Absent Counsel Delays Murder Case

On April 19, a murder defendant’s hearing was rescheduled to June because counsel for both the defense and prosecution was not present in court.

Stephen Maye is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 46-year-old Derek Anthony Walcott on the 5100 block of B Street, SE in 2018.

Apparently, Maye’s defense attorney, Emily Stirba, is on leave, so unassigned counsel stood in for both the defense and the prosecution. It’s unclear why the prosecution was absent.

According to court documents, Walcott was stabbed at least 24 times. Maye, 49, was found near the scene of the stabbing with Walcott’s wallet.

A felony status conference is slated to occur on June 14.

Document: 3 Traffic Fatalities Over Easter Weekend

Three traffic fatalities occurred in the District over the Easter weekend.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, a pedestrian, 31-year-old Abdul Seck, who was a resident from New York, died from a crash that occurred at the intersection of 16^th Street and V Street, SE during the morning hours on the day of the Christian holiday.

Police say Seck was stuck by a Chevrolet Malibu that veered off course when a Chevrolet Cruz crashed into the Malibu after traveling at a high speed. The operator of the Cruz, the operator of the Malibu, its three passengers, and the pedestrian were transported to area hospitals, a press release stated.

The operator of the Cruz, 21-year-old Dejuan Andre Marshall, a resident of Southeast, DC, was arrested. He has been charged with second-degree murder. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 22.

Another traffic fatality occurred during the morning hours on April 20 on the 4000 block of East Capitol Street, NE.

The decedent’s identification has not been released.

According to a press release, an Infinity was traveling westbound in the 4000 block of East Capitol Street, NE at a high rate of speed. The operator lost control of the vehicle and struck the south side curb. The vehicle continued westbound, crossing all three westbound lanes until it struck a tree. The car caught on fire.

Police are requesting that anyone with information about this crash contact the department at (202) 727-9099.

David Salovesh, a resident of Northeast DC, died in a traffic fatality that occurred on April 19 at the intersection of 12^th Street and Florida Avenue, NE.

According to a press release, 25-year-old Robert Earl Little, Jr., a resident of Northwest DC, allegedly stole a van in the area of Benning Road, NE. When police attempted to stop him, he fled in the vehicle, running a red light, hitting a Hyundai that was traveling South on 12^th Street, NE, striking Salovesh, 31, who was riding a bicycle in the eastbound lanes of Florida Avenue and finally hitting a tree.

Solavesh was pronounced dead on the scene. Little was transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the Hyundai did not sustain any injuries.

Little is charged with second-degree murder while armed and scheduled to appear in court on April 22.

Judge Sentences Defendant To 16 Years for Killing ‘Pillar of the Community’

A judge sentenced April 19 a defendant to 16 years in prison for killing a man who prosecutors say was a “pillar of the community.”

In August of 2018, Bikila Kejella pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed for shooting 23-year-old Eric Garrett on the 2300 block of 11th Street, NW in 2016. According to court documents, Garnett was transferred to a hospital where he succumed to his injuries six days later.

“I sit in disbelief that he isn’t here to talk to,” Garrett’s mother told Judge Juliet McKenna. “I struggle to hold myself together because he’s not here.”

Prior to delivering her sentence, Judge McKenna heard from many of Garnett’s loved ones who described the victim as a person who worked tirelessly to brighten the lives of people in his neighborhood.

Garnett’s aunt said he overcame early trauma, after being shot in the leg at a young age, which forced him to give up a basketball scholarship. But, Garnett continued to work to improve his community by joining the Boys and Girls Club and serving as a mentor to younger children.

“The children still cry for him,” a friend, who volunteered with Garnett at a local recreation center, said. “The hood lost too much that day.”

A prosecutor said Garnett’s family and community were “robbed” of a caring and talented individual.

“Eric was a remarkable man that took bad experiences and made them positive,” the prosecutor said.

Defense attorney, Jacqueline Cadman, said Kejella, 20, is an immigrant from Ethiopia. Cadman said the defendant had been attacked multiple times in his neighborhood. Kejella was robbed several hours before the murder and shot Garnett because he looked like one of the robbers, the attorney said.

Cadman said Kejella is “devastated” over his actions and has been working to better himself while he’s been held in DC Jail. After completing his General Education Development exam (GED), Kejella was admitted to the The Georgetown Prison Scholars Program, a partnership between Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative and the DC Department of Corrections. During his time at DC Jail, Kejella has been taking English and Government classes for college credit.

A representative from the program said Kejella is a driving force in class discussions and topped the class with a recent paper on politics.

Kejella also participated in a mentorship program and said he, like Garnett, hopes to work with children to prevent them from going down the wrong path.

“I know my actions will never be forgettable,” said Kejella while addressing Garnett’s family. “But, I hope you can find it in your heart to make them forgivable.”

