Phone Activity Between Defendant, Victim Precede Shooting

Phone activity between the defendant and the man he allegedly shot was the focus in a District of Columbia courtroom Sept 27.

Babajide Pittman is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Anthony Young on the 600 block of L Street, SE in 2016.

The prosecution presented phone records which showed Pittman, 31, and Young, 27, exchanging several calls hours before Young was killed.

Court documents and witness testimony also show that Pittman and Young were engaged in an ongoing dispute from an incident a few weeks before the homicide.

“Like I thought nigga, you can’t be lookin for me,” Young texted, after he could not reach Pittman, on the morning of Nov. 27, 2016. “Stop bluffing. Keep my name out your MF mouth.”

Multiple witnesses told the jury they saw two men arguing on the corner of 7th and L streets shortly before hearing shots. However, the witnesses couldn’t identify Pittman as the shooter.

According to court documents, a Metropolitan Police Department officer recovered a gun from Young’s waistband when he arrived on the scene.

A forensic analyst said the weapon only matched Young’s DNA.

The defense is claiming self-defense on the grounds that Young was the aggressor by seeking out the defendant while in possession of a firearm.

Trial is scheduled to resume on Sept. 28.

Follow D.C. Witness for updates regarding the case.

Judge Finds Probable Cause in Summer Homicide

A District of Columbia magistrate judge found probable cause and ordered a teenager held without bond Sept. 28 for his alleged involvement in a summer homicide.

Kewon Hunter is charged with second-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Dion Boyd on the 1400 block of Maryland Avenue, NE in July.

A lawyer on behalf of Hunter, 19, argued against the probable cause finding noting that officers on the case relied on “street gossip” and a general identification that noted the suspect had an afro, a black sweatshirt and pants.

The prosecutor agreed that the identification was “circumstantial”; however, she argued other evidence solidified the government’s position. According to the prosecution, the defendant’s phone has a picture of him wearing a black sweatshirt and pants and holding a gun.

Judge Heide Herrmann found probable cause based on the “number of corroborated factors” cited in documents detailing the police’s investigation. Furthermore, she ordered Hunter held without bond and noted that the defendant is currently charged with burglary while armed in an unrelated case that was opened on Sept. 7.

Hunter is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 19.

D.C. Witness Releases First Newsletter

In an effort to help District of Columbia residents become more aware of the homicides occurring in their city, D.C. Witness will begin delivering a monthly newsletter to readers that will include all of the most striking statistics and stories of that time period.

D.C. Witness hopes the newsletter will provide more information and perspective.

The first newsletter will look at the District of Columbia’s deadly summer, where 39 homicides took place between June 21 and Sept. 22. It also previews an editor’s note on the Daron Wint trial and articles on current cases.

Anyone interested in receiving the newsletter can put their information in the fields under the newsletter tab, which is linked here.

D.C. Witness respects the privacy of each reader. We will not share, sell or give your email address to any parties. We will only use your email address to distribute D.C. Witness content.

Sign up for the newsletter, today!

Judge Finds Substantial Probability Against Murder Defendant

A District of Columbia Superior Court judge found substantial probability Sept. 27 that a defendant fatally stabbed a man shortly after an altercation.

Policarpo Casarrubias-Rodriguez, who is a Mexican native, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Israel Gomez over a dispute about a dining room chair on the 3100 block of 16th Street, NW on Sept. 9.

According to court documents, police responded to 16th Street and found Gomez, 37, unconscious and lying on the floor in a pool of blood. They also found Casarrubias, 44, sitting in a chair next to the victim’s body. He allegedly drank more than 18 beers before the homicide.

A detective on the case told Judge Judith Bartnoff that a witness saw the defendant remove a knife from the decedent’s back.

Casarrubias’ defense attorney, Lee Goebes, argued for self-defense, saying the evidence is more in alignment with voluntary manslaughter and not first-degree murder. According to Goebes, Casarrubias was trying to defend himself during a second altercation. However, the detective said there was no evidence available to indicate that another altercation took place.

Judge Bartnoff, did not accept Casarrubias’ self defense claim. According to the judge, the stabbing occurred after the fight when the defendant went to his backpack to retrieve a knife, displaying premeditation and deliberate conduct. The judge also said the defendant confessed to the crime during his post-arrest interview with MPD detectives.

Even though Casarrubias has no prior felony charges, the judge ordered him held without bond because, due to the nature of the offense, he poses a danger to the community. Judge Bartnoff also said she is concerned Casarrubias could be a flight risk.

Casarrubias is scheduled for a felony status conference on Nov. 9.

