The Metropolitan Police Department arrested a third suspect in connection to a fatal shooting in Southeast DC.
According to a press release, 30-year-old Gabriel Brown was arrested March 19 and charged with first-degree murder while armed – felony murder for his role in the alleged shooting of 24-year-old Tyrone Johnsonon the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE on March 10, 2017.
The police previously arrested two other suspects in connection to the case. Jordan Woods and Antonio Upshaw were arrested on Dec. 29, 2017. Upshaw, 29, is also charged with first-degree murder while armed – felony murder. He is currently being held without bond and scheduled for a status hearing on April 8.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Woods, who was 23 years old at the time of the murder, was released and his charges were dismissed.
A murder defendant requested new defense counsel after he said he did not receive good advice from his attorney about a pre-indictment plea deal. As a result of the allegation, the defendant’s attorney filed a motion to withdraw.
Ricardo Daquan Boston is charged with first-degree murder while armed and obstruction of justice, among other offenses, for his alleged role in the shooting of 20-year-old Dante Coleman on the 3900 block of First Street, SE in 2017.
A prosecutor said she offered a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter while armed, which carries a sentencing range of 10-15 years before an indictment was filed on Nov. 7, 2018. However, after the indictment, the prosecutor said she would offer a plea of second-degree murder while armed. If Boston, 24, decides to take the deal, he could serve up to 16 years in prison.
Boston claims he did not understand the terms of the pre-indictment plea.
During the hearing on March 19, defense attorney Keith Irving said Boston wanted a new attorney because of allegations of ineffective counsel. Irving filed the motion to withdraw on March 12.
Judge Todd Edelman said he would grant Irving’s motion in a few days once a new attorney was appointed.
Judge Edelman also said this was not the first time Boston was appointed a new attorney. According to court documents, attorney Gabriel Diaz was dismissed from Boston’s case in June of 2018.
Court documents state that Coleman was found by police with a gunshot wound to the head. Surveillance footage shows Boston pointing an object believed by prosecutors to be a gun at Coleman. A witness said that Coleman and Boston were in a room with the doors closed when gunshots were fired.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the fatal stabbing of a 59-year-old man.
According to a press release, officers found Thurman Knight suffering from a stab wound on the 500 block of Montana Avenue, NE on March 17. Knight was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police are offering up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this homicide 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.
Even though counsel could not solidify whether a murder defendant’s DNA was actually on a 34-year-old victim, the attorneys centered on the prospect during closing arguments.
El Hadji Toure is charged with first-degree murder while armed, first-degree sexual abuse and robbery while armed, among other offenses, for his alleged role in the death of 34-year-old Corrina Mehiel on the 600 block of 14th Street, NE in March of 2017. According to the prosecution, Mehiel was an artist who was visiting the city from North Carolina.
The prosecution spoke about the vicious attack, while the defense said the two were sexually involved.
According to the prosecution, Toure attacked Mehiel while she was loading her car outside the apartment she was renting. Apparently, Toure held Mehiel hostage and sexually assaulted her inside her home, stabbing her to death.
“That man did it,” said the prosecutor. “He did it just because he could.”
D.C. Witness previously reported that an expert testified that it was “likely” that Toure’s DNA was included in a mixture of DNA found on a victim who was allegedly robbed, raped and murdered. According to the expert, Toure could be a possible contributor of DNA found in a vaginal swab. His semen was also found on a pair of leggings that was used to bound Mehiel.
In addition to the DNA, surveillance footage shows a man, who appears to be Toure, using Mehiel’s debit and credit cards to withdraw money from various ATMs days after the homicide.
“He’s giving you the puzzle pieces that show his guilt,” the prosecutor said.
However, according to the defense, the sexual contact between Toure and Mehiel was not only consensual but the true murderer committed the crime afterwards.
“The evidence doesn’t show what actually happened to Ms. Mehiel,” said defense lawyer Jacqueline Cadman. “It shows the defendant in this unfortunate situation.”
Cadman told the jury that the investigation unit did not investigate any tip or lead that didn’t support their theory of the case. Furthermore, she mentioned how some DNA samples had been contaminated while they were processed by forensic services.
“[The prosecution] has absolutely failed to maintain the evidence of this case,” said Cadman.
