Lance Corporal Philip Bushong was fatally stabbed by a fellow Marine in 2012.
After appealing his case, a former Marine received a shorter sentence.
In 2013, a jury found former Marine Michael Poth guilty of voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing Philip Bushong, 23, who was also a marine, on the 700 block of 8th Street, SE in 2012.
Poth, 26, was originally sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison. However, he was granted a new trial after appealing his case because of a juror’s misconduct. According to the Washington Post, the juror failed to notify the court that he was a registered sex-offender.
Poth pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on July 20, three days before his new trial was scheduled to begin.
On Aug. 17, DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe accepted the plea deal and sentenced Poth to 7.5 years in prison. After his prison term, Poth will be on supervised release for five years.
“I am sorry that they (the victim’s parents) lost their son,” Poth said during the hearing. “I take full responsibility for my actions.”
In her impact statement, Bushong’s fiancée noted the defendant “only recently accepted his accountability.” She also said she was concerned for Poth’s release.
“Can he be a thoughtful member of our society? Can he live outside, in our society?” she said.
Judge Iscoe also ordered Poth to undergo alcohol evaluations and treatment and attend anger management classes while in prison.
Poth will receive credit for the time he served since his sentencing in 2013.
Both the prison term and supervised release will be carried out in North Carolina, where the defendant’s family lives.
After appointing new counsel in a 2016 murder case, a DC Superior Court Judge pushed the trial date back a year in order to give the new attroney time to prepare.
According to court documents, Cunningham, 31; Butler, 22; and Martin, 21, were allegedly trying to rob a group of individuals when one of the individuals pulled out a gun. A shootout ensued, resulting in the death of Johnson, 19. Another individual from the group sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Cunningham’s attorney, Archie Nichols, filed a motion to withdraw on July 31.
During a status hearing on Aug. 16, Judge Craig Iscoe granted Nichols’ motion and and appointed Kevin Mosley to represent Cunningham.
Subsequently, Judge Iscoe granted Mosley time to get acquainted with the case and advise Cunningham on the plea deals that were extended. Ultimately, the trial, originally scheduled for Sept. 11, was postponed for all three co-defendants.
Although a new trial date has not been scheduled, it is expected to be a year after the original date, according to Judge Iscoe.
Butler and Martin were not present during the hearing, but according to Judge Iscoe they were informed of the hearing. Martin’s defense attorney, Dana Page, was in attendance. Butler’s defense attorney, Dorsey Jones, was not.
During a trial readiness hearing, a murder defendant, who a DC Superior Court judge said was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, refused to plead insanity.
El Hadji Alpha Madiou Toure is charged with felony murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Corrina Mehiel, 34, in an apartment on the 600 block of 14th Street, NE in 2017. According to court documents, Toure, 30, also stole thousands of dollars from Mehiel after her death.
Toure is also charged with first-degree murder, first-degree sexual abuse, kidnapping, burglary one while armed, robbery while armed, first-degree theft, unauthorized use of a vehicle and credit card fraud. Toure was deemed incompetent to stand trialin April of 2017. However, after undergoing court ordered treatment, Toure was ruled competent in September of 2017.
During a previous hearing, the prosecution motioned for aFrendak inquiry, which doesn’t allow the judge to order a defendant to use an insanity defense if the defendant voluntarily chooses not to do so.
On Aug. 15, Judge Juliet McKenna noted that Toure was taking medicine for schizoaffective disorder, but stopped taking the medicine after he was hospitalized in October of 2017. She then questioned Toure about his decision to forgo an insanity defense.
Judge McKenna said her intention in questioning Toure was to make sure the defendant’s choice to assert or forego an insanity defense was an “intelligent, sane decision.”
The judge then granted Toure’s request to forego an insanity defense based on previous reports, case facts and Toure’s behavior in court.
Toure is scheduled for a trial readiness hearing on Oct. 12. A trial date is set for Feb. 19, 2019.
Nearly a week before a trial was scheduled to begin, a murder defendant requested to change counsel. As a result, his trial date will be pushed back more than a year.
Sean Hurd is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Antonio Bryant on the 3300 block of D Street, SE in 2015. Bryant, 28, was pronounced dead on the scene.
According to court documents, Hurd, 22, was wearing a Global Positioning System (GPS), which tracked his movement on the night of Bryant’s murder. Apparently, Hurd’s GPS placed him six feet from where police found Bryant suffering from gunshot wounds.