Defendant Waives Right to DNA Testing

During a status hearing Sept. 27, a murder defendant waived his right for additional DNA testing.

Deangelo Thorne is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 23-year-old Waliyatou Amadou on the 1400 block of W Street, NW in 2017.

According to court documents, surveillance footage shows Thorne, 27, “hitting” Amadou multiple times in the torso area.

In addition to the footage, a GPS monitoring device placed Thorne at the scene of the crime at the time of the homicide.

A status hearing is scheduled on March 15, 2019. Thorne’s trial is scheduled on Aug. 5, 2019.

Continue following D.C. Witness for further updates.

Multiple Eyewitnesses Can’t ID Shooter in 2016 Murder

On the second day of a murder trial, three of the prosecution’s witnesses could not positively identify the man who shot another man in the southeastern quadrant of the District of Columbia.

Babajide Pittman is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Anthony Young on the 600 block of L Street, SE, in 2016.

On Sept. 25, two witnesses told the jury that they saw a man extend his arm at a car before they heard shots. Another witness, who didn’t see the shooting, said he saw a man pacing on the corner of L Street before hearing gunshots. All of the witnesses said they couldn’t verify that Pittman, 31, was the man they saw.

Along with the lack of positive identification, the defense also motioned for a mistrial on the grounds that the jury’s objectivity was compromised because the defendant’s ex-wife said the defendant was incarcerated during parts of their marriage. District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson told the ex-wife to avoid mentioning previous jail time or convictions before she gave her testimony.

The defense also said noise from the victim’s family caught the attention of jurors.

Judge Dayson told the prosecution that while she is sympathetic to the uncomfortable nature of certain evidence presented, emotional outbursts would jeopardize the ability to move forward.

“I saw the jurors react yesterday,” Anthony Matthews, Pittman’s defense attorney, told the judge on the third day of trial, Sept. 26. “This wasn’t just sobbing. It was a mix of pain, anguish, anger, extreme emotion. The kind that can’t be ignored. I don’t think the jury can put that out of their minds.”

Judge Dayson acknowledged that she noticed two separate occasions when jurors reacted to disruptions coming from the audience. The second of which almost every juror turned around to see.

“There is not a manifest injustice that would justify a mistrial at this point, but I cannot stress enough that means, ‘at this point,’” Judge Dayson said.

The jury also heard from Young’s girlfriend, who was picking him up at the time he was shot. The girlfriend, who was apparently browsing Facebook on her phone, said she did not see who shot Young.

She told the jury that as Young, 27, got into the car she heard a popping sound. The girlfriend was also shot in the leg.

The trial continued on Sept. 27.

Judge Warns of Possible Warrant if Witness Fails to Show

A DC Superior Court judge said that if a witness does not appear in court for a 2010 murder trial, a warrant would be filed.

In 2010, Anthony Antoine Waters was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 37-year-old Derrick Harris on June 14, 2010, on the 2600 block of Birney Place, SE.

Waters was sentenced to 30 years
to life in prison in 2012; however, his case was reopened in 2016 after multiple appeals were filed by the defense.

Defense attorneys raised concerns about a witness who was afraid of testifying at the trial. The witness said, multiple times, that appearing in court was not a safe option.

Harris previously testified against Waters’ best friend in a hearing 10 years ago. According to news reports, Waters confronted Harris while he was visiting his old neighborhood, Barry Farms. The two started fighting and Waters threatened to kill Harris if he didn’t leave.

A motive for Harris’ shooting remains unclear.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 1.

Continue following D.C. Witness for updates regarding the case.

Murder Defendant’s Hearing Continued to 2019

A murder defendant’s status hearing was rescheduled until early next year.

Cyheme Hall along with three other individuals are charged with attempted robbery and felony murder while armed in a bias-related hate crime. Hall, 23, allegedly shot Deeniquia “Dee Dee” Dodds, 22, a transgender woman who was also known as Gregory Dodds, in the neck on the 200 block of Division Avenue, NE on July 13, 2016. A fifth suspect, who was also involved in the shooting, agreed to cooperate with the prosecution.

The status of the case is currently uncertain. Even though there are rumors of a pending plea bargain, the DC Superior Court’s website does not show one being filed, and counsel for the prosecution and the defense declined to comment. Hall is scheduled for a status hearing on Feb. 22, 2019.

Shareem Hall, 24, is pending a preliminary hearing scheduled on Dec. 3, while Monte Tyree Johnson, 23, and Jalonte Little, 28, are scheduled for a status hearing on Jan. 4, 2019. A trial date for Johnson and Little has been set on Jan. 22, 2019.

