Defendant Rejects Plea Offer in 2018 Murder Case

During a felony status conference June 12, a murder defendant rejected a plea offer.

Antonio Booze is charged with second-degree murder for his alleged involvement in the death of Eugene Johnson on the Unit block of Galveston Place, SW on Nov. 11 2018.

The offer entailed the defendant entering a guilty plea to second-degree murder while armed. The prosecution agreed to request Booze’s sentence to be no longer than 18 years in prison.

According to the District of Columbia’s Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, Booze could receive a sentenced between 14 and 24 years.

DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna also asked if there was an update on a grand jury indictment. The prosecution replied that it was unsure if it would be able to meet the Sept. 30 indictment deadline because of a recent personnel change at the United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia.

The prosecutor also told the judge that she has been assigned to a new division in the office and will no longer be working on the case.

Booze’s defense attorney, Judith Pipe, objected to further delay on the indictment and requested that the prosecution actively work toward an indictment until new counsel is assigned.

“There will be no extension because of a personnel change,” Judge McKenna said.

The next court date is scheduled on Sept. 27 to discuss the status of the indictment.

Defendant Pleads Guilty to Fatal Stabbing

During a hearing on June 12, DC Superior Court Judge Ronna L. Beck accepted a defendant’s guilty plea for a 2017 homicide.

Gregory Williams pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed for stabbing 46-year-old Andrew Alphonso Cook, III on the 1700 block of North Capitol Street, NE.

Under the agreement, Williams could face an 11-year prison term. Agreements offer is less than offense’s sentencing maximum of 30 years, according to the District of Columbia’s Mandatory Sentencing Guidelines.

According to the plea deal, all other charges, including robbery while armed and assault with intent to commit robbery while armed would be dropped.

Williams is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 23.

Judge Sentences Convicted Murder to 15 Years in Prison

On June 7, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a murder defendant to 15 years in prison for second-degree murder while armed, in addition to four other charges.

Allen Culver, 30, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed as well as to four other charges for shooting 31-year-old Robert Plight. The shooting took place on June 1, 2013, on the 4400 block of Benning Road, NE. Plight had five children, according to WJLA.

Judge Todd Edelman suspended all but eight years on the 15-year sentence. He also sentenced Culver to five years for unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence, half a year for simple assault, eight years for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two years for carrying a pistol outside the home or business.

Judge Edelman said he would give Culver credit for the time he has already served.

“There’s nothing that I can do here that rights this wrong … criminal sentencing isn’t meant to right wrongs; the purposes are punishment, deterrence, and rehabilitation.” Judge Edelman said.

Judge Edelman acknowledged the difficult circumstances in which Culver had grown up. He said “Culver was born and raised by his mom in Berry Farms which is a very difficult and violent neighborhood.” Judge Edelman also said that Culver’s mother had had significant substance abuse issues and Culver dropped out of high school after the 10th grade.

Edelman also mentioned that, although Culver has had some substance use issues, he does not have a violent criminal history.

Judge Edelman said there was “no evidence presented of Plight’s weapon, [and] Culver was outnumbered in a heated exchange.” Judge Edelman said Culver didn’t have to be there and it was clear that he killed Plight.

Judge Edelman acknowledged that there might have been an element of self defense, but said it was not enough to warrant Culver’s actions.

Larry Caldwell used to mentor Culver through a prison program.

Caldwell, who has known Culver since he was 17 years old, said the defendant’s mother was violently murdered which “changed him a little.” Caldwell described how Culver had gotten into trouble with nonviolent crimes, such as drug use and minor robbery. But, despite those issues, Caldwell praised Culver’s character and said “he is a changed man” who is “worth redeeming.”

Culver’s defense attorney, Jonathan Zucker, said that, prior to the shooting, Culver had never been accused of a crime of violence. Additionally, in the six years that have passed since the incident, the defense said that Culver had not been in any additional trouble.

Zucker said that Culver expressed remorse and sympathy for Plight’s family and said he deeply regretted what he had done.

Zucker said Culver shot Plight because he was “scared and fearful.” He said there is a tape of the incident that shows Plight approaching Culver, taking a drink from his hand, and “getting in his face.”

Culver also spoke on his own behalf in front of the court to deliver his side of the story. He said Plight had accused him of trying to rob his brother and cornered him. “To me at that moment, it didn’t seem like a fire drill,” Culver said.

Culver said he didn’t intend to kill Plight; he just wanted to stop him because he was afraid Plight was going to shoot him. Culver said he was sorry for the consequences of his actions and said he just wanted to give his side of the story.

After Culver finished, one of Plight’s family members shouted “exterminate the rat.”

