Missing Eyewitness Testifies in Murder Trial

An eyewitness in a murder trial, who failed to appear in court and deemed missing for several days, finally testified Feb. 4 after court marshals apprehended her on a bench warrant.

Saeve Evans is charged with first-degree murder while armed, two gun related offenses and obstruction of justice for allegedly shooting 16-year-old Breyona McMillian on the 1200 block of I Street, SE in 2016. Apparently, the witness was within feet of McMillian when she was shot.

The witness, who was McMillian’s friend, said she was smoking marijuana with both McMillian and Evans, 32, in a parking lot while she was waiting for another friend to pick her up. She said she was walking to her friend’s car when she heard gunshots, a pause and then more shots.

“I put my hands on my ears, closed my eyes, and ducked,” she said. “I stood like that until it was completely over. (McMillian) was laying on the ground. I never saw her get hit.”

The witness said she confronted Evans after the shots ended. She said he looked scared. The witness said she asked Evans if he shot McMillian. She said Evans said, “No, they did that.”

The witness told jurors that she was scared to testify because she felt pressured for answers she didn’t have. The witness said she felt like law enforcement and prosecutors treated her like a suspect.

“That lady thinks I saw something,” the witness said, referring to the prosecution. “I don’t know what she thinks I saw.”

The witness also told the jury that she was not afraid of Evans.

According to the defense, Evans shot at a black vehicle in self-defense. The defense says there was a shooter inside the vehicle and that the shooter struck McMillian.

But, the prosecution said there was no other shooter and that Evans shot McMillian.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Feb. 5.

January Homicides Up 46 Percent from December

As Washington, DC moved into a new year, so did violent crime. D.C. Witness data shows that homicides increased by nearly 46 percent from December.

There were 19 homicides in January, six more than the number of homicides recorded in December (13). Compared to January of 2018, homicides rose by more than 100 percent, according to D.C. Witness data.

There were nine homicides in Ward 8, the largest number of homicides for the month. Ward 7 took the second spot with four homicides, and Ward 6 rounded out the top three wards with three homicides in January, according to D.C. Witness data.

D.C. Witness data also shows that 15 homicides were a result of gun violence, two homicides resulted from stabbings and two homicides were fire related. Police have arrested three suspects in two of the 19 homicides.

Collin J. Potter was arrested in connection to a fatal stabbing that occurred on Jan. 6. According to a press release, Potter, 26, who is a resident of Quantico, Va. is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 36-year-old Vongell Lugo on the 2800 block of Wisconsin Avenue, NW. According to a press release, Lugo resided in Northwest, DC.

Potter has a preliminary hearing scheduled on March 15.

Two other suspects, Stephon Evans and Alonzo Brown, were arrested for shooting 22-year-old Michael Taylor on Jan. 12 on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE. All three men resided in Northeast, DC.

Both suspects are charged with first-degree murder while armed. Evans, 18, and Brown, 21, are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 15.

Louis Shearon contributed to this article.

A Defendant Targeted Another Transgender Woman Before Murder, Prosecution Says

During a murder trial, the prosecution sought to prove that a murder defendant previously targeted a transgender woman. The woman in question took the stand Feb. 4.

Jalonte Little and Monte Johnson are charged with first-degree murder while armed, robbery while armed and conspiracy, among other felonies, for their alleged role in the death of 22-year-old Deeniquia Dodds, also known as Gregory Dodds, on the 200 block of Division Street, NE in 2016. According to the prosecution, Dodds’ death is being treated as a hate crime.

The woman, who works as a prostitute, told the jury that nearly a week prior to Dodds’ murder, she was walking home after work when Little assaulted her. Apparently, Little, 28, got out of the car and told her he would give her money in exchange for sex, but she declined.

The witness said Little went to his car, pulled out a gun, pointed it at her and told her to strip.

The witness said she was able to identify Little because she previously saw him in his white car. She also said Little gave her a ride home a few weeks prior to the incident.

According to the prosecution’s theory, Johnson, Little along with brothers Shareem Hall, 25, and Cyheme Hall, 23, were involved in a series of robberies targeting transgender women. The prosecution said Little was the driver and that Johnson and the Hall brothers committed the robberies. Apparently, during Dodds’ robbery, there was a struggle and Johnson shot Dodds in the neck while the brothers stole her purse.

