Judge Finds Probable Cause from Child’s Statement

An 11-year-old child, who witnessed a double homicide, identified the murder defendant and his wife, according to a Metropolitan Police Department detective.

Alonzo Lewis is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Venius Badgett and Jaquon Helm on the unit block of Galveston Street, SW on May 26. Lewis was arrested on May 31.

According to court documents, the 11-year-old eyewitness saw Lewis stand over Badgett, 35, and shoot her before shooting Helm, 40. The victims had five children, who were not injured during the altercation.

According to a retired Maryland detective, one of his sources said Lewis’ wife initiated an altercation and then called her husband. The husband allegedly shot both victims and disassembled the firearm, discarding it into dumpsters. Police have not located the murder weapon nor pieces of it.

Helm was not breathing when police arrived on the crime scene. The District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Helm was shot multiple times in the head and chest. Helm was lying next to Badgett, who died at the hospital.

During a preliminary hearing on Aug. 6, Craig Hicken, Lewis’ defense attorney, argued that the 11-year-old witness should not be considered reliable due to age.

However, after reviewing the evidence, DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson found that the 11-year-old’s account was corroborated by pictures taken at the crime scene, video footage from a surveillance camera and other testimonies. Judge Dayson found probable cause with substantial probability that Lewis could have committed the murders.

The prosecution extended a plea offer for two counts of second-degree murder while armed, but Lewis rejected the plea.

A felony status conference is scheduled for Oct. 30.

Judge Grants Motion to Push Back 2016 Murder Trial

On the day a murder trial was scheduled to take place, a DC Superior Court judge pushed the trial date back in light of the possibility of new DNA evidence.

Nathaniel Taylor is charged with felony murder while armed for allegedly shooting Nuru Frenche on the 4900 block of Just Street, NE in 2016.

Judge Juliet McKenna rescheduled the trial, which was previously slated to be held on Aug. 6, to Dec. 5 because the prosecution requested more time to retest DNA swabs. The prosecution said the swabs would be tested with upgraded equipment at a Signature Science lab to find any “useful matches” in the case.

Taylor’s defense attorney, Antoini Jones, said the additional testing could potentially bolster the idea that there is a “third-party perpetrator.”

According to court documents, a witness saw Taylor, 25; his previous co-defendant, Anthony Blackmone; and Frenche, 23, on the street. The witness also heard someone say “give that shit up” but was not sure if that person was Taylor or Blackmone.

Blackmone, 23, pled guilty to attempted robbery and voluntary manslaughter. In April, Blackmone was sentenced to six years in prison. According to the prosecution, Blackmone plans to testify against Taylor.

Taylor is scheduled for a status hearing on Oct. 5.

July Homicides Increase Nearly 46 Percent from Last Year

Homicide totals from July only confirm that Washington, DC’s spike in crime is getting worse.

According to D.C. Witness data, there were 19 homicides in DC in July, an increase of nearly 46 percent from 2017 and about 27 percent from June. There were 15 homicides in June and 13 homicides in July of 2017.

A majority of the July homicides resulted in shooting deaths. Four deaths resulted from fatal stabbings. One of the stabbing deaths was classified as self defense.

Of the 19 homicides, the Metropolitan Police Department has arrested Matthew Moore and Alton Rivers.

Although Moore, 33, has been detained since 2017 for the murder of Ronnell Reaves, 22, a second death was added to his first-degree murder charge. Apparently, Moore also allegedly shot 23-year-old Kevin Kennedy in 2017. Kennedy succumbed to his injuries on July 8.

Moore is scheduled for a status hearing on Sept. 7. A jury trial has been set for Jan. 7, 2019.

Alton Rivers was arrested by the MPD on July 27 for allegedly stabbing 68-year-old Anthony Anderson on the 3600 block of 14th Street, NW, earlier that day.

According to court documents, the murder weapon is believed to be a screwdriver. Rivers, 54, is charged with second-degree murder while armed. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 7.

The police are currently searching for two suspects involved in two shootings in July. The suspects are 28-year-old Marcus Whitaker, who is wanted for second-degree murder while armed, and 37-year-old Reginald Johnson, who is wanted for first-degree murder while armed.

Did a Police Officer Corrupt a Murder Scene?

During a murder trial, a Metropolitan Police Department reserve officer admitted to moving a cell phone at a crime scene before he realized it was evidence.

Sean Green is charged with felony murder while armed in connection to the 2015 death of Derrick Black on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

According to the reserve officer, who volunteers with the police, he picked up the cell phone after other officers arrived, thinking it belonged to another officer. When it occurred to him that it might have been evidence, the witness said he set it down several feet away from where he had found it.

Subsequently, Green’s defense attorney, Steven Kiersh, asked the witness why he did not put the phone back where he found it. The reserve officer said that would have only corrupted the scene more.