The prosecution said that even though Culver has shown remorse and change since his initial incarceration, it “does not take away from his actions” and the painful impact Plight’s death has had on his family.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Edelman also ordered Culver to pay $500 to the Victims of Violent Crime Fund and register as a firearms offender after his release.

Judge Finds Probable Cause Defendant Committed Murder

During a preliminary hearing June 11, a DC Superior Court judge found probable cause that a defendant killed a man she lived with in March.

Barbara Sanders, 53, is charged with second-degree murder while armed with a knife for her alleged involvement in the stabbing of 59-year-old Thurman Knight at their residence on the 500 block of Montana Avenue, NE in March. The two were involved in a romantic relationship, according to court documents.

Judge Craig Iscoe said the evidence provided suggests that the defendant was more than just present during the murder, agreeing with the prosecution’s arguments that Sanders told multiple parties contradicting stories. Court documents state that the defendant told conflicting stories to not only the police but also witnesses involved in the investigation.

According to the prosecution, a blood trail at the crime scene, “connects the defendant to the case.” The prosecution said the blood trail proves that “something” happened inside the apartment.

However, Judge Iscoe said the evidence didn’t suggest that an altercation took place inside the apartment before the murder.

Sanders’ defense counsel said her conflicting stories were the result of a traumatic experience. This would “naturally lead to differing stories,” counsel said. Apparently, there was a history of domestic abuse within the relationship.

Defense counsel also said the blood trail did not prove that the murder happened inside the residence on Montana Avenue because the direction could not be determined.

Court documents state that police found a knife near Knight’s body. The knife contained both Sanders and Knight’s DNA. There was no other DNA found on the weapon.

In addition to finding probable cause, Judge Iscoe also continued a ruling on Sanders release to give the defense more time to provide specifications about a residence and its occupants where Sanders would stay. Sanders is currently being held at DC Jail without bail.

A felony status conference is scheduled on June 18.

Julia Guercio and Brooke Welsh contributed to this article

Defendant Pleads Guilty to 2010 Homicide

In what was supposed to be a trial readiness hearing June 11, a defendant pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed.

Jackie Berry was initially charged with second-degree murder while armed with a knife, possession of a prohibited weapon and carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or business for allegedly stabbing 38 year-old Michael McKoy on the 1600 block of V Street, SE in 2010. According to court documents, Berry’s DNA was found on a condom in McKoy’s apartment.

Under the plea agreement, the prosecution would request that Berry receive a sentence of 10 years in prison with five years of supervised release. Berry’s other charges would be dropped.

DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe accepted Berry’s guilty plea based on a proffer of facts provided by the prosecution.

The sentencing is scheduled on Sept. 6.

Case Dismissed: Judge Pushes Back Deadline for Murder Indictment

Editor’s note: The case against Kenneil Cole was dismissed on Feb. 1, 2023.

In the case of a man who was once commended for his rise from homelessness, a DC Superior Court Judge granted the defense’s request to postpone the murder defendant’s grand jury hearing.

Kenneil Cole is charged with first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for allegedly shooting his roommate, Keon Delonte Wallace, on the 2400 block of Skyland Place, SE. Cole, 24, who turned himself into the police, said he shot his roommate in self-defense after Wallace, 24, pulled a semi-automatic rifle on him.

During a status hearing June 11, defense attorney, James King, requested additional time in order to review all of the evidence in the case. He said he was still waiting on evidence from the prosecution and planned to file a motion for the items. King said he also needed time to determine if the defense would conduct independent DNA testing.

Judge Craig Iscoe granted the defense’s request for a 90-day continuance.

In April, the judge also resolved an issue with Cole’s difficulty to attend court proceedings by moving him from Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford, Virginia to DC Jail.

Judge Iscoe initiated the move after he acknowledged that Cole’s failure to appear in court was due to the distance between the Virginia jail, where Cole was being held for an undisclosed reason, and DC Courts.

D.C. Witness reported that King has been trying to get Judge Iscoe to move Cole since January. Judge Iscoe denied an earlier request to move Cole in light of attorney-client privilege. Apparently, the Virginia facility didn’t allow King to see Cole. Instead, an order was issued to permit individuals from the Public Defender Service to visit Cole

A status hearing is scheduled on Sept. 6.

Defense Wants to Question Witness More

During a murder defendant’s felony status conference June 10, defense counsel requested to question a detective more to obtain evidence for the case.

Jerome Myles, 20, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 19-year-old Antonio Dixon. The shooting occurred on Oct. 20, 2018, on the 900 block of 5th Street, SE.

Prior to the hearing, the defense submitted a motion to cross-examine a detective further. The defense attorneys said they wanted to question the detective about a gun photo found on a witness’s phone.