Grand Jury Indicts Man in 2016 Murder Case

A murder defendant pleaded not guilty after he was formally indicted Sept. 26 for his alleged role in the murder of a man that police found buried under leaves and a wooden board in 2016.

Eunise Roosevelt Melton is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Jerimi Meade on the 400 block of Burbank Street, SE.

According to court documents, Meade’s body was found in a wooded area behind an apartment building on Burbank street. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner noted that Meade, 29, suffered from multiple blunt force trauma injuries to the head, brain and face. According to the medical examiner, the murder weapon may have been a hammer.

Apparently, Meade, Melton, 63, and another person lived in an apartment together on Burbank street.

According to court documents, on the day Meade was killed, the third roommate told police that Melton was cleaning the living room. When the witness inquired further, Melton allegedly said,” I’m cleaning up DNA.” The witness said Meade and Melton argued about missing property, frequently.

Following the indictment, Roosevelt asserted his constitutional right to a speedy trial, which is scheduled to begin on Sept. 16, 2019.

Melton is scheduled for a status hearing on Jan. 8, 2019.

Judge Gives Prosecution Time to Resolve Witness Issues in Murder Case

Less than a month before murder trial was scheduled to begin, a DC Superior Court judge granted the prosecution time to resolve issues with a key witness.

In 2016 and 2017 Turell Campbell and identical twins, Marquete Murray and Marquese Murray were arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 25-year-old Isiah Agyekum on July 23, 2015, on the 100 block of Darrington Street, SW.

According to court documents, three suspects drove up to the decedent’s car and shot the decedent from the front passenger side of the vehicle.

During a status hearing Sept. 24, the prosecution asked for more time to determine the mental health status of an essential witness, who was hospitalized in August.

As of Sept. 25, doctors have not confirmed the witness’s competency.

In response, the defense requested the case be dismissed, but Judge Iscoe denied the motion.

Instead, the judge ordered Turell Campbell be released under the High Intensity Supervision Program. Marquese will remain detained pending the status of a bench warrant in Prince George’s County, Md. and Marquete will continue to be held without bond as he’s serving an accumulated two year sentence for unrelated cases.

Another status hearing is scheduled on Oct. 15.

Continue following D.C. Witness for further updates on the case.

Judge Issues Warrant for Co-Defendant in Murder Case

A DC Superior Court judge issued a warrant for a defendant in a January murder case who failed to appear in court for her indictment Sept. 21.

Shaniah Davis is charged with accessory after the fact for first-degree murder for allegedly playing a role in carrying out and covering up the fatal shooting of Marty McMillan on the 2600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE. Her co-defendant John McRae is charged with first-degree murder.

McRae was formally indicted on three charges: first-degree murder while armed, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Davis is scheduled to be formally indicted on Sept. 26.

According to court documents, family members reported McMillan, 22, missing in April 2017. Police located McMillan’s “human remains” wrapped in a floral comforter in Forestville, Md. nearly six months later in October 2017.

Throughout an investigation, Metropolitan Police Department detectives learned that McMillan frequented a dating website and had plans to meet up with a woman who was apparently in a relationship with McRae, 41, and an unidentified individual. The woman initially told police that she didn’t know McMillan. However, during a subsequent interview, the woman told police that she had sex with McMillan, in the house she shares with McRae, on the night he was last seen.

The woman told police that McRae came home early from work and found the decedent in the house. The woman told the police that she heard gunshots from the room McMillan was in after McRae, who was armed with a gun, entered. Following the gunshots, the woman said McRae physically assaulted her and told her to clean up the area where the shooting occurred.

According to McRae’s grand jury indictment, Davis allegedly knew he was responsible for McMillian’s death and helped him cover up the murder by destroying evidence and lying to the police.

McRae and Davis are scheduled for a status hearing on Nov. 2.

Judge Sentences Convicted Murderer to 45 years

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a murder defendant to 45 years in prison.

On April 5, a jury convicted co-defendants Michael Tyrone Height and James Young of felony murder while armed for their roles in a robbery gone wrong that resulted in the death of 38-year-old Willard Shelton on the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road, SE in 2014. Height’s co-defendant was also sentenced to 45 years in June. Following Height’s release, he is expected to serve five years on supervised release.

“I apologize to the victim and family; my issue is that I’m innocent, and I apologize for my outburst,” Height told the victim’s family Sept. 21, referring to his reaction after receiving the guilty verdict.

The duo was also convicted of second-degree murder while armed, armed robbery, first-degree burglary while armed, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior felony.

Height also has multiple firearm felonies dating back to 2010 in both the District and Prince George’s County, Md.