During cross-examination, Defense attorney Brandi Harden said her client, Little, was not charged in the assault of the witness. Harden pointed out that the witness gave inconsistent accounts of the night Little pointed a gun at her. Apparently, the witness told a grand jury that her assaulter let her put her shirt back on and that he never got out of the car. Harden also said the witness gave varying accounts of the car ride home.

Following the witness’s testimony, the defense requested a mistrial, saying the witness and prosecution failed to exclude the word “robbery” from their testimony and line of questioning after the judge directed them to do so. According to Harden, referring to the event as a robbery creates prejudice against her client due to the nature of Dodds’ death.

However, the prosecution said the jury is unlikely to remember the instances where the assault was called a “robbery” because of the extensive amount of evidence in the case as well as the length of the case.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Milton Lee said he plans to address the motion when the trial resumes on Jan. 5.

In addition to Johnson and Little, the Hall brothers are also charged with Dodds’ death. The prosecution said the brothers were offered a plea deal and plan to testify against Little and Johnson, 23. As of Feb. 4, a plea had not been filed.

Man Pleads Guilty to Murder

On Feb. 1, a defendant accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder.

Ja’Vonte Brown is charged with second degree murder for his alleged role in the shooting death of 26-year-old Carl Gray on the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace, SE in Jan 2017.

Prosecutors said that Brown was in a verbal argument with Gray and another man, who was shot and survived. Surveillance footage corroborated that Brown left the location of the incident after the argument, only to return and shoot both individuals.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped Brown’s attempted murder charge. Brown’s initial charge of first-degree murder was also reduced to second-degree murder.

A status hearing is scheduled on Oct. 18.

Defense Requests Additional DNA Testing in Homicide

During a status hearing Feb. 1, a defense attorney requested additional DNA testing for evidence collected in a 2017 homicide investigation.

Ronald Randolph, Jr. is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting his girlfriend, Shameka Delephine Jones, on July 25, 2017, on the 2200 block of Savannah Terrace, SE. Apparently, Randolph thought Jones was cheating on him.

Madalyn Harvey, Randolph’s defense attorney, told the judge that she wanted to have all of the evidence that was collected during the homicide investigation sent to a lab for additional testing, including articles of clothing, ammunition, and a SmarTrip card. She said that shipping all the evidence to the lab could avoid any delays in the trial if she required additional evidence.

However, the prosecution argued that sending all evidence for DNA testing would be time consuming and unnecessary, given the fact that Randolph, 41, lived with Jones,32, at the residence where she was shot.

DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman told counsel to decide what evidence is necessary for testing by Feb. 5.

According to court documents, Randolph was released from prison nearly a month before the shooting after serving almost 11 years in prison for a second-degree murder conviction. Court documents state that Randolph had been held in custody since 1999.

A trial readiness hearing is scheduled on March 1.

Document: Homicide on 60th Street, NE

The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating a homicide that took place on the 500 block of 60^th Street, NE on Feb. 3.

According to a press release, officers located 59-year-old Michael Bernard Wells suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Up to a $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other homicide in 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.

Mansion Murders: Wint Receives Life Without Parole

On Feb. 1, a judge sentenced Daron Wint to life without the possibility of release for his role in the deaths of three family members and a housekeeper.

Wint was found guilty in October of 2018 of felony murder while armed, kidnapping, extortion, and arson and other charges, for the murder of Amy, Savvas, and Philip Savopoulos, as well as their housekeeper, Veralicia Figueroa, on the 3200 block of Woodland Drive, NW in 2015.

According to court documents, the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department responded to a house fire on May 15, 2015, where they found 47-year-old Amy, 46-year-old Savvas, Figueroa and Philip, the Savopoulos’ 10-year-old son, unconscious. All three members of the Savopoulos family were pronounced dead on the scene, while Figueroa, 57, was transferred to Georgetown University Hospital. She was pronounced dead shortly after.

Prosecutors said Wint, 36, kidnapped the victims and demanded a $40,000 ransom. Even though Savvas, who owned an ironworks company, complied, he, his wife, son and their housekeeper were brutally tortured for almost 24 hours. To destroy evidence, prosecutors said Wint tried to burn the house down with the individuals still inside.

