Judge Demands Police Video of 2-Year-Old’s Murder Account

DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz instructed the prosecution to share the video of police interviewing a two-year-old child about the alleged murder of her grandfather by her father during a court hearing on May 16.

De’Angelo Goldston, 37, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting of his father, 61-year-old Darryl Smith, on Feb. 4 on the 1000 block of First Street, SE.

Goldston’s attorney, Kevin Mosley said the prosecution’s most important witness is Goldston’s two-year-old daughter. He asked the prosecution to give him access to the video of the police interview of the child so he can challenge its use as evidence.

Mosley said a police detective testified at Goldston’s preliminary hearing that he didn’t know where Goldston’s child was at the time of the shooting. Mosley wants to see if there is any indication from the interview whether the child saw the shooting firsthand.

Mosley said he has also heard that the child said the police shot Goldston when they arrested him. Since that’s factually incorrect, Mosley wants to challenge the child’s reliability as a witness.

Mosley asked to see the video for himself so he can learn exactly what was said and in what context, instead of being limited to isolated pieces of information shared by the prosecution.

The prosecution objected to sharing the video on the grounds that the investigation of the murder is ongoing.

“I would expect an immense amount of influence and pressure to be applied against this child,” the prosecutor said. She noted that approximately a dozen family members have written letters to the court in support of Goldston.

Mosley said there hasn’t been any evidence of undue pressure by Goldston or his family members toward the child.

Judge Kravitz told the prosecutor to provide him with the video of the interview so he can assess how appropriate it is to use the child’s testimony as evidence in the case.

“My sense is that a four-year-old is close to the lower end of what could be permitted,” Kravitz said, referring to his past experience of allowing a young child to testify at trial.

The prosecutor objected to characterizing the child as their most important witness in the case. She told the court that another family member was with Goldston, his daughter and his father before the shooting occurred.

According to the prosecutor, the family member left the apartment and returned to find Goldston’s father dead. The family member got help from the neighbors to call 911, leading to Goldston’s arrest at the scene of the incident.

Mosley said the family member was absent from the apartment for approximately 40 minutes around the time of the shooting.

The next hearing in this case is scheduled for June 27.

Document: Police Arrest 3 Juveniles in Non-fatal Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced that on May 19, three juveniles absconded from a Pennsylvania facility, stole a red 2016 Land Rover, and returned to Washington, D.C., where they were involved in a robbery and shooting on the 700 block of 8th Street, NE, leaving 1 surviving victim with non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspects fled in the stolen SUV, leading to a police pursuit and the arrest of three individuals, including one absconder, who were charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and robbery.

MPD continues to search for the two remaining absconders.

Document: Police Investigate Shooting that Leaves 1 Dead, 1 Injured

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a homicide that occurred on May 18 on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE.

Ryan Matthews, 36, was found deceased from gunshot wounds, and there is one surviving victim who is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Document: Police Investigate Homicide in Southwest DC

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a homicide that occurred on May 17 on the 100 block of Irvington Street, SW.

The victim, identified as 32-year-old Christopher Rashad Riles, was found with gunshot wounds and later pronounced dead at a hospital. The case remains under investigation.

Document: Police Investigate Homicide in Northeast DC

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a homicide that occurred on May 16 in Northeast, Washington, D.C.

Officers responded to gunshots in the rear of the 1200 block of Meigs Place, NE and found 17-year-old Naquan Johnson, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation revealed the offense took place in the rear of the 1200 block of Holbrook Terrace, NE.

Judge Denies Suspected Jail Stabber’s Release in ‘Incredibly Troubling’ Case

DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman denied a stabbing defendant’s request for release during an arraignment on May 16.

Keimontay Holston, 22, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and first-degree burglary while armed for his alleged involvement in the stabbing of another inmate at the DC Jail on the 1900 block of D Street, SE, on Jan. 2.

Damon Catacalos, Holston’s defense attorney, alerted the court of his intent to plead not guilty to all charges, asserting his constitutional rights, and requested he be released as he awaits further proceedings.

According to Catacalos, Holston, who is serving a sentence for a gun possession case, has no criminal history and would comply with any release conditions.