Another witness from the MPD said he used a software called “Cellbright” to extract information from the phone. In court, the prosecution displayed contact info, photos and texts pulled from the device.

There were several outgoing messages to an individual listed in the phone’s contacts as “Damen.” According to another witness, Damen is also the name of Green’s brother.

The trial is scheduled to resume Aug. 7.

Defendant Pleads Not Guilty to Fatal Stabbing, Again

On Aug. 3, a murder defendant underwent a second felony arraignment after he received a second indictment for the murder of a woman in 2014.

Mark Kenyatta Bowser, Jr., who was initially indicted in June of 2015, received two additional charges. Bowser, 39, allegedly stabbed Tracy Womack, 39, on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE in 2014. Womack died at a near-by hospital hours later.

The two additional charges are of obstruction of justice. Apparently, Bowser tried to intimidate a witness from testifying. He is also charged with first-degree murder while armed, carrying a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon outside a home or place of business.

The defendant pled not guilty. Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff rescheduled the trial from Jan. 29 to May 13, 2019. The trial had been rescheduled three times before, according to court records.

A status hearing is scheduled on Nov. 16.

More about the case

According to court documents, Bowser, who is also known as “Piggy,” entered Womack’s apartment and went to her bedroom while she was sleeping.

A witness said Bowser stabbed Womack as she screamed for help. When a neighbor from down the street came to assist, Bowser also assaulted the neighbor while he was leaving the scene.

A detective testified, during a preliminary hearing on Oct. 7, 2014,that the victim was stabbed more than 40 times.

The victim was found unconscious with her pants pulled down. Bowser was arrested two days after Womack’s death.

Follow D.C. Witness for more updates on the case.

Document: Police Arrest Second Suspect for June Murder

On Aug. 3, the Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrest of Dearren Dawkins for the shooting death of Larry Harrell.

According to a press release, police found Harrell, 43, suffering from a gunshot wound on the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE on June 13.

After locating Harrell, police arrested 16-year-old Titus Iracks in connection to Harrell’s murder.

Dawkins, 21, and Iracks are both charged with first-degree murder while armed.

Judge Sentences Defendant to 23 Years for Gun and Obstruction Charges

On Aug. 3, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a murder defendant to 23 years in prison.

In 2017, a jury found Derryck Decuir guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior felony, carrying a firearm without a license with a prior felony, obstruction of justice and tampering with physical evidence. The jury acquitted him for the charges of attempting to commit robbery while armed against a minor and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

However, the jury could not come to an unanimous decision with regard to Decuir’s first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence charges.

Decuir, 26, has been tried twice for allegedly shooting Malek Dayvon Mercer on the 2800 block of 28th Street, SE, in 2015.

Decuir was tried a second time in March for the murder and gun possession charges. The case resulted in a another mistrial; however, the prosecution said they plan to retry Decuir.

During his sentencing, the prosecution reiterated the facts of the case and said in 2015 Decuir left his home carrying a loaded semi-automatic firearm in violation of his probation for an unrelated case. The prosecution said that after his arrest for allegedly killing Mercer, 15, Decuir placed coded phone calls from jail to influence his friends and family to relocate the firearms, dispose of evidence and lie on his behalf.

The victim’s family was in attendance at the sentencing. During her impact statement, Mercer’s mother said that her son’s death “put a hole” in her family.

“We don’t have closure, we still don’t know what happened that night,” she said.

Prior to administering the sentence, Judge Puig-Lugo noted that Decuir demonstrated pride in owning three firearms while on probation. Apparently, Decuir uploaded pictures of the weapons on social media. Decuir also owned a 30-bullet magazine, which is commonly referred to has an extended clip.

“You (Decuir) were not defending yourself, you were preparing for an invasion,” Judge Puig-Lugo said. “This shows how little you care for the law and the court process.”

Judge Puig-Lugo ordered Decuir to undergo a mental health evaluation while incarcerated.

After his sentence, Decuir will serve five years on supervised release.

Murder Defendant Rejects Plea Deal

During a felony status conference on Aug. 2, a murder defendant rejected a plea deal.

Mario Alfaro is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Jonathan Vilchez, 22, on the 5400 block of Georgia Avenue, NW in 2017.

According to court documents, the incident was recorded by three different cameras. According to surveillance footage, Alfaro, 23, mouthed something to Vilchez while they were in a convenience store, before showing his firearm. A second video showed Vilchez drawing his gun and shooting Alfaro first. The third video shows Alfaro stop outside of the convenience store, load his gun and fire shots at Vilchez.

Police subsequently found a blood trail which led them directly to a dumpster where the murder weapon was located. The trail then led them to Alfaro, who was found suffering from gunshot wounds and brought to the hospital.

Under the plea agreement, Alfaro could have pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed with a firearm and the prosecution would drop all other charges.