On Aug. 15, Hurd requested one of his lawyers, Carol Blume, to step down. Both Blume and Hurd spoke to DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson under seal about Hurd’s rationale for dismissing counsel.
Before granting his request, Judge Dayson informed Hurd that by changing counsel there’s a possibility that his trial, which was originally scheduled for Aug. 23, would be pushed back in order to give his new attorney time to prepare. Judge Dayson also told Hurd her next trial vacancy wouldn’t be until 2019.
Per Hurd’s request, the lawyer that was second-chair to Blume, Stephen Brennwald, will now serve as his sole lawyer. Judge Dayson set Hurd’s new trial date for Dec. 9, 2019.
Hurd is scheduled for a status hearing on Oct. 26, when counsel is expected to notify the court of how they would like to proceed with the case.
The Metropolitan Police Department announced the names of the three women whose skeletal remains were found on the 100 block of Wayne Place, SE in April.
During a press conference Aug. 15, Police Chief Peter Newsham identified the three women as 48-year-old Jewel King, 41-year-old Verdell Jefferson and 43-year-old Dorothy Butts.
Verdell JeffersonDorothy ButtsVerdell Jefferson
According to Newsham, the cause of death for King and Butts were gunshot wounds, and Jefferson’s death was deemed the result of blunt force trauma. Furthermore, Newsham said two of the women were killed by “at least one suspect or circumstance” based on how they were found.
When asked if the suspect was a serial killer, Newsham said the MPD was not ruling that out. Newsham noted that all three victims were women, found in the same area and killed in the same year, 2006. Newsham said there were no other links between the three deaths.
While the police have no persons of interest at this time, MPD is asking the community for help as their investigation continues.
“If you knew any one of these women, if you frequented the area or lived in the area,” Newsham said.” If you were a delivery person or a mail carrier or any of the like, and you were in the area during the year of 2006 you may have a bit of information that could be of help.”
MPD is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects involved in this case.
A murder defendant accepted a plea deal that downgraded his charges from first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence to second-degree murder while armed.
On Aug. 15, Kejella pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed.
According to a proffer of facts, Kejella, 19, approached a group of individuals who were in a courtyard near a parking lot on 11th Street in search of a cigarette. As Garrett, 23, walked from the courtyard to the parking lot, Kejella approached him. Kejella shot Garrett multiple times in the head and neck.
A motive has not been established at this time.
Per the terms of the plea, the prosecution dropped Kejella’s first-degree murder and gun possession charges. According to the voluntary sentencing guidelines, Kejella could face between 14 and 19 years in prison.
Kejella’s sentencing hearing is scheduled on Jan. 11, 2019.
There was a 46 percent uptick in homicides in Washington, DC during the first full month of summer compared to the same time period last year.
In July 2017, there were 13 homicides in the district meanwhile in July of 2018 there were 19. Of the 19 homicides, the majority were the result of fatal shootings. According to D.C. Witness data, throughout the past four years the majority of DC homicides have been gun related.
There were 11 homicides in Southeast DC in July, according to D.C. Witness data. Homicides in Southeast DC more than doubled the amount of other homicides in any of the other quadrants.
The first homicide of the month began on the evening of July 1, when police found
Stephen Cade
Stephen Cade unconscious and unresponsive on the 1800 block of 23rd Street, SE. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later deemed Cade’s cause of death a gunshot wound. Cade, 60, was the first of 15 people to have a gun related death in July.
William Mayo
On July 2, police found William Mayo, 34, suffering from a gunshot wound on the 400 block of 2nd Street, NW.
Police are currently searching for 37-year-old Reginald Johnson in connection with Mayo’s murder.
The following day, Tyron Anthony Johnson was fatally shot on the 4400 block of E Street, SE. Police found Johnson, 24, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Tyron Anthony Johnson
The day after Independence Day, police responded to shooting complaints on the 500 block of Newcomb Street, SE. Police found three
Derek Taylor
people suffering from gunshot wounds. The trio was brought to a nearby hospital, where 26-year-old Derek Jeffrey Taylor was pronounced dead.
On July 8, nearly a year and a half after initially being shot, Kevin Kennedy succumbed to his injuries from a 2017 fatal shooting on the 600 block of 14th Place, NE. The shooting left 22-year-old Ronnell Reaves dead as well.
