In response to a murder defendant’s disciplinary issues, a judge granted July 25 defense counsel’s request for a mental competency exam.
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.
After deliberating for two days, a jury found a man guilty of two murders.
Devaun Drayton
Terik McLeod was found guilty of second-degree murder while armed for shooting Devaun Drayton, 17, on the 700 block of 26th Street, NE in 2004. McLeod, 33, was also found guilty of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances for shooting Carlton Fisher, 23, on the 1100 block of 21st Street, NE in 2006. This was the second time McLeod has been tried for the two murders. The first trial resulted in a hung jury after nearly two weeks of jury deliberations.
Carlton Fisher
On July 9, the defense’s witness, a former friend of McLeod, who was present at Drayton’s murder, told the jury he killed the 17 year old over a stolen gun.
The witness said he gave Drayton a gun because he was in a conflict with people from the Trinidad neighborhood in Northeast, DC. Apparently, Drayton was given the gun under the condition that he would return it the next day.
However, Drayton apparently said he lost the gun in a shootout.
The witness said, Drayton broke a “street code” that includes not stealing other people’s belongings. The witness said he was going to sell the gun to McLeod.
Drayton apparently replaced the stolen gun with a .357 Magnum revolver, according to the witness.
According to the prosecution, Drayton was murdered because he stole a gun, lied about it, and didn’t give it back.
A Metropolitan Police Department detective testified that the man who gave Drayton the gun was reluctant to give information to the police. Apparently, the witness told the detective that “Terik” shot Drayton. He also gave the police McLeod’s address.
There was “no doubt in my mind” that McLeod killed Drayton, the witness initially told police.
During closing arguments, the prosecutor told the jury that the witness, who confessed to killing Drayton, was trying to “take the body” for McLeod as retribution for “snitching” on him.
“Taking a body” refers to confessing to a murder that someone else committed in order to boost or repair a damaged reputation.
During the police’s investigation of Drayton’s murder, a detective said Fisher also provided additional information to the 17-year-old’s homicide.
According to the detective, McLeod asked Fisher for .357 caliber bullets days before Drayton’s murder. McLeod also told Fisher that he killed Drayton.
A medical examiner for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia said the bullet that killed Drayton was compatible with a .357 revolver. It is unclear how McLeod came into possession of a .357 revolver.
According to the prosecution, McLeod killed Fisher because he snitched on him.
On the night of Fisher’s murder, there was a block party in Vietnam court, a specific group of buildings on 21st Street, NE. Multiple witnesses said McLeod was seen with another individual, who became a second suspect in Fisher’s murder. The second suspect is now dead.
Fisher had seven gunshot wounds, one in his head and six in his back. The medical examiner, who also performed an autopsy on Drayton’s body, said the gunshot wound on Fisher’s head was in the exact same location as the gunshot wound on Drayton’s head.
DNA testing came back inconclusive on evidence from Fisher’s murder scene.
Firearms evidence also came back inconclusive.
While a firearms expert said the bullets fired were compatible with the murder weapon, he was unable to make a direct link between the bullets and the .357 revolver.
The firearms expert also confirmed that two guns were used in Fisher’s murder. A second gun was not recovered.
McLeod was trying to send a message by killing Fisher. “If you snitch on me, I’m going to kill you on your front porch, with your mother, sister and baby girl inside,” the prosecutor told the jury.
Jury deliberations began on July 24 after more than two weeks of trial.
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested July 27 a man they believe is connected to the death of a man in Southeast, DC.
According to a press release, 22-year-old Delonta Jackson allegedly assaulted 22-year-old Andre Broadie on the 2100 Block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE on July 10. Jackson is charged with second-degree murder while armed.
During a preliminary hearing on July 26, a DC Superior Court judge told the prosecution there was probable cause to hold a murder defendant, but the case would fail at trial.
Delonta Daniel, 32, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 25 year-old Bernard Jarvis on the 2400 block of 14th Street, NE on June 28. Jarvis, who was a resident of Hyattsville, Md., died on the scene.
Judge Danya Dayson found probable cause to hold Daniel, but said she was “concerned about the level of proof in this case.” Judge Dayson told the prosecution that the defendant would almost certainly be acquitted at trial unless the prosecution brings a much stronger case than the one presented at the preliminary hearing.
Kristin McGough, Daniel’s defense attorney, questioned a Metropolitan Police Department detective about his ability to identify Daniel as the shooter.
The detective said an unnamed witness described the shooter to an officer and the officer believed the description fit Daniel.
When the defense asked how the suspect was described, the detective said he was described as a heavy-set black man with a beard who was wearing a headband. The detective said the witness did not name Daniel as a suspect. The witness also told the officer that the suspect was from a specific family that was not connected to Daniel.
Judge Dayson found probable cause to hold Daniel on the grounds that the officer interacted with Daniel on several occasions in the past.
However, Judge Dayson also said that she did not know the witness’s knowledge in the case. Judge Dayson said the witness identified someone else, and did not know of Daniel.