D.C. Witness previously reported that a request for tips was released to the public. The detective said multiple tips came from callers who reported individuals that may have been involved in Mehiel’s murder. However, the detective said he didn’t follow-up with the tips because the callers reported white men and police were searching for a black man.
Apparently, police also received a tip from Mehiel’s family about a potential suspect who had a “thing” for Mehiel. According to the detective, the tip was briefly looked into but disregarded when they learned that the man was white.
The detective said his priority was finding the man seen on the footage. “He was the most immediate person we found using stuff from her apartment,” the detective said.
The trial of Dianna Lalchan has become centered on whether she shot her husband in self defense.
Dianna Lalchan
Dianna, 33, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, but the defense hasn’t been able to produce evidence of domestic violence in a marriage that ended with a fatal
Christopher Lalchan
gunshot to the back of her husband, 36-year-old Christopher Lalchan’s head. The shooting occurred at the the Carrollsburg Condominiums located on the 1200 block of 4th Street, SW in 2013. The couple had been married since 2008.
On March 14, the murder defendant took the stand to tell the jury about the instances of domestic violence in her marriage. Dianna’s testimony is the only form of evidence in the trial, so far, that indicates she suffered domestic abuse. During their relationship, she never filed any reports or charges against her husband, nor did she follow up with medical services for wounds she received from the abuse.
“Chris was not in control of himself,” she told the jury, mentioning that during arguments he would become overwhelmed with emotion and flip out. She described the episodes as if he were turning into the Hulk, the comic book character that would start as a man whose anger converted him into an out-of-control, violent monster.
She said her husband would slap, push, shove and strangle her duing arguments but she stayed in the relationship anyway.
“I loved him. I wanted to be with him. [I] believed in him,” she told the jury. “If he wanted to hurt me, he would hurt me. He was a lot stronger than I was.”
But, she said things started to shift in 2012.
In 2012, Dianna says her sexual orientation began to change after seeing a coworker “come out” sexually.
Dianna said she discussed her sexuality with her husband, admitting that she was attracted to women. She said her husband understood, mentioning that he had struggled with his own sexual identity in the past.
Dianna said Christopher told her he was fine with her sexuality as long as she returned to him at night.
But, Dianna said Christopher started to become afraid that he was losing his wife, mentioning that the two discussed the possibility of divorce. “The relationship wouldn’t end,” she said. “We still wanted to be each other’s person.”
Dianna said she started to tell others about the abuse she was suffering, which was becoming worse.
She described one incident when she woke up with Christopher’s hand around her neck. She said he lifted her in the air and threw her around the room while holding a gun in his other hand. Dianna said the incident occurred after he read one of her journal entries. She said that incident ruined any chance the two had of being together.
Dianna also told the jury that she took photos of bruising that occurred from the abuse. However, the jury wasn’t shown any photos of Dianna with bruising.
Dianna also said she didn’t show the photos to anyone because she didn’t want to prevent Christopher from accomplishing his dreams. Apparently Christopher wanted to join the military and become a politician.
After experiencing several abusive incidents, Dianna told the jury that she began to create an exit strategy, which included sending her personal information, such as her social security card and birth certificate, to the a coworker for safe keeping. Dianna also said she tied a rope to the balcony to enable a quick exit in case Chris attacked her again, carried an extra bag that contained clothing and her work ID, slept with a pocket knife and ordered a lock to use if Christopher ever left the apartment.
By this time Dianna and her husband had settled on filing for divorce.
Dianna told the jury that the two got into another argument, this time about how to divide property, during the evening of March 27. She said that during the argument, Christopher punched the television, which was photographed by the police on a cart; broke her violin stand and threatened to kill himself with one of the four guns in the condo.
“The dynamics had changed,” she said. “I was already on edge.”
A few hours later the couple got into another argument. Dianna said Christopher charged at her, saying, “Do I need to shut you up?” She said she grabbed the gun and fired it at him.
“This time he didn’t stop,” she said, adding that she was aiming at him to stop him.
D.C. Witness reported earlier that the gun was fired three times with bullet fragments found in the living room wall, the floor and the back of Christopher’s head.
According to a blood stain analyst and crime scene reconstruction expert, Christopher was not killed by the first gunshot. Although a sequence of shots cannot be determined, the expert said that, based on blood stains on a broken piece of flooring, Chris was shot in the back of his head after a bullet hit the floor. The expert also said that Chris’s head was close to the floor, with his face down, when he was shot.