The prosecution objected, stating there has been no change in circumstances for the case, other than his indictment. According to the prosecution, Holston allegedly hung around the victim’s cell, waiting for another inmate to be transported. When the cell was unlocked to let the other inmate in, Holston allegedly broke into the victim’s cell, where he was in his bunk with the lights out, and stabbed him 10 times with an eight inch long homemade knife.

The prosecution insisted the “weight of the evidence is incredibly strong,” adding this is an “incredibly troubling,” case.

“This is an overwhelming case,” Judge Edelman stated, adding Holston “hasn’t been an adult very long.” Judge Edelman denied the request for release.

Parties are slated to reconvene June 2.

Judge Won’t Dismiss Murder Case for Prosecution’s Failure to Indict

DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman denied a homicide defendant’s request to dismiss his case for “want of prosecution,” during a hearing on May 16.

Karim Ibrahim, 22, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Javonni Coleman on Jan. 16, 2024 on the 2400 block of S Street, SE.

Kevin Mosley, Ibrahim’s attorney, filed a motion to dismiss his case for want of prosecution, or the prosecution’s failure to actively pursue or indict the case. Through the motion, Mosley argued that Ibrahim’s right to a speedy trial has been violated, due to the prosecution’s failure to indict the case within the nine month deadline from the day of Ibrahim’s arrest.

According to Judge Edelman, the deadline was May 8, but the prosecution filed a motion to extend the date on May 5.

Mosley argued the prosecution has “no good reason why they’ve waited,” so long to work on the case.

The prosecution wanted an extension until Aug. 8 to indict the case, but Judge Edelman denied that request. However, he allowed them until May 21.

Parties are slated to reconvene May 22.

Document: Police Search of Suspects in Armed Carjacking Offense

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are seeking assistance in identifying two suspects involved in armed carjackings in Northwest DC.

On May 4, officers responded to incidents on the 1900 block of 12th Street, NW, and the 1600 block of Benning Road, NE, where suspects used a handgun to assault a victim and steal a vehicle, and in another instance, demanded money before fleeing.

Surveillance images of the suspects have been released to aid in their identification.

Document: Police Investigate Fatal Shooting on Elvans Road

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on May 14 on the 2400 block of Elvans Road, SE.

The victim, identified as 32-year-old Ricky Jones of Southeast, D.C., was found with gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect in W Street Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested 22-year-old LaDarrius Whitaker in connection with a shooting incident that occurred on May 5 on the 1600 block of W Street, SE.

The incident involved an adult female who sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at a hospital.

Whitaker was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (Gun) and destruction of property.

Prosecutors Present Evidence of Alleged Cover-Up of Triple-Homicide, Mass Shooting

The prosecution presented evidence they allege proves two among six co-defendants acted to cover-up a mass shooting during a trial before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on May 13.

Erwin Dubose, 31, Kamar Queen, 28, Damonta Thompson, 28, and William Johnson-Lee, 22, are charged with conspiracy, premeditated first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, among other charges, for their alleged involvement in the mass shooting that killed 31-year-old Donnetta Dyson, 24-year-old Keenan Braxton, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner. The incident occurred on the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW on Sept. 4, 2021, and injured three additional individuals.

Mussay Rezene, 32, and Toyia Johnson, 53, are charged with accessory after the fact while armed and tampering with physical evidence for their alleged involvement in assisting the other defendants discard evidence and avoid arrests.

Prosecutors allege Johnson rented a black Honda Accord used to execute the shooting and then falsely reported the vehicle stolen to cover-up the crime.

The prosecution played nine 911 calls between Sept. 4 and Sept. 7 in which Johnson repeatedly reported a stolen black Honda Accord she had rented. Prosecutors informed the jury that parties agreed upon the dates and times of the 911 calls with the first call on Sept. 4, 2021 at 8:40 p. m.

Following the 911 calls, prosecutors called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer who responded to the stolen vehicle call and met with Johnson to file a report on Sept. 7. The prosecution played the officer’s body-worn camera footage of his interaction with Johnson.

In the video, the officer informed Johnson a black Honda was involved in homicides a few days prior and Johnson told the officer she parked the car the evening of Sept. 2 and reported it stolen the morning of Sept. 4. The officer is heard telling Johnson that’s good. He said that if Johnson reported the car missing Saturday morning it would have been before the homicides.