The prosecutor said she had not had an opportunity to read the motion and opposed it temporarily, saying she would submit a more detailed response in writing. The prosecutor has until June 24 to submit her response.

If DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman grants the motion, the defense would question the detective at the next felony status conference on July 10.

According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia, Dixon’s death resulted from multiple gunshot wounds, which appeared to be from the same projectile that travelled through the hand and into the chest.

Counsel Argues Over Admissibility of Expert’s Testimony

During a motions hearing on June 10, a defense attorney for a murder defendant argued that testimony from an firearms expert needs to be highly restricted in court.

Marquette Tibbs, 27, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and two gun-related charges for his alleged role in the shooting of 37-year-old Orlando Silver III . The shooting occurred on the 1300 block of Howard Road, SE in 2016.

Tibbs’ defense attorney, Jessica Robbins, said that in order to prevent a jury from being misled by “certainty statements,” or wording that would indicate that bullet casings came from a “particular gun,” the expert’s testimony should be restricted.

According to Robbins, “certainty statements” were problematic because they would make the jury believe that bullet casings found on the scene are definitively from the gun in question.

Robbins also requested that the jury receive an instruction about the error rate that occurs when matches between bullet casings and guns are made. She said the error rate could be as high as 35 percent.

However, the prosecution said studies have shown that highly trained firearms examiners could properly identify bullet casings without making any errors. The prosecution said the method of matching casings to guns should not be excluded from court or considered invalid because of the extremely high success rate.

The prosecution also said the expert should be allowed to testify in court. However, the prosecution agreed that the expert should not be able to offer an opinion.

DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman said he needed time to think about the arguments that were made. He said he would rule on the motion on July 12. He also scheduled another motions hearing on July 2, where counsel is expected to discuss an issue with the evidence in the case.

Judge Pushes Preliminary Hearing Back for Vehicular Homicide Case

A preliminary hearing was rescheduled from June 10 to June 25 to continue negotiations for a plea offer.

Tyler Hurley is charged with second-degree murder for his alleged involvement in a vehicular crash that resulted in the death of Kunal Talwar in December of 2018. Hurley, 21, was allegedly intoxicated when he ran a red light at the corner of 19th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW.

After the hearing date was changed, the prosecution said it would need more time to make a plea offer.

DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe also modified Hurley’s High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) conditions, allowing him to remove his ankle monitor so he could go to the beach for a family vacation.

Judge Iscoe said his decision was based on the prosecution’s investigation and the presence of Hurley’s family in court.

Defense counsel, Bernard Grimm, requested to remove Hurley’s ankle monitor because sand would disrupt the tracking system.

Julia Guercio contributed to this article.

Trial Date Set for Two Men Charged in Fatal Shooting

During a status hearing June 10, a DC Superior Court judge set a trial date for co-defendants in a murder case.

Jerrell Powell and Jeremiah Jordan are charged with first-degree murder while armed for the alleged shooting of 30-year-old Antoine Danell McCullough on the 3500 block 18th Street, SE in 2016. Jordan, 26, is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. According to DC Courts, Powell, 21, is currently awaiting a mental health exam at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.

After a closed discussion with counsel at the bench, Judge Dayna A. Dayson set a trial date for the co-defendants on May 18, 2020.

According to court documents, McCullough was shot in the chest two times after an alleged dispute with Jordan. Apparently, Jordan supplied Powell with a gun and advised him to kill McCullough.

A status hearing is scheduled on Oct. 3.

Regina Woolridge contributed to this article.

Prosecutor ‘Confident’ He Will Secure Indictment

A prosecutor in a murder case said he would secure an indictment in July.

Dazmine Anderson was charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 30-year-old Jean-Claude Jackson on the 1300 block of Good Hope Road in Southeast DC on Oct. 7. Anderson, 16, is being charged as an adult.

During a felony status conference June 17, the prosecution told DC Superior Court Judge Milton C. Lee that he is “confident” that crime scene reports and “inconsistencies” between witness statements would get an indictment by July 10, which is within the prosecution’s 9-month deadline.

Judge Lee also denied a request from Anderson’s defense attorney, Rachel Cicurel, for the defendant’s release. Judge Lee said the prosecution must have adequate time to prepare a counter-argument.

An arraignment hearing is scheduled on July 12.

After Long Wait, DNA Testing Finally Happening, Defense Says

During a June 7 status hearing, the defense for a murder defendant announced that DNA testing is finally being conducted for a case after a long period of waiting.

