nov. 19.
Iracks is currently enrolled in a special program at Maya Angelou Public Charter School through DYRS. For this reason, his defense attorney, Ronald Resetarits, asked DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson to delay sentencing until June so that Iracks can receive his diploma.
The prosecution said that a seven month delay was too long and wanted the judge to consider the victim’s family.
The prosecutor also said that since Iracks is technically 18, he should be removed from DYRS as quickly as possible and placed with adult offenders.
Judge Dayson did not agree with the prosecutor.
“Just because Mr. Iracks committed an offense does not mean he should be denied his education because when he is released from prison he will still have a manslaughter charge on his record and having his diploma might make it easier for him to become a productive member of society.”
According to court documents, on June 13, 2018, Iracks and Dawkins attempted to rob Harrell near a Circle 7 in Northeast DC with a gun.
When Harrell pulled out a gun of his own both he and the defendants began exchanging gun fire. One shot struck Harrell in the head.
Video survielance caught Iracks and Dawkins leaving the Circle 7 in a yellow Dodge Challenger.
When police searched Iracks house they found guns and bullets that matched the shell casings left at the scene of the crime.
Iracks sentencing is scheduled to occur on June 19, 2020.
A defense witness said she heard the only eyewitness to a crime tell the victim to “drink his last drink,” before he died.
Leonard Smith, 33 is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Leonte Butler, 26, on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, SE in 2017. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Smith and two other individuals were seen on surveillance footage, covered in blood and changing clothes after the incident.
The first witness the defense called testified said she was at the house partying with Smith, Butler and others the night of the murder.
She said everybody was drinking and smoking that night but, at one moment, in the night she said she over heard the only eyewitness to the murder ask Butler if he had kids.
When Butler responded no, the witness said she heard the eyewitness tell him, “if you don’t have any kids by now, you won’t,” then told Butler to “drink his last drink.”
She said even though she was intoxicated she thoroughly remembered the conversation because “even if you’re intoxicated you can still recall information accurately and I remember what was said.”
Defense attorney, Anthony Matthews, asked the witness how she was connected to Smith, the eyewitness and Butler.
The witness said she lived with the eyewitnesses’ cousin and that same cousin was Smith’s girlfriend at the time.
The medical examiner who performed Butler’s autopsy said she believed a sharp object with a bladed edge was the murder weapon. However, she said she could not explicitly say it was a knife.
Defense attorney, Anthony Matthews, was also expecting another witness to testify about a video recording on the night of the murder, but the witness did not show up.
DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson issued a bench warrant for his arrest Nov. 19.
Both the prosecution and defense rested their cases.
Closing statements are expected to be held on Nov. 21.
This article was written by Jaylin Hawkins
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 19 year old in connection to a homicide that occurred in Shaw.
According to a press release, Adrian Vinson is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the shooting of 19 year-old Tahlil Byrd, a resident of Southeast, DC on the 600 block of S Street, NW on Sept. 29.
Byrd, who was suffering from a gunshot wound through his left abdominal region, according to police, was transferred to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, officers were on patrol when they heard multiple gunshots. A 9mm handgun, five 9mm casing and a black moped were found on the scene.
Vinson is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 25.
Shackled and dressed in an orange jumpsuit from the department of correction, a 54-year-old man pleaded guilty to killing a man in 2018.
Jose Luzunaris is charged with first-degree murder for stabbing 56-year-old Gregory Monroe on Feb 3, 2018, at the Judiciary House Apartments on the 400 block of H Street, NW. Luzunaris was indicted on first-degree murder while armed offenses committed during release, possession of drug paraphernalia offenses committed during release, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
On Nov. 20, Luzunaris pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The lesser charges were dropped.
According to the terms of the plea agreement, the defendant could face up to six years in prison for the crime.
Luzunaris is scheduled for a sentencing on Feb. 21, 2020.
According to court documents, the victim suffered from stab wounds to the side of his neck and right ear.
During a status hearing on Nov 19, a murder defendant was not present.
Dazmine Anderson is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 30-year-old Jean-Claude Jackson on the 1300 block of Good Hope Road, SE on Oct. 7, 2018. Anderson, who was 16 at the time of the crime, is being charged as an adult.
Anderson’s defense Attorney, Madalyn Harvey , told DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee that Anderson would not be present due to a lack of information to Anderson’s holding facility, New Beginnings.
New Beginnings is a maryland-based juvenile facility where Anderson is being held. The facility was not aware of Anderson’s hearing which resulted in his absence.
Judge Lee decided to continue the hearing on Nov 21.
Anderson is being held without bond.
This story was written by Demetria Tymus
A defendant on trial for murder became tearful when video of her police interview was played in front of a jury.
Sean Baker, 40, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in the Jan. 31 stabbing death of 35-year-oldRobert Wiggins on the 300 block of 37th St., SE. Baker was initially charged with assault with intent to kill. She is a transgender woman.
Baker cried when the jury saw video of an interview she had with police. In the video, Baker told the cops about the incident that led to the stabbing. She began to shake her leg and wipe her tears while hearing herself ask police if Wiggins was still alive, and if she could visit him at the hospital.
During the police interview, the lead detective said he saw injuries on the defendant’s body. However, during his testimony in court on Nov.19, the detective said he never saw injuries on Baker or any evidence that her hair had been pulled out.
Baker said she had been wrestling with Wiggins when she stabbed him. Photos shown to the jury did not show any cuts or bruises on the defendant.
“I was in survival mode, I did not want to stab him.” Baker said during her police interview.
The prosecution also called a DNA analyst to testify as an expert witness on biological material. The DNA analyst concluded that the blood found on the knife, which is the suspected murder weapon, matched the DNA of Robert Wiggins.
According to Baker, she grabbed the murder weapon when Wiggins collected all the knives in the house, and one happened to fall out of the backpack he placed them in.
The trial is scheduled to continue on Nov. 20 when the defense is expected to cross examine the lead detective.
This article was written by Danuellys Diaz.
During trial Nov. 19, a crime scene technician testified that a search of a murder defendant’s house was not conducted by him.
Leonard Smith, 33 is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Leonte Butler, 26, on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, SE in 2017. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Smith and two other individuals were seen on surveillance footage, covered in blood and changing clothes after the incident.
Defense attorney, Anthony Matthews, asked the technician if he found the suspected murder weapon, a knife, while doing the search. The technician answered that he did not conduct the search and was told everything to take picture of.
Matthews also asked the technician about the bag the knife was found in and if it were a bag that could be potentially be used for carrying food items and utensils because of its apparent insulated lining.
The trial is scheduled to resume on Nov. 20.
