Convicted Murder is Sentenced to 45 Years

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man to 45 years for his role in a 2014 murder.

James Young was charged with first-degree murder while armed and armed robbery in connection with a drug deal. He and Tyrone Height shot Willard Shelton on the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road, SE in 2014. Instead of being sentenced together, Height requested a change in counsel. He said he wanted to hire a private attorney. The judge scheduled his sentencing on July 13 to give the new lawyer time to review the case.

A jury convicted Young of first-degree murder while armed, obstruction of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm, tampering with evidence, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, robbery while armed and first-degree burglary while armed.

Shelton’s family delivered impact statements that spoke to the man the victim was and how milestones, such as high school graduations, will no longer be as special because Shelton is not their to celebrate with them.

“I read their letters […] it hurt me,” Young told DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee, requesting to be sent to a prison near his family.

The defense took the opportunity to explain the punishments that Young, 25, will experience while he’s in prison. He said that Young will miss his daughter’s whole life, that he will miss her first communion, birthdays and graduations.

Young’s parents sent DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee a letter that spoke to Young’s character. During the sentencing, Young’s father told the judge that his son had changed for the better during the time he has been incarcerated.

“I’ve heard that you’re a good man, a decent man, [but] you weren’t on that day,” Judge Lee told Young. “You could have done better.” After Young’s prison term, he will also be required to serve five years on supervised release.

Murder Defendant Wants Separate Case for Trial

Aiming to have his trial held during the summer, a defendant in a murder case requested to sever his case from his co-defendant ‘s case.

Devonte Johnson, 29, and Antoine Byrd, 38, are charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Robinson Pal, 29, at a nightclub on 1100 block of 17th Street, NW in 2016.

Byrd’s defense counsel requested a delay in the trial for additional DNA testing on a knife. The delay would amount to more than a year’s wait. Byrd’s DNA, as well as DNA from four unidentified people, were found on the knife used in the stabbing.

Delaying the trial for additional testing would push the summer trial date to the fall of 2019. Both defendants would be detained until trial. Johnson asked to sever his case from Byrd’s so he could have his own trial in July.

The prosecution said separate trials would cause a double-inconvenience to witnesses since they would essentially be participating in the same trial twice.

“I don’t think anyone is as inconvenienced by this as Mr. Johnson,” said Johnson’s attorney. “I’m gonna go home and sleep in my bed… Mr. Johnson has been detained since 2016.”

D.C. Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe said efficiency alone was a good enough reason to not sever, but he noted that it was problematic for Johnson to wait more than a year for a trial.

On June 20, the defendants were severed.

Johnson is scheduled for a trial readiness hearing on July 13. His trial is scheduled for July 30. Byrd’s trial is scheduled for October 7, 2019.

Murder Defendant Receives 55 Year Prison Term

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced June 22 a defendant to nearly 55-years in prison for two murders.

In 2015, Joseph Minor murdered Gregory Lee on Christmas Eve on the 1200 block of Stevens Road, SE. In April, a jury convicted Minor, 27, of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a weapon during a crime of violence. Judge Judith Bartnoff sentenced Minor to 47 years for the 2014 homicide.

Minor also pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in 2017, receiving an additional sentence of more than eight years. After his prison term, Minor will be required to serve five years on supervised release.

According to court documents, a witness said Minor shot Lee, 28, and Minor’s co-defendant, Maurice Blakey, shot another person. The other person survived. The witness told officers at the Metropolitan Police Department that Minor and Blakey, who was 25 at the time, got into a verbal confrontation with Lee. News outlets reported the shooting occurred because of a dispute over a stolen jacket.

Blakey is currently serving a 22-year sentence for second-degree murder.

“This is a family that doesn’t get to celebrate Christmas anymore,” the prosecution told the judge.

Document: Homicide on Skyland Place, SE

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested June 25 Kenneil Cole for allegedly shooting Keon Wallace, 24. The case against Kenneil Cole was dismissed on Feb. 1, 2023.

According to the police, Wallace was found suffering with gunshot wounds on the on the 2400 block of Skyland Place, SE. The shooting occurred in the early morning hours of June 25.