The officer also told Johnson in the video that if she had proof of her efforts to report the stolen vehicle then she can’t be implicated in the homicides. “I don’t think you had anything to do with it,” said the officer in the footage.

An expert in the field of fingerprint comparison and identification testified that the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) sent him fingerprints linked to the case. The expert said he identified the prints from DFS as Rezene’s through comparison to known prints from the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFES).

Prosecutors claim the fingerprints link Rezene to a gray Nissan Maxima he allegedly used to burn the Honda.

During cross-examination, Rezene’s attorney, Kevin Robertson, noted that the expert has no knowledge of when the prints were left or the circumstances they were left in.

The fingerprint expert also said he compared the prints to Dubose’s known prints, but during cross-examination from Dubose’s attorney, Michael Bruckheim, the witness confirmed there were no identifications regarding Dubose.

The trial is scheduled to resume on May 14.

‘This is No Accident, This is No Mistake,’ Prosecutors Say in Homicide Trial’s Opening Statements

A jury in DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt’s courtroom heard opening statements and multiple witnesses testify on May 14.

Myron Hickson, 36, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Maurice Frazier on Oct. 28, 2022. The incident occurred in an apartment building on the 900 block of Bellevue Street, SE.

“Myron Hickson shot and killed Maurice Frazier… this was personal,” prosecutors said in their opening statements. According to the prosecution, Frazier, who was in a relationship with Hickson’s baby mama, sustained gunshot wounds to the chest, genitals, arm and head.

Prosecutors claimed that Hickson arrived at Frazier’s girlfriend’s home at 2:40 a. m. on the morning of the incident, banging on the door while the woman’s four kids slept in the apartment. When Frazier told Hickson “you can see your son tomorrow,” prosecutors argued, Hickson wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“This is no accident, this is no mistake,” the prosecution insisted, adding “Myron Hickson is the man that killed Maurice Frazier for no reason.” Prosecutors claimed Hickson was fixated on a love triangle that did not necessarily include Frazier, but rather any man Frazier’s girlfriend would date.

However, Matthew Besman, Hickson’s attorney, disagreed with the prosecution. “When Maurice Frazier pulled his gun, Myron Hickson had no choice. He feared for his life” Besman said, adding Hickson “acted in lawful self-defense.”

According to Besman, Hickson was trying to drop off money for his child, whose mother Hickson was trying to have a better co-parenting relationship with, when Frazier “came out angry, irritated, and armed.”

“Even though it was three in the morning, [Hickson] decided to drop [the money] off to fulfill his responsibilities,” Besman argued, adding “He couldn’t have known what was waiting for him on the other side of the door.”

According to Besman, Hickson saw a version of Frazier “he had never seen,” which allegedly prompted Hickson to tell Frazier to calm down.

“Myron Hickson had no choice. He fired because he thought he was going to die. This isn’t personal, it’s survival,” Besman insisted.

Following opening statements, prosecutors called on Frazier’s girlfriend and Hickson’s baby mama to testify. She testified that her and Hickson’s baby was born in January of 2021, but they broke up because “it was too much for me.”

According to Frazier’s girlfriend, she and Hickson attempted to co-parent, but had a few issues. She recalled a specific issue on Dec. 25, 2021, when Hickson allegedly showed up at her house unannounced and under the influence. According to the witness, Hickson was “belligerent, talking trash.”

She added they ended up “getting into it,” and Hickson pushed her to the ground while she carried their 11-month-old baby. Her older children, she testified, were petrified as Hickson kept pulling his shirt up. However, she testified, she didn’t see a weapon that day.

According to the witness, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the scene on Christmas morning, but it is unclear if Hickson was arrested.

Frazier’s girlfriend also testified that in the early hours of Oct. 28, 2022, she and Frazier were at her apartment folding laundry, preparing themselves for her graduation later that morning.

She testified that Frazier was “actively involved,” in her and her children’s lives, so it wasn’t rare for him to spend the night at her apartment.

According to Frazier’s girlfriend, they dozed off in the living room, and were awakened by banging at the door. She testified she got up, looked out the peep hole of her door, and realized Hickson was the one knocking. “I eased back so he didn’t hear me,” she recalled.