During a trial lasting nearly six weeks, jurors heard from more than 60 witnesses, including expert witnesses that linked DNA evidence found on pizza crust; a construction vest; a knife used to prop open a first floor window; a hair strand found inside a construction hat in the garage and another strand found on the bedding inside the room where Amy, Savvas and Figueroa were found to Wint. Prosecutors also presented Wint’s internet search history as evidence, which included searches for “how to beat a lie detector test.”

DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna heard from multiple family members and friends of the victims before deciding to sentence Wint to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

“They taught me what true love looked like,” said one of Amy and Savvas’s daughters. At the time of the murders, she was in boarding school along with her other younger sister, who was unable to attend the hearing.

Prosecutors said the Savapoulos family were pillars of their community and were completely undeserving of their horrific deaths. “We want the court to take away his hope,” said a prosecutor while arguing for the maximum sentence.

Wint’s defense attorney, Judith Pipe, reiterated that Wint was not the murderer. During the trial, Pipe said that there must have been more than one person carrying out the murders because hostages were held in separate rooms. Wint and his attorneys are seeking to appeal the verdict, according to the Washington Post.

Transgender Woman’s Testimony Backs Up Prosecution’s Theory

A transgender woman told a DC Superior Court judge and lawyers Jan. 31 that one of the murder defendants robbed her in 2016. Her testimony backs up the prosecution’s theory about the murder of another transgender woman.

Jalonte Little and Monte Johnson are charged with felony murder while armed and armed robbery, among other offenses, for their alleged roles in the shooting of 22-year-old Deeniquia Dodds on the 200 block of Division Street, NE in 2016. Along with the defendants, brothers, Shareem Hall and Cyheme Hall are also being charged with Dodd’s death. The prosecution is treating the homicide as a hate crime.

The transgender woman, who spoke outside the presence of a jury, said she was allegedly robbed by Little on June 28, 2016. Prosecutors were able to retrieve two 911 calls made by the witness, who, on July 4, 2016, identified Little as her assailant.

According to to the prosecution’s theory, Little, Johnson and the Hall brothers were involved in a series of robberies targeting transgender women, which resulted in Dodds’ death. D.C. Witness previously reported that the prosecution offered a plea deal to the Hall brothers in exchange for their testimonies against Little and Johnson. As of Jan. 31, a plea agreement has not yet been filed.

On the seventh day of trial, two other witnesses, who are affiliated with Johnson, received immunity deals in exchange for their testimonies.

Johnson’s ex-girlfriend told the jury Jan. 31 that she was not given a lawyer or read her rights during an interview with police that lasted nearly four hours. However, she said she agreed to testify to the grand jury without a lawyer and understood her rights. The ex-girlfriend was granted immunity after saying Jan. 30 that she was “pressured” into giving a false testimony against Johnson during the grand jury hearing.

A friend of Johnson was also given immunity in exchange for his testimony. When asked by prosecutors if a gun he owned was given to anyone in connection with a murder, the friend said he could not remember.

The trial is scheduled to continue on Feb. 4.

Judge Issues Continuance in Murder Trial

On Jan. 31, a judge issued a continuance in a murder trial because of a missing witness.

Saeve Evans is charged with first-degree murder while armed and two gun related offenses for his alleged involvement in the death of Breyona McMillian on the 1200 block of I Street, SE in 2016. Evans, 32, is also charged with obstruction of justice.

The missing witness was allegedly standing near McMillian, 16, at the time of her death. If the witness is not located by Feb. 4, the prosecution would have to ask for a mistrial.

“We need that witness,” the prosecutor said. Apparently, the witness has been missing for at least a week.

DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe said the unfortunate death of Sean Shuler on Jan. 26 may play a role in keeping the witness away.

On the day of the incident, the defense said that Evans began firing at a black car in self-defense. He saw movement and believed that Shuler, 26, was in the vehicle. Apparently, Shuler shot Evans in a previous encounter.

Even though the defense said a shooter in the black car shot McMillian, the prosecution said Evans was the only shooter, and he was ultimately responsible for McMillian’s death.

However, the prosecution cannot prove that there was only one shooter. According to a ballistics expert, there could have been two weapons involved.

The expert witness said he tested bullet cartridges from the scene. He said some of those cartridges have similar characteristics and were fired from the same gun. However, he could not say for certain whether all the cartridges were fired from the same weapon.

“It’s inconclusive,” the witness said.