Cole is charged with second-degree murder while armed.

Voluntary Manslaughter Defendant Receives 5+ Years

A defendant convicted of voluntary manslaughter was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison and five years of supervised release for causing a man’s death during a car chase in 2016.

The defendant, David Mclane, struck Kenneth Morris‘ vehicle, pushing him into a tree while trying to evade the police in a stolen Lexus.

The brother-in-law of the victim said he wanted to see Mclane receive a severe sentence. According to the brother-in-law, Mclane hit Morris, 31, while he drove to give his mother a Christmas gift.

“Our family is serving a life sentence,” the brother-in-law said. “People say time heals all wounds… I haven’t seen it. I haven’t felt it. I wonder when it will start.”

Mclane’s defense attorney said Mclane was remorseful and noted that he had no record of criminal conduct outside of this incident. His defense attorney said he graduated high school at the head of his class while incarcerated.

“He’s done everything he can to improve himself,” the lawyer said.

Judge Denies Murder Defendant’s Bond Review

During a hearing on June 22, a DC Superior Court judge denied the defense’s motion for a bond review.

Antonio Upshaw is charged with first-degree murder while armed. He allegedly shot Tyrone Johnson, 24, at Lee’s Liquor, a liquor store located on the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, in 2017. Upshaw has been on a no bond status since December of 2017.

Judge Judith Bartnoff denied the defense’s motion because there was not any evidence that would warrant the court to set a bond.

According to court documents, witnesses heard gunshots coming from an alley and saw a gray sedan leaving the alley soon after. Surveillance videos captured a man, who looked like Upshaw, 28, sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle.

Another felony status conference is scheduled for July 20. Upshaw’s case has not been seen by a grand jury as of June 25.

19 Year Old Held Without Bond

During an arraignment, a D.C. Superior Court judge refused to release a teenager who was arrested for murder on June 21.

Eric Maurice Smith,19, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of Rondell Wills on the 200 block of 50th Street, NE. Wills’ death was the result of a drive-by shooting. He was not the intended target. According to WJLA, Wills, 38, died while he tried to protect children when the shooting occurred.

Pierce Suen, Smith’s attorney, told the judge that there was one witness and the whole case lacked evidence that implicates his client. Citing court documents, Suen said the main witness didn’t know who or what they saw.

The prosecution said there was another witness who gave a partial license plate number that matched a stolen car used in the drive-by. Smith’s fingerprints were on the steering wheel of the car. Surveillance footage also captured a person who resembled Smith in the car.

According to Suen, the car was stolen a week before the murder, so Smith’s prints could have been left before the drive-by occurred.

Suen requested Smith’s release because the teenager was enrolled in school and had no prior felonies.

Despite Suen’s argument that there was no substantial evidence against his client, D.C. Magistrate Judge Errol Arthur denied Smith’s release. He is being held without bond.

Smith is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 2.

Fear of Retaliation Prompts Eyewitness to Struggle with Testimony

On June 21, testimony from a woman who witnessed a murder was spotty because she feared she would be killed.

Charles McRae, Willie Glover and Joseph Barbour are charged with first-degree murder while armed. According to the prosecution, the defendants stormed into an apartment on the 700 block of 24th Street, NE and stabbed Lenard Wills.

The witness, who was crying and visibly upset during her testimony, said she didn’t want to be a part of the case. “I’m afraid I’ll be killed,” she said.

The witness said she was in another room getting high on crack cocaine when three men entered the apartment. When she came out, Wills, 50, was being attacked and his girlfriend was screaming.

The witness said she heard Wills’ girlfriend yelling “give it to ‘em Nardo! Give ‘em what they want!” and saw a short man in a mask hitting Wills on the side of his face. Nardo was Wills’ nickname.

Prosecutors expressed suspicions that the crime may have been drug-related, but the judge said events, such as McRae’s comments on getting money from the apartment, were consistent with a robbery.