Matthew Moore was arrested and charged Feb. 6, 2017, with Reaves’ death. According to a press release, the Metropolitan Police Department plans to press additional charges against Moore, 33, in connection to Kennedy’s death.
Nearly a week later, on July 16, police responded to the 300 block of 53rd St., NE, where six people were shot. All six people went to a nearby hospital; however, 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson succumbed to her injuries.
According to a press release, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the MPD and the FBI would offer a joint reward of up to $45,000 for information that leads to the identification, arrest and prosecution of four suspects responsible for Wilson’s death.
“We need those with information about this case to share what they know, and they can do so anonymously,” Bowser said. “Our community cannot and will not tolerate the murder of a child.”
Cheyenne Washington
On July 18, police found Cheyenne Washington suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 4400 block of E Street, SE. Washington, 26, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Lusharone Nicholson
The following day, 44-year-old Lusharone Nicholson was fatally stabbed on the 1500 block of 19th Street, SE, where she was later pronounced dead.
James Tyrone Eaton, 26,was fatally shot on the 300 block of Rhode Island Avenue, NE on July 20. Eaton was pronounced dead on the scene.
James EatonMichael Miller
The subsequent morning, police found Michael Miller suffering from a gunshot wound on the 1600 block of Minnesota Avenue, SE. Miller, 37, was pronounced dead on the scene.
On July 22, police found Ivey Coleman suffering from multiple stab wounds on the 400 block of Southern Avenue, SE. Coleman, 25, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Monshae Burroughs
A day later, Monshae Burroughs was fatally shot on the Unit block of 53rd Street, SE.
Nearly 20 minutes into the start of July 24, police responded to Friendship Heights Metro station, located on the 5200 block of Wisconsin Avenue, NW, where they found 28-year-old Jeremy Bond suffering from a stab wound.
According to a press release, Bond got into a physical altercation with a metro station employee and she stabbed him. MPD is currently investigating whether or not the metro station employee acted out of self-defense.
Later that day, police found 46-year-old Paul Williams, Jr. suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 800 block of R Street, NW.
A homicide that started nearly a decade ago resulted in the death of James Eason on July 25, when he succumbed from his injuries associated with a 2007 shooting. According to a press release, two suspects approached Eason on the 3100 block of 24th Street, SE, “demanded property.” The suspects subsequently shot Eason in 2007 during the hold up.
On July 27, an off-duty officer witnessed an on-going assault between two men on the 3600 block of 14 Street, NW. The victim, 68-year-old Anthony Anderson, was brought to a nearby hospital suffering from multiple stab wounds, he later succumbed to his injuries.
The same day, Alton Rivers, 54, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection to Anderson’s death. According to court documents, the murder weapon was a screwdriver.
Later that day, police found David Hart, 22, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 4300 block of 4th Street, SE.
Police are searching for 28-year-old Marcus Whitaker in connection with Hart’s death.
Dion Boyd
On July 30, Dion DeMarco Boyd, 21, was fatally shot on the 1400 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.
Within an hour of locating Boyd, police found 47-year-old Andre Hakim Young suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 1500 block of 19th Street, SE. Young was pronounced dead on the scene.
Andre Hakim Young
Mark Price was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with Young’s death. Price is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 18.
A DC Superior Court judge sentenced Aug. 13 three co-defendants for fatally shooting an innocent bystander in 2015.
Andre Dudley, Christopher Proctor and Marcus King were sentenced after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon for killing Matthew Shlonsky, 23, at the intersection of 7th Street and S Street, NW. Dudley, 22, also pled guilty to an unrelated charge of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon after stabbing a DC Jail inmate in May.
According to the prosecution, Proctor, 28, and King, 22, argued with Dudley before engaging in a gunfight on a Sunday afternoon near the exit of the Shaw-Howard University Metro Station.
Judge Juliet McKenna said she believed the prosecution had taken into account the seriousness of the defendants’ reckless behavior, their criminal records, their ages, the need to affix the appropriate penalty for the crime, the obligation to deter others from committing the same offense and the impact the shooting had on the surviving victims. Therefore, she accepted the plea agreements.
While discussing Shlonsky’s death, Judge McKenna described the trio’s actions as “reckless conduct in a highly populated area, which resulted in the senseless death of Mr. Shlonsky.” According to the prosecution, there were 10 adults and five children present at the time of the shooting. Shlonsky was the only person injured from the shooting.