Ronald Randolph, Jr. is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting his girlfriend, 32-year-old Shameka Delephine Jones. The shooting took place on July 25, 2017, on the 2200 block of Savannah Terrace, SE. According to court documents, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department found Jones lying on the bed, suffering from a gunshot wound to the face. Randolph, 41, told the officers that he shot her.

DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman rescheduled a status hearing from March 1 to July 12 per the defense’s request. The new date would allow the defense to have enough time for DNA testing.

According to Randolph’s defense attorney, Madalyn Harvey, the DNA testing is still ongoing but is expected to be completed within the next couple weeks. Harvey said the delay should not effect the Dec. 2 trial date.

A trial readiness hearing is scheduled on Nov. 15.

Knives Will Not Be Submitted as Evidence for Trial, Prosecution Says

The prosecution told a DC Superior Court judge June 7 that, during trial, their argument will not include two items that were submitted into evidence.

Edward Brown was charged with first-degree murder while armed for the alleged stabbing of Michael Mahoney, a 71-year-old man, on the 2300 block of 11th Street NW on Feb. 5, 2018.

During the status hearing, the prosecution told Judge Milton Lee that, based on the results of three rounds of DNA testing, the prosecution would not be using two knives that were in the evidence package.

In response, the defense told the judge that independent DNA testing would not be conducted.

The defense also rejected two plea offers from the prosecution. The pleas were offerred before Brown was indicted on the murder charge by a grand jury. The prosecution didn’t mention if another agreement would be offered.

A trial readiness hearing is scheduled on Sept. 12. The trial is set to begin on Sept. 30.

Monthly Recap: Homicide Count Declines

Throughout the month of May, DC saw a 47 percent decrease in homicides from April. The decrease reflects a return to the dip in homicides that first occurred in February.

There were nine homicides in May. According to D.C. Witness data, only two suspects have been arrested as of July 16.

As previously reported, eight of the homicides were gun-related, and one was a stabbing. They occurred in only three wards: 5, 7, and 8. The last homicide was a vehicular homicide.

On May 1, 23-year-old Dajuan Donald Hart was found shot on the 3300 Block of D Street, SE. He died on the scene. There was a second adult male suffering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound.

Four days later, police found 18-year-old Saoun Coplins on May 5 on the 3000 Block of Stanton Road, SE. He was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound and later pronounced dead.

Later that week, on May 9, 28-year-old Mark Milline Jr. died in the hospital after being shot multiple times on the 800 block of Xenia Street, NE.

On May 17, 37-year-old Molly Walters was struck and killed making a left turn at the intersection of South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue, SE.

Two days later, emergency responders found 25-year-old Jonathan Hernandez on May 19 suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, as well as another adult male with non-life threatening injuries, on the 100 block of T Street, NE. Hernandez was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

On May 23, 33-year-old Pierre Mercer was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on the 2300 block of Shannon Place, SE, after police responded to reports of a shooting.

The youngest victim, 15-year-old Maurice Scott, was pronounced dead on May 26 in the hospital after being found shot on the 3500 block of Wheeler Road, SE. Three women also arrived at the hospital with non-life threatening wounds connected to the shooting.

On the same day, 44-year-old Michael Hooker was stabbed to death on the 2700 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. A suspect, 25-year-old Travis Russell, was arrested in June and is awaiting a preliminary hearing that is scheduled on Aug. 14.

According to D.C. Witness data, Russell was previously convicted of sexual abuse, unlawful possession of a firearm and other drug charges.

William Boykin, 36, was shot and killed two days later, on May 28, on the 2600 block of Birney Place, SE. A second victim was treated for non-life threatening wounds. A week later, 28-year-old Herman Sylvester Williams was arrested in connection to the case. His case has not been presented to a Grand Jury. Williams is scheduled for a felony status conference on Sept. 20.

The final victim in May was 34-year-old Eric Marshall, who was shot on the 4600 block of Reed Terrace, SE on May 29. No arrests have been made in the case.

Document: Police Arrest 1 Suspect Connected to April Homicide, Search Continues for 2nd Suspect

The Metropolitan Police Department apprehended June 6 one of the suspects connected to a murder after more than a month-long search.

Police arrested and charged 18-year-old Jada Jena Smith with first-degree felony murder in connection to the stabbing of 40-year-old Jamal Ferrell on the 700 block of 14th Street, SE on April 28. Smith is also charged with armed robbery.

Police are requesting the public’s assistance in locating 18-year-old Xavier Dontrell Culbreth. He is wanted on a DC Superior Court arrest warrant for first-degree murder while armed.

Culbreth is described as being a black male who is 5’7″ tall, 145 pounds, has brown eyes, dreadlocks and a dark complexion.

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information should call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may also be submitted to the department’s Test Tip Line — 50411.