During the witness’s grand jury testimony, she said McRae, 66, left the apartment after the robbery. But, during the trial, she said McRae stayed behind. The witness also said there was tension between McRae and Wills’ girlfriend, and that McRae threatened to hurt the girlfriend because of the way she spoke to him.

The witness also noted that Wills always kept a knife with a pearl handle. When Glover, 40, and Barbour, 38, spoke to police after the incident, each had visible stab wounds. A knife, with Barbour’s blood on it, was found in a trashcan near the scene.

The witness is expected to be cross-examined on June 25.

Convicted Killer Receives 12-Year Sentence

On June 22, Martel Hall received a 12-year sentence as restitution for the death of a 31-year-old Washington, DC resident. But, the victim’s family was not happy with the judge’s decision.

Hall, 29, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter in April. According to court documents, he stabbed David Neal, 31, in front of the victim’s older brother, in a 7-Eleven parking lot on the 3900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SW in 2017. Neal and Hall were apparently involved in a physical altercation at the time of the stabbing.

“I’m not happy with the court on this,” Neal’s brother told DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson. “This was premeditated murder. But, I forgive him. He admitted his mistake and pled guilty.”

Judge Dayson also sentenced Hall to five additional years under supervised release.

“This was spontaneous, it wasn’t supposed to end like this,” Hall told Neal’s family. “I’m so sorry”.

Counsel Debates Witness’s Prior Knowledge of Murder

During a murder trial, counsel disagreed about a witness’s prior knowledge of a 2014 murder.

The defendant, Andre Joyner, 27, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Jamie Washington, 31, on the 700 block of 18th Street, NE. Joyner is also charged with tampering with evidence for getting rid of the clothes he wore on the night of the homicide.

Earlier in the trial, the witness told the jury that Joyner confessed to Washington’s murder while they were housed in the same jail unit. Kevin Mosley, Joyner’s attorney, accused the witness of lying about the confession. Mosley said the witness was shown documents detailing the case while in jail and was attempting to recall information from the documents to implicate his client.

Even though the witness said he did not know the details of the case, he did admit that Joyner showed him his ex-girlfriend’s cousin’s testimony from a prior hearing.

The prosecution told the judge the testimony in question did not include details about the murder. The prosecution also said the document only contained the cousin’s name, age and birthplace.

According to the prosecution, it’s possible the jury might think the witness had prior knowledge about the facts of the case via the cousin’s testimony and therefore fabricated Joyner’s confession.

The witness, convicted of first-degree murder while armed in a homicide that is not related to the case, entered a government plea deal that would downgrade his charges to second-degree murder in exchange for testimony in Joyner’s case.

Without the plea offer, the witness faced a sentence of 30- 60 years in prison. However, under the parameters of the plea, the witness could receive 13- 25 years. If the prosecution finds the witness gave “substantial cooperation” the judge could sentence the witness to less than 13 years.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff agreed that the cousin’s testimony did not contain relevant facts to the case. Judge Bartnoff ruled that, during closing statements, the defense cannot say the witness gathered facts about the case from the cousin’s testimony.

The trial is scheduled to resume on June 25.

Document: Arrest Made in Homicide on 50th Street, NE

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested June 21 Eric Maurice Smith as a suspect for Rondell Wills murder.

Smith, 19, is being charged with first-degree murder while armed. According to court documents, Smith allegedly shot Wills, 38, on the 200 block of 50^th Street, NE near the Kelly Miller Recreation Center on May 3.

The teenager, who resided in Suitland, Md., is scheduled for an arraignment on June 22 at 1p.m.

Judge Postpones Murder Prelim for Defense to Prepare

Defense counsel for a 16-year-old boy charged with murder requested June 21 that a preliminary hearing be postponed to give him more time to prepare for his client’s case.

Titus Iracks is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Larry Harrell on June 13 on the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department found 43-year-old Harrell suffering with a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was declared dead at the scene. Iracks was arrested on June 14.

DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson rescheduled the hearing for July 10.

Attorneys Highlight Differences in Witness’s Testimonies

Counsel scrutinized inconsistencies between a witness’s grand jury testimony and his testimony during a 2015 murder trial.