Shlonsky’s parents were not in attendance at the sentencing. “We do not want to be in the same building as the men that killed Matthew,” the parents told the judge in a letter.
During his impact statement, Shlonsky’s former college roommate said his friend’s death “resulted from the mercy repeatedly shown” to the defendants. According to court records, Dudley and Proctor have multiple prior convictions in DC, including convictions for violent offenses.
Dudley and King remained silent throughout the sentencing; however, Proctor addressed the court to apologize.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and I apologize,” he said.
Dudley was sentenced to 18.5 years of incarceration for the shooting, followed by 22 months for the unrelated assault. He received a total sentence of 20 years and four months in prison.
Proctor was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Kevin Mosley, King’s defense attorney, requested King be sentenced under DC’s Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act. However, Judge McKenna denied the request based on reports from the jail that state King‘s behavior created safety concerns. Judge McKenna sentenced King to 17.5 years in prison.
Following their prison terms, the defendants will be placed on five years of supervised release.
During their incarceration, the men will undergo mental health evaluations, take drug tests, and participate in educational and vocational training programs. King is also required to obtain a GED or high school diploma while he is incarcerated.
During a mental observation hearing Aug. 14, a DC Superior Court judge found a murder defendant competent to stand trial.
Juan Kibler is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 40-year-old Joseph Harris on the 2300 block of Green Street, SE on May 7.
On June 12, Judge Ronna Beck ordered Kibler, 27, to undergo a full competency examination at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital. After reviewing the mental observation report, Judge Beck found Kibler competent to proceed to trial. A trial date has not been scheduled.
Neither party contested the findings of the report. The defendant is expected to be transferred from St. Elizabeth’s to the DC jail on Aug. 15.
On Aug. 9, a murder defendant insisted that he was innocent and chose to proceed to trial.
Mario Alfaro is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Jonathan Vilchez on the 5400 block of Georgia Avenue, NW in Nov. 8, 2017.
During a felony arraignment, Alfaro, 23, pled not guilty to first-degree murder while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He rejected a plea deal for second-degree murder while armed on Aug. 2.
According to court documents, surveillance footage shows Vilchez, 22, fire the first shot at Alfaro. However, DC Superior Court Judge Zoe Bush initially denied the defendant’sself defense claim on Nov. 29, 2017.
As of Aug. 13, a trial date has not been set. But, a status hearing is scheduled on Aug. 30.
Even though a DC Superior Court judge said she wanted a man, charged with a six-year-old murder, to go to trial in January, there may still be a delay.
Reynaud Cook is accused of shooting Yolanda Stone, his girlfriend, while their children watched. Stone was 30 years old. Cook, 34, is charged with first-degree murder while armed. The incident occurred in 2012 on the 3300 block of Alden Place, NE.
According to Cook’s defense attorney Brian McDaniel, the current trial date, which is set for Jan. 28, conflicts with his obligation for another trial. Still, Judge Judith Bartnoff was reluctant to delay the trial any further.
“This needs to be tried,” Judge Bartnoff said. “I’ve lost track of the trials we’ve continued.”
A new trial date was set for April 22, 2019, but Judge Bartnoff said she would try to help free up the defense attorney so he could make a trial date in November. According to DC Courts, a trial date was also set on Nov. 27.
A status hearing is scheduled on Sept. 7.
Cook is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for the murder of Nacarto Gladden.
During an arraignment on Aug. 9, a DC Superior Court magistrate judge ordered a murder suspect held without bond.
Mark Price, 23, was arrested and charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed for the murder of Andre Young on the 1500 block of 19th Street, SE on July 30. During the shooting another person was shot but survived.
According to court documents, Price’s girlfriend received a verbal eviction notice at the apartment she and Price resided in. She called him for assistance.
Price arrived at the scene in a hostile state and proceeded to threaten various people, according to witnesses. He apparently flashed his firearm, stating, “If I can’t live here nobody can. I am the reason the DC death rate is so high.”
Fearing for their safety, multiple witnesses reported their versions of events to the Sixth District police station. They requested to be escorted back to the apartment by law enforcement; however, their request was denied, according to court documents.
Young, 47; a victim who survived the shooting; and a witness drove back to the apartment to retrieve personal items.
Price and another male suspect allegedly approached the three as they exited the apartment building. Price and a suspect, who has not been apprehended, reportedly opened fire while the three were crossing the street.
Young sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was brought to a nearby hospital, where he ultimately died.