Judge McKenna said she will let Kejella complete his current educational program in DC Jail before transferring him to prison to serve out his sentence.

Kejella is also expected to serve five years on supervised release after his term. Once released, he would have to register as a gun offender.

Murder Defendant Asked for Help to Move Guns, Girlfriend Says

A murder defendant’s girlfriend told the jury April 18 that he asked her to help him move guns and ammunition from his stepmother’s house after he was arrested.

Derryck Decuir is charged with first-degree murder while armed against a minor for allegedly shooting 15-year-old Malek Mercer on the 2800 block of 28th Street, SE in 2015. Decuir, 26, has been tried twice before. Both trials resulted in mistrials after the jurors could not come to a unanimous decision regarding his murder charge.

The girlfriend said Decuir used to call her nearly every day from prison. She said, at one point, he asked her to give someone a message about moving a “dog.” The girlfriend said she later realized he was referring to a gun. She also said he talked about “toenail clippings” and “dog food,” which she said were code names for bullets and ammunition.

During a previous trial, the prosecution also said that Decuir used the code name “jerseys” to refer to guns.

During the trial, a Metropolitan Police Department officer told the jury that she spoke with Mercer’s friend. She said Mercer’s friend told her that three men “followed them off the bus.”

The friend gave descriptions of the suspects and mentioned that they were pointing at Mercer’s duffel bag, the officer said.

According to the prosecution’s theory, Mercer was waiting at a bus stop with his friend when they ran into a group of three men. The prosecution said Decuir made a comment about Mercer’s belt but became enraged when Mercer “snickered” at his response. Decuir followed Mercer and eventually shot him in the neck.

The defense says Decuir fired in self-defense after he saw Mercer pulling a shotgun out of his duffel bag.

The trial is scheduled to resume on April 24.

Rebekah Herman contributed to this article.

Judge Orders Prosecution to Hand Over Camera Footage

A DC Superior Court judge ordered April 18 the prosecution to hand over discovery evidence.

MacArthur Venable is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the death of 34-year-old James Eric Ferrell on the Unit block of Massachusetts Avenue, NE on Oct. 31, 2018.

Judge Danya Dayson told the prosecution to give the defense camera footage from the Metropolitan Police Department officers’ who responded to the scene by May 3. According to the defense, the footage was requested previously but never delivered. A specific date of when the defense first requested the footage was not disclosed.

According to court documents, Venable and Ferrell got into a verbal altercation that turned physical. Apparently, someone tried to separate the men, but Venable and Ferrell got into another fight. When the same individual tried to separate the men again, Venable began shooting at Ferrell.

Venable, 34, is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 19.

Murder Defendant Faces Possible Obstruction Charge

During a status hearing on April 19, the prosecution said a murder defendant could face additional charges after incriminating letters, allegedly written by the defendant, were discovered.

Quincy Green, who is also known as Wayne Wright, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 44-year-old Dana Hamilton on the 800 block of Southern Avenue, SE in 2016.

The prosecution said they found six letters that would support charging Green, 37, with obstruction of justice. In one of the letters, Green threatens to kill a witness.

The prosecution said a grand jury investigation is still ongoing. However, the investigation is expected to end in a month.

The defense requested that the prosecution turn over all of the letters. They also said they were seeking to introduce a handwriting expert.

D.C. Witness previously reported that, at the time, of the murder, Green was being monitored by a GPS tracking device. The GPS, however, was attached to his prosthetic leg. Detectives said Green took off the prosthetic leg and used a spare prosthetic to avoid being monitored.

Green is scheduled for a status hearing on Aug. 23.

Defendant Waives Right To Remove Co-Defendant’s Attorney

A murder defendant waived his right April 18 to have his co-defendant’s attorney removed amid a potential conflict of interest.

Nyekemia Everett and Malik Hewitt are charged with first-degree murder while armed and conspiracy, among other offenses, for their alleged roles in the death of 37-year-old Christopher Heard on the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE in 2017.

Everett’s attorney, Michael Madden, said his client met with defense attorney, Nikki Lotze, while he was in jail before Madden was his lawyer.

Lotze now represents Hewitt, who is Everett’s co-defendant. DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson said Lotze’s status as Hewitt’s attorney could be a conflict of interest.

However, Everett said he would waive his right to remove Lotze because he said he did not remember telling her anything “important” during the jail meeting. Lotze said she did not remember speaking to him, but if she had she did not keep any notes.

D.C. Witness previously reported that Laurence Socci, Everett’s previous attorney, filed a motionl to be dismissed. Michael Madden was then appointed by Judge Dayson to represent Everett.

A status hearing is scheduled on July 19.