She testified she woke Frazier up, and he went to speak with Hickson outside the door. “He made sure I was okay,” she recalled, adding Frazier told Hickson “Your son is sleeping, you can see him tomorrow.”

She added the door closed, and she was unable to hear anything else. “I felt that they were talking too long,” she stated, remembering she went to the door and heard gunshots.

Frazier’s girlfriend stated she waited to open the door for a few seconds out of fear. “It was just silent,” she recalled, adding, “[Maurice] was just laying lifeless right there… I was trying to talk to him.”

Prosecutors played her 911 call, where she could be heard begging “Please, help me. Oh my god, Maurice.”

Prosecutors also played body-worn camera from the first responding officer, where Frazier’s girlfriend could be heard telling him “my son’s father killed him.”

Due to time constraints, Frazier’s girlfriend will conclude her testimony May 15.

Prosecutors also called on the first responding officer, who testified he responded to the scene after being dispatched for a shooting. According to the officer, he was met by an “upset and crying,” woman who told her “my son’s father did it.”

According to the officer, he located Frazier face down in front of the door to an apartment. He testified he provided CPR to Frazier, requested an ambulance, and notified MPD’s Violent Crime Branch (VCB), which includes the homicide branch. He added Frazier was pronounced dead at the scene, despite life saving efforts.

Parties are slated to reconvene May 15.

Document: MPD Arrests Suspect in Fatal Assault

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 48-year-old Walter Parker, who was charged with first-degree murder in connection with a fatal assault that occurred on April 23 on the 400 block of M Street, SE. The victim, 77-year-old Bernard Williams, succumbed to his injuries on April 28 after being assaulted in an apartment complex. Parker was initially charged with aggravated assault, but charges were upgraded following the victim’s death.

Witness Testifies About Two Vehicles Linked to Triple Homicide, Mass Shooting

An analyst testified about what she did and didn’t find in two vehicles prosecutors say are linked to a mass shooting involving six-codefendants. The evidence was presented before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on May 12.

According to the prosecution, the defendants committed the mass shooting as retaliation for another shooting, which occurred two hours earlier, during which Queen and a group of friends were allegedly targeted, with one individual injured. The shooting occurred at Queen’s godmother’s house on the 800 block of Oglethorpe Road, NE.

The prosecution called a former forensic scientist with the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) who testified that she processed two vehicles connected to the incident. The first vehicle, a black Honda Accord, prosecutors claim Johnson rented and Thompson drove as the getaway driver during the shooting. Prosecutors allege the second vehicle, a gray Nissan Maxima, connects Rezene to burning the Honda in an alleyway to destroy evidence.

The forensic scientist said she collected latent fingerprints in the Nissan from two windows and plastic water bottles, in addition to DNA swabs from a charging cord. Prosecutors displayed a photo of a black balaclava, or ski mask, the witness said she located on the floor of the Nissan.

Regarding the Honda, the witness said she was asked to search for firearms evidence, but discovered none.

Johnson-Lee’s attorney, Peter Fayne, questioned the witness’ handling of the Honda and pointed out an error in her report, the processing date listed incorrectly on one page.

Fayne also asked the witness why she only searched for firearms evidence in the Honda when the search warrant she received said to collect various types of evidence. She responded that a detective informed her they were only looking for firearms evidence so she did not perform the other examinations.

Another former DFS forensic scientist testified that on Sept. 9, 2021 he recovered a bullet from a window-frame at the scene and sent it back to the office as evidence.

Queen’s godmother resumed her testimony with cross-examination from Queen’s attorney, Brian McDaniel. McDaniel showed the witness Ring camera footage from the front porch of her house on Oglethorpe of Queen and his friends the day of the shooting. McDaniel pointed out that Queen and one of his friends looked similar and both wore jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black headpiece.

McDaniel alleged that prosecutors showed Queen’s godmother photos, said “This is Kamar,” and subsequently asked her to identify him in videos the photos were taken from. During redirect questioning, prosecutors read the witness’ grand jury transcript in which she identified Queen in video footage before she was shown a photo. Queen’s godmother confirmed she identified Queen from her own personal knowledge, not influenced by prosecutors.