A neighbor who heard the gunshots said he had not heard an argument before they were fired.
“I didn’t want to,” Dianna told the jury. “I felt very sad and disappointed in myself and in him that we couldn’t … I was hopeful that we could get out of this and that he would be successful and achieve all [of his] dreams.”
As she said that, Dianna began crying hysterically. “It’s really complicated. He had just wanted to kill himself. It could have gone so many other ways,” she said.
The prosecution began cross-examining Dianna on March 18. The cross is scheduled to continue to March 19.
A District of Columbia Superior Court judge scheduled another status hearing in April for a murder defendant.
Jerome Wilsonis 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.
The judge scheduled the second status hearing on April 18 because the defense requested more time to review evidence including surveillance video and body cam footage.
The prosecution also requested to get a hard drive from defense to hand over the rest of the evidence package.
D.C. Witness previously reported that a detective on the case said Wilson, 36, was the last person to see Anderson, 48, 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.
During a felony status conference March 15, a prosecutor said he would need at least nine months to issue an indictment for a 41-year-old murder defendant.
Alphonso Walker, 41, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Dalonte Wilson, 23, and Antone Brown, 44, on the 400 block of 61st Street, NE on April 25, 2018.
The prosecution told DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee that progress was being made towards issuing an indictment, but it could possibly take until December.
“Nine months should not be the norm,” said Judith Pipe, Walker’s defense lawyer. “There is only one witness who identifies Mr. Walker.”
The prosecutor said he “is trying to move up the case but has other trial schedules.”
The prosecutor also said he hasn’t made a decision on testing DNA from the crime scene or items in the defendant’s home. However, the prosecutor said that “testing or not testing won’t impact the issuing time of the indictment.”
The felony status conference is scheduled to continue on June 7.
During a preliminary hearing March 15, a judge allowed a defense attorney to withdraw from a murder case.
Marcel Vines and his co-defendant, Malique Lewis, are charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 23-year-old Kerrice Lewis on the 800 block of Adrian Street, SE in 2017.
Justin Okezie, Vines former defense attorney, did not specify why he decided to withdraw from the case. The court appointed defense attorney Frances D’Antuono to represent the defendant.
Lewis, Vines’ co-defendant, is being represented by defense attorneys Kristin Mcgough and Kevin Robertson. As of March 15, his attorneys haven’t requested to withdraw from the case.
Another defendant in the case, Ashton Briscoe, is scheduled for a felony arraignment on May 29.
According to court documents, Kerrice’s death was allegedly in retaliation for the death of Ronzay Green. Witnesses told police that Vines believed the victim was responsible for Green’s death. According to court documents, the victim apparently set Green, 23, up to get robbed.
The preliminary hearing is scheduled to continue on March 21.
A murder defendant decided to accept a plea offer from the prosecution on the last day it was eligible.
Andre Gray pleaded guilty March 15 to involuntary manslaughter for his alleged involvement in the death of 37-year-old Keisha Whitaker on the 1500 block of 18th Street, SE on Sept. 12, 2018. Apparently, Whitaker was riding in the front passenger seat of a car Gray was driving while he was under the influence of PCP, a hallucinatory drug.
Under the agreement, Gray, 56, could face four to five years in prison. All of Gray’s other charges, including a misdemeanor case, would be dismissed.
Gray initially rejected the plea offer. However, according to DC Courts, he accepted the offer after receiving notice to return for his preliminary hearing, which was scheduled to occur on March 27.
During the month of February, the District saw a decrease in homicides compared to the start of the New Year, which tallied 19 homicides. However, D.C. Witness data shows February homicides have increased by nearly 50 percent compared to February 2018.
Throughout February, there were 10 homicides, including eight gun-related deaths, one stabbing and one vehicular homicide.
Michael Wells
Three days into the start of the month, police found 59-year-old Michael Bernard Wellssuffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 500 block of 60th Street, NE.
Daniel Olaya
Three days later, on Feb. 6, Daniel Olaya succumbed to injuries he obtained the day before when he was hit by a vehicle on the 1900 block of 4th Street, NW.