Prosecution is ‘On Track’ to Indict Teen for Homicide

The prosecution in a murder case notified the court April 18 that they are “on track” to secure a grand jury indictment, charging a 19-year-old with a fatal shooting.

Kewon Hunter is charged with second-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Dion Boyd on the 1400 block of Maryland Avenue, NE on July 30, 2018.

The prosecution said they expect to have the indictment before the deadline in June.

D.C. Witness previously reported that Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann found probable cause and ordered Hunter to be held without bail. Hunter also has a charge for burglary while armed from an unrelated case in 2018, according to DC Courts.

In lieu of the pending indictment, Hunter’s felony status conference was continued to June 21.

A DC Murder Defendant Faces Charges in Maryland

A DC Superior Court judge announced April 18 that a murder defendant was transported to Maryland to address unrelated charges.

Reginald Turner is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the death of 37-year-old Malik Muhammad on the 800 block of Taylor Street, NE on Nov. 26, 2018.

Judge Craig Iscoe told the court clerk that Turner would be prosecuted for his charges in Maryland and then be sent back to DC to address his pending murder charge. Turner, 34, is being held without bail in Maryland.

Both counsel for the defense and the prosecution were not present in court for the hearing.

D.C. Witness previously reported that Turner is charged with attempted murder, assault and gun offenses in Maryland. Apparently, Turner’s Maryland charges stem from an incident involving a police chase.

Prosecution Rests Case In Murder Trial

On April 18, the prosecution rested its rebuttal case against a defendant accused of killing a teenager and a 23-year-old man in Northeast DC.

Terik McLeod is charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the deaths of 17-year-old Devaun Drayton and Carlton Fisher in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

The prosecution’s final witness was the mother of the person who

witnessed Drayton’s murder. The mother said her son didn’t want to tell the police who killed Drayton because he didn’t want to be labeled a “snitch.”

However, a prosecutor pointed out that the mother told a grand jury in 2004 that her son gave police a name, but she “wasn’t sure if it was Tyrell or Terik.”

In response, the mother said she did not remember that part of her grand jury testimony.

D.C. Witness previously reported that the mother’s son confessed to shooting Drayton and said he lied to his mother and the police. According to the prosecution, the witness has immunity protection and can’t be prosecuted for any of the information contained in his testimony.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin on April 22.

Judge Gives Murder Defendant an Earlier Trial Date

During a status hearing on April 18, a DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman moved a murder defendant’s trial date earlier by nearly two months before its initial date.

Cinquan Cartledge is charged with first-degree murder while armed and two gun-related offenses for his alleged role in the death of 37-year-old Orlando Silver III on the 1300 block of Howard Road, SE in 2016.

Cartledge’s trial date is now scheduled to begin on Nov. 18. The 24 year old was originally scheduled to go to trial on Jan. 27, 2020.

The change comes after a prosecutor notified the court she had a scheduling conflict.

Cartledge is scheduled for a status hearing on June 21, when counsel is expected to discuss trial preparations.

Marquette Tibbs is also charged with first-degree murder in connection to Silver’s death. D.C. Witness previously reported that Cartledge and Tibbs, 26, had their cases separated on March 19 because they wanted to have the ability to testify on each other’s behalf. Tibbs’ trial is scheduled to begin on May 6.

According to court documents, GPS monitors placed Tibbs and Cartledge near the scene of Silver’s murder. Two witnesses identified Tibbs as the shooter shortly after witnessing the incident.

A police officer said he saw Tibbs throw a loaded pistol. The prosecution said the gun Tibbs threw was probably used in the homicide.

Document: Homicide on Southern Avenue, SE

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a second homicide that occurred on Southern Avenue in Southeast DC in April.

According to a press release, officers located 57 year-old Barry Holmes suffering from a gunshot wound on the 5100 block of Southern Avenue, SE on April 17. Holmes, who was a contract worker on a road crew in the area, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

“You got a guy out here, all he did today is come to work and now he’s not going to get to go home,” DC Police Chief Peter Newsham said during a news conference after the shooting.

According to Newsham, the suspect is a thin black man who is about 5’7″-5’8″ in height, wearing blue jeans, a black shirt and a red vest. He said the suspect fled, on foot, into Prince George’s County, Maryland.

The Prince George’s County Police Department is also assisting DC police with their search for the individual.

As of April 18, the police haven’t recovered any evidence or received any information that would suggest the shooting is related to another shooting that happened about five miles down Southern Avenue on April 13.

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction with any homicide case 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.

Prosecution Seeks to Discredit Witness’s Claim

The prosecution in a murder trial sought to discredit a witness who said he was responsible for murdering a teenager.

Terik McLeod is charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the deaths of 17-year-old Devaun Drayton and 23-year-old Carlton Fisher in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

The prosecution began their rebuttal by calling a detective to the stand. The detective told the jury that when he interviewed the witness during the investigation, the witness told him that another person was responsible for the shooting.