After the sentencing, the decedent’s family created an uproar, taunting the defendant and his family. The confrontation forced U.S. Marshals to create a barrier between the families.

Judge Sentences Convicted Murderer to 9 Years

A District of Columbia Superior Court judge sentenced Sept. 21 a man, who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, to nine years in prison with five years of supervised release.

Leon Stewart was convicted of murdering Darnell Lee Richardson, 29, on the 3400 block of Benning Road, NE in 2016.

Stewart, 26, was initially charged with first-degree murder while armed. Stewart accepted the plea deal in July.

According to court documents, Richardson met Stewart and an associate, who was not identified, in the parking lot of Benning Liquors. A witness said Stewart’s associate entered Richardson’s car, while Stewart waited outside.

Apparently, a fight broke out and the witness heard three gunshots come from inside the car. The associate exited the car, and Stewart fired five shots into the rear window of the vehicle as the decedent drove away from the scene.

The Metropolitan Police Department found Richardson in his vehicle on the median of a Northbound I-295 entry ramp, according to the documents.

According to the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Richardson sustained two gunshot wounds to the upper back, striking his heart and lung. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

“Mr. Stewart is a young man,” Judge Judith Bartnoff said. “I will say that I think that we make decisions we can’t undo and we wish we can. A nine-year sentence is appropriate and it means that we also don’t lose Mr. Stewart.”

Judge Bartnoff agreed to assign Stewart to a facility where he can participate in trade programs and finish his college education.

Stewart has been in jail since 2016 and will receive credit for time served.

Counsel Delivers Opening Statements in 2016 Murder Trial

Counsel focused on a conflict between two men during opening statements in a murder trial Sept. 24. Apparently, the men got into a confrontation over comments that regarded one man’s ex-wife.

Babajide Pittman is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Anthony Young on the 600 block of L Street, SE in 2016.

“Anthony Young was trying to leave,” the prosecution said. “He was in a car trying to get away. The defendant let his anger erupt and shot Young in the back eight times.”

The prosecution said Pittman, 31, and Young, 27, disagreed about whether details of a conversation should have been shared with the defendant’s ex-wife.

The ex-wife said Young did not live with her, but kept clothes at her home and slept over on the weekends. She said she didn’t have an intimate relationship with Young, but they were close like siblings.

Apparently, Pittman disclosed intimate information about his ex-wife to Young. When the ex-wife confronted Pittman about the comments he told the decedent, she said she wanted nothing else to do with him.

During the afternoon on the day of the homicide, the men met near 7th and L Street, SE. After an argument, Young turned to get into his girlfriend’s vehicle and Pittman opened fire, hitting the decedent eight times. Young’s girlfriend was also struck in the leg.

“Shoot or be killed. That was the choice Anthony Young forced Babajide Pittman to make,” Anthony Matthews, Pittman’s defense attorney, said. “Pittman didn’t want this, he didn’t go looking for this, he didn’t want any trouble.”

The defense argued that Young was the aggressor and sought out the defendant. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department recovered a .40 caliber gun from Young’s waistband.

Apparently, the shooting was captured on surveillance video from housing for the United States Marine Corps and a nearby home monitoring system. The prosecution said it plans to show the footage to the jury when the trial resumes on Sept. 25.

Document: Sunday Morning Homicides

The first full day of Fall seemed to continue the weekend’s deadly theme with three more homicides in the District. Overall, six people have been fatally shot in DC since Sept. 21.

According to a press release from the Metropolitan Police Department, Juan Dwayne Jackson, Ervin Eugene Watkins and William Hayworth were shot to death during the early morning hours on Sept. 23 in Southeast D.C.

Shortly after midnight, Jackson, 45, along with another victim who was not identified, sustained multiple gunshot wounds on the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace, SE. Jackson died on the scene. The unidentified victim was transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries, according to the release.

About an hour later, police responded to reports of gunfire on the 1400 block of Howard Road, SE, which is located in the Barry Farms neighborhood. When they arrived, police were notified of a victim receiving treatment at a local hospital for multiple gunshot wounds. Watkins, 28, was later pronounced dead after all life-saving efforts failed, according to the release.

About three hours after Watkins was shot, Hayworth, 42, sustained multiple gunshot wounds on the 3400 block of 22nd Street, SE. He also died on the scene.

As of Sept. 23, there have been 116 homicides in DC, nearly a 30 percent increase from the same time last year, according to D.C. Witness data. Fifty-five of those homicides have occurred in Ward 8.

Police are offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in any of these cases or any other homicide case in DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. , Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.

Follow D.C. Witness for updates on the cases.

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