Charles McRae, Willie Glover, and Joseph Barbour are charged with first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing of Lenard Wills at an apartment on the 700 block of 24th Street, NE. According to the prosecution, the apartment was a place where people would hang out and do drugs, especially crack cocaine and heroin. Prosecutors said they believe the defendants killed Wills, 50, while attempting to rob him.

A witness, who acted as an unofficial “doorman” for the apartment, said he saw McRae, 66, go to the apartment’s kitchen, grab a knife, and stab Wills as he struggled with Barbour, 38, and Glover, 40.

However, Glover’s lawyer pointed out that, during his grand jury testimony, the witness said he had not seen the stabbing but heard about it later.

Glover’s attorney also said the witness told a grand jury that he called Wills’ girlfriend the next day to discuss the incident, inferring that the witness did not know Wills was dead.

Glover’s attorney suggested the witness lied to detectives and prosecutors about seeing the stabbing in hopes that they would help him curry favor with the parole board. However, the witness said there was no reason for him to do that since he was only locked up for a minor crime and would be out on parole, soon.

According to prosecutors, the witness told a grand jury that McRae was gone from the apartment for 20 or 30 minutes after his alleged argument with Wills. During the trial, the witness said McRae was gone for about two hours.

The trial is set to resume with more questions for the witness on June 21.

Counsel Reviews New Evidence, Judge Postpones Murder Trial

As new evidence surfaces in a murder case, a judge took on the challenge of solving defense counsels’ dispute of when to hold trial.

Co-defendants Antoine Byrd, 38, and Devonte Johnson, 29, are charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Robinson Pal at Barcode, a lounge located on the 1100 block of 17th Street, NW, in 2016. According to court documents, officers found Pal, 29, and another victim unconscious and bleeding. The other victim survived.

During a status hearing on June 20, Byrd’s defense attorney, Brandi Harden, requested more time to review “385 pages of raw data,” adding that she would not be prepared for trial by July 30. Harden initially requested additional time at a status hearing on June 6 to conduct more DNA testing.

Earlier testing revealed that Byrd’s DNA was on the murder weapon’s handle.

Even though Johnson’s attorney, Brian McDaniel, still needs to review DNA evidence and surveillance video, he opposed Harden’s motion to postpone the trial.

Johnson “has already been incarcerated for two years,” McDaniel said. He said he doesn’t want his client to spend another year in jail.

DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe moved the trial date to Oct. 7, 2019. But, he said he is maintaining the initial July date in case McDaniel is successful with his motion to reconsider postponing the trial and separating the defendants.

Johnson is scheduled for a status hearing on June 22. Both defendants are scheduled for a trial readiness hearing on July 13.

Witness Tells Jury Defendant Confessed to Murder

During a murder trial, a cooperating witness told the jury that the defendant said he committed a murder while they were housed in the same jail unit.

Andre Joyner is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Jamie Washington on the 700 block of 18th Street, NE in 2014.

According to the witness, Joyner said he fatally stabbed Washington, 31.

The witness is currently awaiting sentencing for a first-degree murder charge in an unrelated 2015 murder case. Following his trial, the witness entered a plea deal with the government that would downgrade his charges to second-degree murder in exchange for his testimony in Joyner’s case. A date for sentencing has not been scheduled.

Per the voluntary sentencing guidelines, first-degree murder while armed has a 30-60 year sentencing range. According to the defense, a second-degree murder charge has a sentencing range of 13- 25 years. However, if the prosecution finds the witness gave “substantial cooperation” the judge could sentence the witness to less than 13 years.

Amid cross-examination, Kevin Mosley, Joyner’s defense attorney, accused the witness of saying anything to get a lesser sentence. According to Mosley, a few months after the witness was found guilty and his request for an appeal was denied, the witness sent a letter to the court claiming that he had information about Joyner’s case.

There’s “no glory” or “kickbacks” associated with testifying, the witness told the jury. “ No one where I’m from like a snitch, it’s the worst thing you can be.”

The trial is scheduled to resume on June 21.

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