Judge Dayson also said the officer, who identified Daniel, did so without looking at video recordings of the crime. Apparently, the officer also failed to present the witness with an image of the defendant.
Daniel is scheduled for a felony status conference on Sept. 11.
During a continued detention hearing July 26, a judge decided to delay her decision in order to review the arguments presented.
Timothy Gibson, 28, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 28-year-old Carl Day-Baker on the 1500 block of T Street, SE on Sept. 1, 2018. Gibson is also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and assault with intent to kill while armed.
Defense attorney, Eugene Ohm, continued arguments for a motion to place Gibson in a halfway house while he awaits trial. The hearing has been ongoing for nine months.
According to court documents, Day-Baker and his brother, had gotten into a physical altercation with Gibson. After the altercation, as the brothers began to walk away, Gibson fired several shots, striking Day-Baker.
Defense counsel cross-examined the lead detective, arguing that Gibson had only killed Day-Baker because he thought Day-Baker was reaching for a knife.
The detective said he did not recall that a knife had been recovered from the crime scene.
The prosecution said that the initial series of shots that Gibson fired, one striking Day-Baker in the back, may have been the result of a crime of passion.
The prosecution argued that the second series of shots that Gibson fired should be a contributing factor as to why he should not be released to a halfway house.
D.C. Witness previously reported that DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson denied Gibson’s self defense claim during a preliminary hearing on Sept. 20, 2018.
Judge Dayson said the question was not whether or not Gibson had committed the murder but what his intent was.
“To say this is some sort of a mutual fight is not clearly characterizing it,” the judge said in September. “This seems to be a provocation, though the act is not a reasonable response.”
Judge Dayson said she would make her final decision on Aug. 1.
On July 29, a neighbor of the victim contradicted her son’s statement made in court.
Gary Proctor, 41, is indicted on first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol outside a home or business and unlawful possession of ammunition charges for his alleged involvement in the murder of his cousin, 47-year-old Jerome “Beanie” Diggs in 2015. The crime occurred on the 1300 block of First Street, SW.
Trial started with the mother of the victim’s children testifying.
She said she and Diggs would buy drugs from the defendant.
She also admitted that her relationship with the victim was abusive. In 2000, the year they first met, she said, “he knocked out my teeth.”
A person who was the victim’s neighbor also testified.
The neighbor, who was 18-years-old at the time, said he was smoking marijuana on the day the victim was killed. He denied hearing any sirens or gun shots.
However, the neighbor’s mother told the jury that her son told her that he heard gunshots and saw the defendant run out of the victim’s house.
After a murder defendant’s first trial ended with a mistrial, a jury convicted him in the second.
Devaun Drayton
A jury found Terik McLeod guilty of second-degree murder while armed for shooting Devaun Drayton, 17, on the 700 block of 26th Street, NE in 2004. McLeod, 33, was also
Carlton Fisher
found guilty of first-degree murder while armed with aggrivating circumstances for shooting Carlton Fisher, 23, on the 1100 block of 21st Street, NE in 2006.
The trial, which began arguments on July 8, lasted for more than two weeks. It took the jury two days to reach a guilty verdict.
During a murder trial, a defendant’s mother’s testimony conflicted with statements she told a Grand Jury in 2015.
Gary Proctor was indicted on several charcges, including first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol outside a home or business and unlawful possession of ammunition for allegedly shooting Jerome “Beanie” Diggs, 47. The crime took place on the 1300 block of First Street, SW in 2015. Proctor, 41, is the victim’s cousin.
When the prosecutor asked the defendant’s mother where she was when the victim was shot, she said she was at a store around the corner from her home.
The prosecutor then showed the witness her grand jury statements from 2015, where the mother said she had been at home sleeping when the crime took place.
Even with the transcript in front of her, Proctor’s mother repeated her prior response, saying she was at the Friendly’s store around the corner.
According to court documents, the homicide could have stemmed from a physical confrontation between Proctor, Diggs and a few other family members weeks before the shooting.
Proctor’s trial is scheduled to resume on July 29.
The Metropolitan Police Department made a fifth arrest July 26 in connections to a homicide that occurred on Jan. 29.
According to a press release, officers arrested 22-year-old Naquel Henderson for his alleged role in the death of 22-year-old Michael Taylor on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE. Henderson is charged with first-degree murder while armed.
During a murder defendant’s trial on July 25, a witness corroborated the prosecution’s theory that a victim could have called someone on the phone moments after being shot.
Gary Proctor, 41, was indicted by a Grand Jury in 2016 on charges of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol outside a home or business and unlawful possession of ammunition. The charges were for his alleged involvement in the murder of his cousin, 47-year-old Jerome “Beanie” Diggs on July 27, 2015, on the 1300 block of First Street, SW.
The prosecution called a former medical examiner with the Chief Medical Examiner’s office of the District of Columbia as an expert witness. The witness was the one who performed an autopsy on Diggs in 2015.