A felony status conference is scheduled on Aug. 29.

Judge Grants Trial Delay in 2015 Murder Case

Nearly a month before a murder trial was scheduled to begin, a DC Superior Court judge granted the defense’s request to push back the date.

Ryan Thompson is charged with second-degree murder and reckless driving for his alleged involvement in the death of Matthew Roth, 22, at the intersection of 16th and Madison Streets, NW in 2015.

Thompson’s previous co-defendant, Rasheed Murray,accepted a plea agreement in July. The terms of the plea deal have not been released. But, as part of the deal, Murray agreed to testify against Thompson in court, according to the defense.

According to court documents, Thompson and Murray were street racing, traveling north on 16th Street, NW, when Murray lost control of his vehicle and struck Roth’s car. Roth was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and later pronounced dead. In 2016, Fox 5 reported that Thompson used to work as a firefighter with DC Fire and EMS.

Based on Murray’s plans to testify, Thompson’s defense attorney, Rebecca Bloch, motioned to push the trial date in an effort to have additional time to investigate and prepare for the prosecution’s case with Murray as the “star witness.”

The prosecution had no objection.

Judge Milton Lee granted the motion but said he was “troubled” by the amount of time he would have to delay the trial and noted that the case was more than three years old.

The trial, originally scheduled for September, was rescheduled to April 1, 2019.

Judge Refuses to Intervene in Murder Defendant’s Jail Sanctions

On Aug. 1, a murder defendant was escorted out of the courtroom after a judge refused to order the DC Jail to restore his visitation rights.

Co-defendants, Jolonta Little and Monte Johnson are charged with felony murder while armed for allegedly shooting 22-year-old Deeniquia Dodds, a transgender woman, on the 200 block of Division Avenue, NE in 2016. The case is being treated as a hate crime. Cyheme Hall and Shareem Hall are also charged with Dodd’s murder. The Halls’ case statuses are not available at this time.

During a trial readiness hearing, counsel agreed they were on track to go to trial in January in 2019.

Subsequently, Little’s attorney, Brandi Harden, requested that the judge order the DC Jail to restore her client’s visitation rights or at least create provisions that would allow human contact.

Harden said that living in isolation and not being able to see his family has caused Little to have a mental breakdown. She said she deems these conditions as “cruel and unusual punishment.”

In March, the prosecution requested the jail curtail Little’s contact with visitors because he was allegedly ordering hits and assaults on witnesses in the case.

DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee said that while he agreed the provisions may not be fair, they were reasonable considering the allegations against Little. Judge Lee said he had no jurisdiction to tell the jail what to do, and he refused to get involved with the situation.

Little started yelling at the judge because of the decision and had to be escorted from the courtroom by the U.S. Marshals.

Little, 27, and Johnson, 23, are also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy, robbery while armed, assault with attempt to commit a robbery, carrying a pistol without a license and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Little and Johnson are scheduled for a status hearing on Jan. 4, 2019.

Judge Denies Motion to Sever Co-defendants in Murder Trial

On July 31, a DC Superior Court judge denied a motion to sever co-defendants in a murder trial.

Jeremiah Jordan and Jerrell Powell are charged with first-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Antoine Danell McCullough on the 3500 block 18th Street, SE in 2016. The co-defendants are also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, McCullough, 30, told witnesses he was assaulted. Area surveillance videos captured three people getting into a verbal altercation with McCullough. The individuals followed McCullough after he tried to leave, and one suspect was seen shooting the victim. McCullough died shortly after.

Powell, 23, was found incompetent to stand trial one month before the proceeding, which was originally scheduled for July 31. Powell’s attorney, Brandi Harden, requested an additional mental competency evaluation for her client and filed a motion to sever the cases based on his incompetent status.

Judge Danya Dayson denied the motion to sever the defendants in an effort to ensure the security of an eyewitness and to avoid holding two duplicate trials. Judge Dayson rescheduled the trial for May 2019.

Subsequently, Ronald Resetarits, Jordan’s defense attorney, argued that Jordan’s right to a speedy trial was violated since Jordan, 28, and Powell’s trial was rescheduled to 33 months after his client’s arrest. To address this concern, Judge Dayson said she would try to reschedule the trial for an earlier date.

Resetarits filed a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the prosecution had been withholding evidence and that the evidence was incomplete. According to Resetarits, the evidence was disclosed a week before the trial was originally scheduled, too late to be used during trial.

Judge Dayson denied the motion to dismiss the case given the delayed trial date, which provided the defense with more time “to make use of” the new evidence.

A status hearing is scheduled on Aug. 29.

Murder Trial: Prosecution Begins with Police Interrogation

After jury selection, prosecutors teased footage of an interview a defendant had with police during opening statements in a murder trial July 31.