According to the detective, the witness said he and Drayton were approached by a suspect who asked Drayton, “ Did you holler at my little brother?” The detective said the witness said the suspect shot Drayton. The detective said the facts the witness initially gave him did not indicate that he was responsible for the murder.

Drayton’s sister also told the jury that the witness told her that a person was trying to rob Drayton and ended up shooting him in the process.

Apparently, the witness told another detective, in 2018, that Drayton was killed because he stole someone’s dog.

However, during the trial, the witness told the jury that he confessed to shooting the teen. According to the witness, he told detectives that he shot Drayton. He said he loaned Drayton a gun and when Drayton failed to return it, he shot him in the back of the head.

D.C. Witness previously reported that the witness has immunity protection and can’t be prosecuted for any of the information contained in his testimony.

The trial is scheduled to continue on April 18.

Witness Says He Didn’t See A Gun

During a murder trial April 17, a witness took the stand and said the victim was unarmed, discrediting the defenses’ self-defense claim.

Derryck Decuir is charged with first-degree murder while armed against a minor for his alleged role in the death of 15-year-old Malek Mercer on the 2800 block of 28th Street, SE in 2015. Decuir, 26, has been tried twice before. Both trials resulted in mistrials after the juries could not come to a unanimous decision regarding his murder charge.

“I ain’t got nothing to hide. I wanted to help my friend,” the witness said.

The witness said that on the night of the murder he did not see a gun in Mercer’s duffel bag.

However, the witness later said he lied to detectives and the prosecution in previous meetings, saying he didn’t know whether or not Mercer had a shotgun or had shotgun shells.

Apparently, the witness knew the victim owned a shotgun but didn’t tell police. The witness said he didn’t tell the police about the gun because he “knew the defense would use it as a self-defense argument.”

According to the prosecution’s theory, Mercer was waiting at a bus stop with his friend when they ran into a group of three men, including Decuir. The prosecution said Decuir made a comment about Mercer’s belt, but became enraged when Mercer “snickered” at him in response. Decuir followed Mercer and eventually shot him in the neck.

The defense says Decuir fired in self-defense after he saw Mercer pulling a shotgun out of a duffel bag.

The trial is scheduled to continue on April 18.

Murder Defendant Heads to Trial After Rejecting Plea

After rejecting a plea deal from the prosecution, a murder defendant heads to trial.

Hakeem Burroughs is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 22-year-old Jarell Walker on the 3700 block of Hayes Street, NE on June 2, 2016.

During a court proceeding April 17, Burroughs, 27, told DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna that he was rejecting the prosecution’s plea deal. According to the prosecution, the plea would have carried a 6-year credit for time served in conjunction with a five-year sentence on top of any jail time he received for other convictions in Maryland and the District. Counsel said a charge was not specified.

After the plea was rejected, the hearing moved to a discussion of the case’s outstanding motions for the trial.

On April 10, the defense filed several motions, including a motion to suppress the defendant’s cell phone and cell data from the trial, saying that the phone was seized unlawfully because Burroughs’ did not consent and a warrant was not issued.

The phone was obtained, by the police, from the scene of a crime on June 13, 2016, after Burroughs was shot. Apparently, authorities retrieved his phone from his jeans which were left on the scene.

According to a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective, Burroughs was placed on the department’s radar for the homicide after he was shot. The detective said that a warrant had not been submitted for Burroughs’ arrest on or before June 13.

Because MPD did not arrest Burroughs on or before the day he was shot, the defense argued that authorities unlawfully held his phone. Counsel said the phone was initially labeled as personal property but was not released to Burroughs or any representative on his defense team.

Judge McKenna denied the defense’s motion to suppress Burroughs cell phone and cell data from the trial, saying that, according to testimony from a forensic scientist at the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the phone was placed into police custody as evidence for the June 13 shooting.

Burroughs was arrested for Walker’s homicide on June 24, 2016.

Judge McKenna also said that since the phone was initially logged as evidence, it would not have been released to anyone. Because the phone was already in police custody, any information that was obtained for evidence in another case, was legal.

In addition to denying the motion to suppress the defendant’s cell phone and cell data, Judge McKenna also denied a motion to suppress an eyewitness’s identification of the shooter, a motion to suppress information from Burroughs’ GPS monitor and a motion to remove Burroughs’ prior convictions from the felony charge.

The judge said that any prior acts of violence from witnesses could not be discussed during trial unless Burroughs had knowledge of those acts. According to the judge, there will be limitations on how counsel can refer to the previous convictions by the defendant and the witnesses.

Jury selection for the trial is scheduled to be conducted in open court on April 18.

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