He described the nature of Diggs’ seven bullet wounds as not being instantly fatal or debilitating.
The witness’s testimony corroborated the prosecution’s theory that Diggs could have called someone on the phone after he had been shot.
The witness said that, even with the seven gunshot wounds, Diggs would still have had the ability to crawl to a phone and call someone. The witness said that even though there were seven wounds, only one of them damaged Diggs’ right lung and liver.
As part of the prosecution’s case, Diggs’ daughter also testified about Proctor selling her father drugs on multiple occasions in their house.
The daughter said she witnessed approximately three arguments occur between Diggs and Proctor in the months before Diggs’ death.
The witness described one argument in particular, which occurred at a family cookout a couple weeks before the murder. Apparently, during the cookout, Proctor, Proctor’s father, and another man engaged in a physical altercation with some of the witness’s family members, including her father.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on the 300 block of 50th Street, NE.
According to a press release, upon arriving on the crime scene, officers located 37- year-old Francis Savoy, inside of a vehicle, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on July 26. He showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead.
Police are offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this homicide or any other homicide in Washington, DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may also be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line – 50411.
According to D.C. Witness data, there have been 78 gun-related homicides in the District in 2019.
A judge agreed July 26 to reschedule a preliminary hearing to Aug. 21 after a witness was unable to make it to court.
Demetrius Void is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the death of 24-year-old Anthony Daniel Lawson on the 6200 Block of Eastern Avenue, NE in Sept. 2018.
During the hearing, the prosecution said a witness, who was a detective on the case, had an emergency and had to leave the district.
Defense counsel agreed to reschedule the hearing as long as the prosecution agreed to not indictment Void, 32, until the newly rescheduled date.
A DC Superior Court judge granted the defense’s motion to add another lawyer to a murder defendant’s legal team during a status hearing on July 26.
Clinton Womack is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 45-year-old Terry Crutchfield on the 1500 block of Olive Street, NE in 2016. Womack, 30, is also charged with first-degree burglary while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Womack’s attorney, Steven R. Kiersh, previously filed a motion to add another counselor. Judge Todd Edelman granted the motion and appointed Liz Weller as co-counsel for Womack.
Kiersh was appointed as Womack’s attorney back in January after Womack’s former attorney, Lee Goebs, requested to withdraw from the case.
According to court documents, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department found Crutchfield suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
During the police investigation, it appeared that Womack and another man attempted to rob Crutchfield, which resulted in Crutchfield being shot. A witness, who was at the scene, identified Womack as the shooter.
A trial readiness hearing is scheduled on Nov. 22. The case is expected to go to trial in April of 2020.
During a press conference July 25, city officials made a promise to fully prosecute those who are caught with illegally obtained firearms after the death of an 11-year-old boy.
ATF Washington Field Division Special Agent Ashan Benedict was joined by Metropolitan Police Department Chief of Police Peter Newsham, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie Liu, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Zachary Terwilliger and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser for a press conference to announce their partnership to remove illegal guns from Washington, DC.
Chief Newsham said that more than 1,000 guns had been recovered in 2019. However, that does not dispute the fact that, of the 98 homicides in D.C. in 2019, a gun was the murder weapon in 77 of those cases, according to D.C. Witness data.
Terwilliger said the plan would be to trace where every gun comes from.
However, Virginia law does not require firearms dealers to obtain a state license and also does not require a background check on the purchaser of a firearm when the seller is not licensed, according to Giffords Law Center, a policy organization dedicated to researching, writing, enacting, and defending proven laws and program.
Terwilliger said homicides in the Eastern District of Virginia decreased by 14 percent this year. But, according to Mayor Bowser’s administration, 35 percent of illegal guns in D.C. are coming from Virginia.
According to the Virginia State Police, firearms registration is not required for the purchase of guns.
City officials are now asking for help from civilians to get more guns off the street.
“I have to believe there are family members, there are friends, there are employers that know people are making runs over to Virginia to try to get guns,” said Attorney Terwilliger “Please speak up, please speak up…we do need your help.”
MPD is offering up to a $2500 reward for a tip leading to an arrest and seizure of an illegal gun.
Three homicide defendants waived their rights to independent DNA testing on July 24.
Co-defendants 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.
Martin’s defense attorney, Dana Page, also filed a motion for reconsideration and modification of detention.
Page told the judge last August that her client had been held in solitary confinement since he has been at DC Jail. It is unclear if the issue was ever resolved.
Butler’s attorney, Dorsey Jones, told Judge Iscoe that his client has been detained since 2016. Jones said it is not constitutional for him to be held until his trial in 2020. As of July 24, Butler and his two co-defendants are being held without bail.
The defense requested all remaining evidence and Grand Jury testimony. The prosecution said they could not turn over the material until a protective order is filed.
Another status hearing for the co-defendants is scheduled on Nov. 22. A trial is set to begin on March 2, 2020.