Sean Green is accused of shooting Derrick Black in the summer of 2015. Green is charged with felony murder while armed. According to testimony from a Metropolitan Police Department officer, 24-year-old Black’s body was run over by a car and dragged in the street on the 3300 block of Georgia Ave, NW after he was allegedly shot.

The prosecution said Green’s taped police interview had three phases: Green attempting to concoct an alibi, Green attempting to negotiate and Green attempting to “minimize” his involvement in the crime.

On the footage, Green is seen telling detectives that he had “nothing whatsoever” to do with Black’s death. Later, the defendant said he might have known how his DNA ended up at the crime scene. Green also asked police to become an informant and requested a “pardon.”

According to a prosecutor, in the third and final phase of the interview, Green, 27, said a man named “Mike-Mike” threatened to kill him if he did not kill Black. Later, Green said “Mike-Mike” didn’t actually threaten to kill him but instead promised him money and drugs. Green also said the person’s name was not “Mike-Mike”, but “Man-Man.”

“He made a choice,” the prosecutor said. “He didn’t have to approach Derrick Black, but he did… He didn’t have to run over Derrick’s body and shoot it again, but he did.”

The prosecutor also called attention to a gun magazine with Green’s DNA on it, which was recovered from the crime scene. The magazine was capable of holding 10 cartridges. There were three cartridges left in the magazine and seven casings were found at the scene, according to the prosecutor.

Green’s defense attorney said, during his opening statement, that a key witness for the prosecution was high on K2, a synthetic drug, when she saw the crime. The attorney said that both the woman and another witness said the shooter had long dreadlocks.

One witness, who failed to identify Green in a photo array, later said Green was the shooter after calling the police and asking about reward money, according to Green’s attorney.

Green’s attorney also referenced the police interrogation video, saying the first portion of the video is Green alone in the room, “mumbling and rambling and cursing.” He said Green has mental problems from a car accident in 2006.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Aug. 2.

Document: Victim Dies 11 Years After Being Shot

The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating a fatal shooting that occurred 11 years ago.

On Jan. 14, 2007, James Eason was allegedly shot on the 3100 block of 24^th Street, SE. He had been treated at an area hospital until he succumbed from injuries related to complications from a gunshot wound on July 25, 2018. The District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner classified the shooting as a homicide.

According to a press release, two unidentified suspects, approached Eason, 32, with a gun, demanding property. One of the suspects allegedly shot Eason, and then both fled the scene.

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

Expert Witness Could Be Problematic, Prosecutors Say

Prosecutors warned defense attorneys, during a trial readiness hearing July 31, about questions they might ask a potentially problematic expert witness in an upcoming murder trial.

The defendant, Sean Hurd, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Antonio Lee Bryant on the 3300 block of D Street, SE in 2015. The Washington Post reported that Hurd, 22, was wearing a GPS tracker as a result of a previous conviction for attempted robbery at the time of the incident. Data from the tracker placed Hurd at the scene. His trial is scheduled to begin on Aug. 23.

The prosecution said the potential witness used to work as a forensic analyst in Atlanta, Ga. but was fired from his job due to poor performance. He did not have a good professional repertoire, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors cited an “unpleasant” incident that occurred when the witness came to testify at D.C. Superior Court, for an unrelated case, and ended up testifying that he had been fired from his job in Atlanta due to racial discrimination.

According to prosecutors, the witness said he had been fired “so they could put a black female in his place.” The witness is a white man.

Still, defense attorneys said they wanted to call the witness, claiming he had testified in trials and hearings all around the country. “He’s actually very knowledgeable about his field,” one of Hurd’s attorneys said.

The prosecution added that they were aware of an incident, when the witness was working as a crime analyst in Atlanta the witness shot himself when a gun he was examining discharged accidentally.

“We anticipate having a lot of fodder for cross examination,” said a prosecutor, explaining that there was plenty of material to question the witness about if he took the stand.

A trial readiness hearing is scheduled continue on Aug. 16.

Murder Defendant Says He Was Confused During Police Interview

Defense attorneys requested July 30 to suppress statements that a murder defendant made during his interview with police.

Sean Green is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 24-year-old Derrick Black in 2015. Green, 27, was identified as a suspect by DNA evidence recovered from a gun magazine that was found on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

According to the defense, Green did not know what was happening during an initial interview with detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department. According to Green’s defense attorneys, he was “confused” before being read his rights. However, the prosecution argued that there were indications throughout the interview that Green understood his situation.

Surveillance video captured Green telling detectives that he had “nothing whatsoever” to do with Black’s death. Later, the defendant said he might have known how his DNA ended up at the crime scene. During the interview, Green asked police to become an informant and requested a “pardon.”

“I don’t think there’s any question he understood what was happening,” DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff said. She denied the defense’s request to suppress the statements.

Opening statements for Green’s trial began on July 31.

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