The trial is scheduled to resume on May 13.

Officer Who Knows Homicide Defendant ID’s Him in Testimony

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer who identified Alonzo Brown in a homicide investigation was familiar with Brown and his alleged victim for many years, according to testimony given before DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on May 12.

Brown, 28, and Naquel Henderson, 27, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, five counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. The charges stem from their alleged involvement in the shooting that killed 21-year-old Michael Taylor and injured two additional victims on Jan. 12, 2019, on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE.

Brown and Henderson are two of five men charged with Taylor’s death. Stephon Evans, 24, and Tavist Alston, 31, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in 2022, while Carlos Turner, 27, is scheduled for sentencing May 16.

According to Steven Kiersh, Brown’s attorney, Turner accepted a deal that required him to plead guilty to second-degree murder. However, D.C. Witness has beeen unable to confirm the terms of Turner’s plea agreement, as they are under seal.

At trial, the prosecution called as a witness an MPD officer who has worked in the area where the shootings occurred since 2004.

“We took pride in knowing the kids and all the residents,” the officer said about himself and the partner he patrolled with. “I played football in high school and took an interest in some of the kids that way.”

The officer said he also helped set up a boxing program at the Rosedale Recreation Center, two blocks from the apartment complex where Taylor was murdered.

The officer said he knew many of the local residents’ nicknames. The prosecutor asked him if they had given him a nickname, and the officer said yes, his nickname was “Cheesecake.”

When the prosecutor began asking the officer whether there was conflict between Taylor’s apartment complex and another close by, Kiersh objected on the grounds of relevancy.

Judge Park sustained the objection but commented that the officer’s long personal involvement with the neighborhood was very relevant to his ability to identify the defendants.

“He was given this colorful nickname–or the opposite, indicating an absence of color,” Judge Park said, citing the nickname as an indication of the officer’s closeness to the community.

The officer said he knew Taylor since the age of 13 or 14, when Taylor introduced himself to the officer using his father’s name instead of his own. The officer only learned it was the name of Taylor’s father at a memorial service for Taylor.

The officer also knew Shamar Marbury, the 19-year-old whose murder the prosecution is arguing was the motive for Taylor’s killing.

The officer testified to seeing Brown and Henderson at Marbury’s funeral, serving as pall bearers. Evans was another pallbearer, while Alston and Turner were also present, the officer said.

Taylor was murdered the day following Marbury’s funeral. Soon after, a homicide detective asked the officer to identify a man in a still photo taken from surveillance footage.

The officer identified the man as Brown, or “Zo,” as he knew him. The officer identified Evans from another still.

The officer’s testimony is scheduled to continue on May 13.

The prosecution called an MPD sergeant who collected surveillance video footage of the area around the shooting between 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p. m. on the day of the incident. The shooting occurred a few minutes after 2:00.

The footage played in court showed four men in dark clothing, with hats or hoods partially obscuring their faces, who gathered to approach the building where the shooting occurred. They rushed inside together, then a few seconds later ran away.

The prosecution also displayed a still photo that gave a closeup view of one man. The sergeant testified that the photo was taken from the surveillance footage he collected.

This was the still that the other officer identified as a photo of Brown.

On cross examination, Kiersh, questioning the identification, confirmed with the sergeant that it wasn’t clear from the still photo that the man’s clothes were dark-colored, so he might have been dressed differently than the four men at the shooting.

On redirect examination, the prosecutor confirmed with the sergeant that, as far as the sergeant knew, the man in the still photo could have changed his clothing between the time of the photo and the time of the shooting, since the photo didn’t have a time stamp on it.

The prosecution also called as a witness an MPD officer who visited the two surviving victims at the hospital after the shooting. While there, he determined the locations of their injuries and inspected their clothing for bullet holes.

The witness said one surviving victim was taken to Howard University Hospital. That victim suffered from two bullet wounds to the center of his back and one to his right elbow, according to the witness.

The witness said the other surviving victim was taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

“He had a gunshot wound to the head, a gunshot wound to the left eye, to the left arm, and, I believe, to the left ankle,” the witness said.

Parties are set to reconvene on May 13.