Police arrested and charged Morris Kenya Harley with first-degree murder while armed in connection to Olaya’s death. Harley, 36, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 29.
According to a press release, Harley “intentionally” struck Olaya, 35, with a vehicle in the midst of an argument.
David Remen
On Feb. 14, police arrived on the 1700 block of Hamlin Street, NE and found two men suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The men were brought to a nearby hospital, where 32-year-old David Anthony Remen succumbed to his injuries.
Matthew Washington
On Feb. 15, police found 20-year-old Matthew Washington suffering from a gunshot wound on the 100 block of Harry Thomas Way, NE.
On Feb. 22, 39-year-old Jason Wood was found on the 1600 block of Benning Road, NE suffering from multiple stab wounds.
Police arrested and charged Darius Murphy with second-degree murder while armed in connection to Wood’s death. Murphy, 24, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 29.
David Brandon
On Feb. 24, 30-year-old David Elijah Brandon succumbed to injuries he obtained in connection to a shooting on the 300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.
Mark Mosley
Later that same day, police found Mark Mosley suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 600 block of 46th Place, SE. Mosley, 33, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Georgette Goodman
On Feb. 25, police found Georgette Goodman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 4700 block of 1st Street, SW. Goodman, 35, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Corey Farmer
Two days later, on Feb. 27, 19-year-old Corey Farmer succumbed to his injuries in connection to a Feb. 19 shooting on the 400 block of 37th Place, SE.
Jamal Kwame Crump
On the same day, police found 23-year-old Jamal Kwame Crump suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 1300 block of Monroe Street, NW.
On March 7, police arrested and charged a juvenile with first-degree murder while armed and carrying a pistol without a license in connection to Crump’s death. The juvenile is scheduled for a status hearing on April 8. His trial is set to begin on April 22.
On March 14, the defense raised concerns that their client’s sixth amendment right may have been violated during the investigation.
El Hadji Toure is charged with first-degree murder while armed, first-degree sexual abuse and robbery while armed, among other offenses, for his alleged role in the death of Corrina Mehiel in an apartment on the 600 block of 14th Street, NE in March of 2017.
According to the defense, their client’s sixth amendment right was violated when the prosecution failed to investigate IP addresses that visited Mehiel’s website after her death.
The prosecution said they received a list of IP addresses who viewed the website after a grand jury subpoena, but they don’t know who conducted the original investigation or why the IP addresses were not looked into further.
“Why the grand jury takes certain actions is not warranted here,” the prosecution said.
Apparently there was a website that featured a photo with a “striking” resemblance to the crime scene, showing Mehiel on the floor, face-down with a pile of clothes on top of her. The website was owned and operated by Mehiel.
The prosecution called a detective to the stand who worked on Mehiel’s case. The detective said he had prior knowledge about the investigation of the website. However, it seems that he learned of the website investigation while talking to the prosecution the night before his testimony.
“We are entitled to confront every person who reviewed this information,” the defense said, requesting to reopen their case.
However, DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna denied the request. She said the defense was able to cross-examine the detective about his knowledge of the website and address any misinterpretation left with the jury after his testimony.
A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a trial date for two murder defendants who claim they acted in self-defense.
Titus Iracks and Dearren Dawkins, 22, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy while armed, robbery while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for allegedly shooting Larry Harrell on the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE in June of 2018.
According to court documents, police found Harrell, 43, lying in a parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Harrell was pronounced dead on the scene. The Office of the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia said the bullet went through Harrell’s right temple and lodged in his brain.
After the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges March 14, Judge Danya Dayson scheduled Iracks, 17, and Dawkins’ trial to begin on May 4, 2020. The judge also denied defense counsel’s request to place the defendants in the High Intensity Supervision Program.
The defendants previously denied a plea offer that would have downgraded their murder charge to voluntary manslaughter while armed and dismissed the remaining charges.
According to court documents, Dawkins, who was with Iracks, said Harrell pulled out a gun and opened fire first. Fearing for his safety, Dawkins said he pulled out his own gun and returned fire. At the time of the alleged murder, Iracks was wearing a GPS tracking device which placed him near the crime scene.
Iracks is being charged as an adult. He is currently being held at the District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.
A DC Superior Court judge set March 13 a trial date for a juvenile suspected of killing man.