He said the gun Evans was allegedly holding in surveillance footage was characteristic of a micro uzi pistol. He said this pistol would be consistent with the cartridges found at the scene.

Follow the trial on dcwitness.org.

Document: Examiner’s Office Rules Man’s Death A Homicide Nearly 2 Years After Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a man’s death, which was ruled a homicide nearly two years after he was shot.

According to a press release, 28-year-old Troy Souder was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds during the evening hours on May 19, 2017, on the 100 block of Irvington Street, SW. He was taken to an area hospital for life-threatening injuries. Sounder succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 27.

According to the Washington Post, Souder was working on a car outside of an apartment building when an unidentified individual began shooting.

The Medical Examiner’s Office of the District of Columbia ruled the death a homicide.

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. Up to a $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

Judge Refuses to Sentence Murder Defendants Under Youth Act

A D.C. Superior Court judge denied the defense’s request Jan. 30 to sentence two men under the Youth Rehabilitation Act of 2018. Apparently, the men were sentenced under the Youth Act previously and had their provisions revoked.

On Dec. 18, Judge Judith Bartnoff sentenced Barry Giles and Marco Williams to 8.5 years and 15.5 years in prison, respectively, for their involvement in the death of 37-year-old Timothy Lassiter on the 3100 block of Berry Road, NE in 2016.

Judge Bartnoff said that sentencing the men under the youth act was “just too much of a stretch” due to the severity of the crime and the fact that they were previously given youth act benefits.

As stated in the Youth Rehabilitation Act of 2018, youth offenders age 15 – 24 can have their sentence “set-aside” or hidden from public view if the judge deems it appropriate.

Giles, who was 20 years old at the time of the offense, and Williams, who was 23 years old at the time of offense, were eligible to be considered under the amended law.

During the hearing, Williams’ defense attorney, Brandi Harden, argued in favor of her client being sentenced under the youth act saying, Williams’ background is “traumatic” noting that his mother was “strung out” on drugs and that he lived with his grandmother.

“Of course he couldn’t make correct decisions,” Harden said.

Harden also said that upon his release, Williams would be nearly 40 years old and said it would be “cumbersome” on the community for him to reenter the community with no job prospects.Harden argued that sentencing Williams under the youth act wouldn’t be a “gift.”

Apparently, under the statute Williams would have to successfully serve out his sentence and complete probation before the court would agree to “set aside” his sentence.

Giles’ defense attorney, Madalyn Harvey, agreed with Harden’s arguments and added that her client was on probation for a 2017 gun related conviction at the time of the murder. She said that he was technically sentenced under the youth act, but the right was revoked because he violated his probation by being involved in Lassiter’s death.

Harvey said Giles, 22, never got the full benefit of the youth act.

Meanwhile, the prosecution refuted the defense’s position saying, the youth act must be “earned” and given to those who are “deserving.” The prosecutor said the act doesn’t simply apply because a defendant fits the age requirement. He also said that Williams’ was sentenced twice before under the youth act.

Defendant’s Ex-Girlfriend Says She Was ‘Pressured’ Into Giving A False Testimony

After receiving an immunity deal, a witness recanted Jan. 30 her initial story about a homicide.

Monte Johnson and Jalonte Little are charged with felony murder while armed, conspiracy and robbery while armed, among other offenses, for their alleged involvement in the death of 22-year-old Deeniquia Dodds, who was also known as Gregory Dodds, on the 200 block of Division Avenue, NE in 2016. This case is classified as a hate crime, according to the prosecution.

During the trial, Johnson’s ex-girlfriend told a jury that he did not confess to the murder. However, the girlfriend told a grand jury that she picked Johnson up after the murder when he confessed to “accidentally” shooting Dodds. She said he didn’t know the gun was loaded and that the robbery “didn’t go how it was supposed to go.”

Noting her conflicting statements, the girlfriend said the prosecution “pressured” her to give the initial testimony. She said detectives on the case did not inform her of her rights, denied her request for a lawyer and called her “a fucking liar.” She said the prosecution told her they would “lock her up.”

However, the girlfriend’s grand jury testimony showed that she was notified of her rights and was provided with a lawyer. The girlfriends’ lawyer was present in the audience during her testimony.