During the arraignment, Judge Sean Staples found probable cause against Price based on the evidence put forth in the court documents. Judge Staples refused release based on Price’s criminal history and a prior felony conviction for armed carjacking in Maryland in 2012.
On Aug. 10, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a convicted murderer to 15 years in prison.
Elliott Starks pleaded guilty on May 17 to second-degree murder while armed for stabbing Antina Pratt in 2016 on the Buena Vista bike trail between Suitland Parkway and the 2600 block of Pomeroy Road, SE. Starks killed Pratt while he was released on parole after serving a sentence for a 1999 murder conviction.
According to the prosecution, Pratt, 40, and Starks, 35, knew each other. Surveillance footage shows Pratt did not feel threatened by Starks’ presence as they walked on the trail before he stabbed her multiple times.
According to court documents, Pratt fought back. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later identified Starks’ DNA under her fingernails.
According to a press release, Starks stopped reporting to meetings in January 2017 and was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017, after nearly a year in hiding.
“You (Starks) are a murderer and don’t care,” one of the victim’s sisters said during her impact statement, calling him a “monster.”
Madalyn Harvey, Starks’ defense attorney, reminded the court that her client had been in prison since he was 16 years old. “Prison doesn’t make people better,” the attorney said. Harvey requested that Starks be imprisoned in a facility that was accessible to his family. She said familial contact would be a key part to Starks’ rehabilitation.
Judge Craig Iscoe accepted the plea recommendation and sentenced Starks to 15 years of incarceration. Judge Iscoe also recommended Starks be detained in a facility that is close to the area.
In addition to his 15 year sentence, Starks could also be required to serve an additional 25 years to complete his previous sentence. Once released, he will be required to serve five additional years on supervised release.
After being formally indicted, a murder defendant pleaded not guilty to charges related to a 2015 homicide.
Talib Clay is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of Ernest Baylor, Jr. on the 2200 block of Hunter Place, SE. According to court documents, two witnesses told the police they saw Clay raise his right arm toward Baylor and heard three or four shots. The witnesses said they didn’t see a gun.
On Aug. 10, the prosecution also charged Clay, 28, with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior felony.
Clay pleaded not guilty. A trial date is scheduled for March 18, 2019.
The prosecution extended a plea offer. Per the terms of the plea agreement, Clay would plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed. He is expected to respond to the plea by Sept. 4.
During closing statements in a murder trial, a prosecutor told the jury that the law “compelled” them to find the defendant guilty.
Sean Green is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of Derrick Black on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW in 2015. Green, 27, is also charged with assault with intent to kill, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior felony.
After nearly two weeks of trial, the prosecution summed the case up into a powerpoint slideshow. According to the prosecution, on the day of the murder, Black was on Georgia Avenue trying to sell Lebron James sneakers and flashed a gun on his waistband while “talking trash.” However, the prosecutor said regardless of Black’s behavior nothing could justify the “callous” manner in which Green killed him.
According to the prosecution’s theory, Green chased Black on Georgia Avenue and shot him three times in the back, the chase is depicted in surveillance footage. After being shot, Black fell to the ground and was shot two more times.
The prosecution noted that a witness gave the police a description of the shooter, which matched Green’s description. In addition, the police located a cell phone and a 10-round gun magazine on the scene, which contained Green’s DNA. Furthermore, the magazine contained three bullets. Apparently, there were exactly seven casings located on the scene.
Green’s defense attorney, Steven Kiersh, countered the prosecution’s point and told the jury that while the gun magazine was linked to his client, “gun magazines don’t shoot people guns do.” Kiersh later added that the murder weapon was not located. Furthermore, Kiersh noted the DNA evidence on the magazine contained traces of DNA from two people and that there was no way of knowing when Green’s DNA was left on the magazine.
Kiersh also argued that footage from a recorded interview with the Metropolitan Police Department showed that his client told MPD detectives on three separate occasions that he was confused about what was going on. Kiersh later added that while talking to a female visitor in the interrogation room, Green told her that he told the detectives he shot Black because that’s what he thought the detectives wanted to hear.
The prosecution then countered Kiersh and told the jury that Green, “knew exactly what he was doing” and was not confused. According to the prosecution, Green began his police interview by providing a false alibi that was later contradicted by a witness.
In closing, the prosecution told the jury that there was absolutely no reasonable doubt in this case and based on the lack of doubt the law compelled them to find Green guilty on all charges.