According to a press release, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department found 23-year-old Jamal Kwame Crump suffering from gunshot wounds on the 1300 block of Monroe Street, NW on Feb. 27. Crump was pronounced dead at an area hospital. The suspected juvenile is charged with first-degree murder while armed and carrying a pistol without a license.
The prosecution in the case said a plea offer for second-degree murder and carrying a pistol without a license was extended. The defense has not made a decision on the plea. A deadline was not discussed.
The judge also signed a protective order for witnesses in the case. Counsel has the option to notify the judge if modifications need to be made.
Counsel and the judge also agreed on dates to submit motions in the case. The defense’s motions would be due by April 5. The prosecution is expected to respond to the motions by April 19.
The juvenile’s trial date is scheduled to begin on April 22. A status hearing is scheduled on April 8.
During a murder trial, a prosecutor raised doubt that a murder defendant really killed her husband in self defense.
Dianna LalchanChristopher Lalchan
Dianna Lalchan is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting her 36-year-old husband, Christopher Lalchan, in the Carrollsburg Condominiums located on the 1200 block of 4th Street, SW in 2013. Dianna, 33, is claiming self defense. D.C. Witness reported earlier that she said she endured an abusive marriage. The couple had been married since 2008.
Throughout a witness’s two-day testimony, she told the jury that Dianna and Christopher’s problems extended well beyond the alleged physical abuse that Dianna told police she was subjected to in the marriage.
According to the witness, who was a co-worker with Dianna when she worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the defendant told her about a disagreement the couple had over children and financial concerns. Dianna also told the witness the she was a lesbian.
The witness said that Dianna and Christopher disagreed about children. Apparently, Christopher wanted children and Dianna did not.
Dianna told the witness that she was concerned about finances from a divorce. The witness said Dianna was concerned with having to pay Christopher alimony when they divorced. According to witness testimony, Dianna was the breadwinner in the household, receiving a salary that was close to $100,000. The District of Columbia is a community property state, which requiresequitable division of marriage property and assets.
“He could still get my money,” Dianna told the witness over G-chat, an instant messaging service on Gmail.
However, the defense pointed out that Dianna had other concerns about Christopher and the divorce, such has his financial well-being and her safety.
During redirect, the witness told the jury that Dianna said she was afraid to leave Christopher because he could shoot or kill her or anyone else she was with.
“I don’t want to do it because that will definitely set him off,” the witness said Dianna told her on G-chat. The witness also told the jury that Dianna said she was worried about Christopher losing financial support.
However, some of Dianna’s actions didn’t show that she was worried about Christopher’s financial wellbeing. According to the prosecutor, Dianna had began searching about DC laws on divorce in March, the month he was killed.
“If I walk out, then it (the condo) is his,” Dianna told the co-worker when suggested to leave the home.
D.C. Witness reported that Dianna told a 911 dispatcher that she should have filed a restraining order before the night of the murder.
The defense plans on calling the witness to the stand again so that she can add more information regarding the alleged abuse Dianna faced to her testimony.
The nephew of a murder victim told a jury March 13 that he saw the defendant shoot his uncle.
Kimberly Thompson is charged with first-degree murder while armed, among other offenses, for allegedly shooting 53-year-old Charles Mayo on the 1900 block of Bennett Place, NE. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Thompson was shot on Dec. 10, 2015, and succumbed to his injuries seven days later.
“I saw the man’s face through the window as he drove up,” the nephew said, referring to the defendant who was driving a silver Mercedes Benz at the time.
Apparently the police pulled Thompson over on Dec. 12, 2015, finding three firearms that included a Glock 30, a Taurus Public Defender revolver, and a Glock 26. Two 9mm cartridge casings from the crime scene have ballistic marks that are consistent with one of the guns found in Thompson’s car.
The nephew said that he and a friend took shelter in a store when the shots were fired, but after a few minutes went to check on his uncle who was gasping for air.
The nephew said he gave Thompson the key to his Hummer, minutes before it was towed, a few days before the shooting. The nephew did not mention if the uncle told him about a disagreement or argument with the defendant. The nephew also did not say if his uncle told him why he had the key.
Apparently, Thompson told the police that Mayo was “cruddy, a drug dealer and a bad person.”
The prosecution rested its case on March 13. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin on March 18.