In addition to Johnson and Little, brothers Shareem Hall, 25, and Cyheme Hall, 23, are also charged with Dodd’s death. The prosecution said the brothers were offered a plea deal and plan to testify against Little, 28 and Johnson, 23. As of Jan. 30, a plea agreement has not been filed on the DC Courts’ website.

According to the prosecution’s theory, Johnson, Little and the Hall brothers were involved in a series of robberies targeting transgender women, which resulted in Dodds’ death. The prosecution said Little was the driver and that Johnson and the Hall brothers committed the robberies. Apparently, during Dodds’ robbery, there was a struggle and Johnson shot Dodds in the neck while the brothers stole her purse.

The trial is scheduled to continue on Jan. 31.

Prosecution Can’t Locate Murder Trial’s Key Witness

The prosecution in a murder trial notified the court Jan. 30 that the only eyewitness to a 16-year-old girl’s murder failed to show up to testify and cannot be located. Apparently, the witness was standing near the victim when she was shot.

“I do not know when the witness will be found,” the prosecutor said. “A marshal is working on it.”

Saeve Evans is charged with first-degree murder while armed and two gun related charges for his alleged involvement in the death of Breyona McMillian on the 1200 block of I Street, SE in 2016. Evans, 32, is also charged with obstruction of justice.

Even though the prosecution said they need more time to find the witness, they still plan on calling other witnesses.

“I understand,” DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe said. “You are missing two key witnesses.” Judge Iscoe was referring to the missing eyewitness and a man, Sean Shuler, who allegedly had a longstanding feud with Evans.

D.C. Witness previously reported that Shuler, 26, was found dead on Jan. 26.

During opening arguments, the prosecution said McMillian and her friend, the eyewitness, were standing in a parking lot when McMillian was fatally shot. Evans, 26, shot McMillian when he opened fire at a black car that entered the area, according to the prosecution. Apparently, Evans believed the person driving the car was Shuler, but it wasn’t.

The defense said that there was movement in the car and that Evans fired back in self-defense. The defense says a shooter in the car struck McMillian.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Jan. 31.

Murder Defendant Waives Reading of Indictment

During a hearing Jan. 30, a murder defendant waived his right to a formal reading of his indictment for his alleged role in homicide of a 48-year-old man.

Jerome Wilson is charged with felony murder while armed, robbery and two gun-related offenses for his alleged role in the death of Sean Anderson on the 2300 Block of Good Hope Road, SE on March 24, 2018.

Wilson, 36, pleaded not guilty.

A prosecutor, standing in on the case, said the assigned prosecutor plans to hand over discovery evidence soon.

D.C. Witness previously reported that a detective on the case said Wilson was the last person to see Anderson alive. Apparently, the men were in Anderson’s apartment smoking crack cocaine and watching pornography. A witness told police Anderson was armed with a revolver, which the detective said could have been the murder weapon.

Wilson is scheduled for a status hearing on March 15.

Man Fatally Shot Over Weekend is Allegedly Connected to Minor’s Death

During a murder trial, the defense questioned witnesses about the whereabouts of a man they say caused the murder defendant to open fire and “defend” himself. The man in question was fatally shot over the weekend.

Saeve Evans is charged with first-degree murder while armed and two gun related charges for his alleged role in the death of 16-year-old Breyona McMillian on the 1200 block of I Street, SE in 2016. Evans is also charged with obstruction of justice.

“We were planning on calling Sean Shuler, who is now dead,” the prosecutor said in court on Jan. 30.

According to court documents, Evans, 32, had a long standing feud with Shuler, who was convicted of shooting Evans in 2012.

A press release said Shuler, 26, was shot and killed on Jan. 26 in Southeast DC.

A witness previously testified that Shuler had been living in a halfway house in the days leading up to McMillian’s death. On the day of the murder, the witness said Shuler had left the house in the morning and did not return until approximately 4 p.m. McMillan was shot around noon.

An expert witness said cell phone records show that Shuler’s phone had not been in the area of the shooting. However, the defense said that the cell phone data only shows the location of the phone, not Shuler.

During opening arguments, the defense said Evans was standing in a parking lot with McMillian, when a black car entered the lot. Apparently, Evans believed Shuler was in the car. The defense said there was movement in the car and Evans opened fire as a result. The defense said there was a shooter in the car and that they shot McMillian.

However, the prosecution said Shuler wasn’t in the car and that Evans was the only shooter.

Thamar Bailey contributed to this article.

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