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Murder Defendant’s Trial Pushed Back Further, Possibly


More than two years after a fatal shooting, a 20-year-old’s trial date could be delayed even longer. 

Kenneth Adams is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Dante Kinard, 21, on the 1800 block of Benning Road, NE in 2016. 

A trial readiness hearing was continued Sept. 7 because the prosecution did not share information it planned to use as evidence to the defense in a timely manner. 

According to the prosecution, expert testimony is needed to analyze ballistics from the murder scene with ballistics from an unrelated robbery Adams allegedly committed weeks before the murder. However, defense attorney Nikki Lotze said she didn’t receive notice  of the expert until Sept. 6, the day before the hearing.

“We’ve been meeting for a long time,” DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff said. “If the government provides an expert notice this close to the trial, the defense would normally have the opportunity to review the expert notice. I suspect the government knew about this a while before yesterday.”

Lotze is scheduled to receive the prosecution’s notice by Sept. 10. 

The hearing is scheduled to resume on Sept. 12. Adams is scheduled for an Oct. 1 trial date. 

Judge, Counsel Selects 16-member Jury for Mansion Murder Case


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After three days of jury selection, a DC Superior Court judge and counsel finalized a 16-member jury to serve on a murder case that has rocked Washington, DC.

Daron Wint is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the deaths of Amy Savopoulos, 47; Philip Savopoulos,10; Savvas Savopoulos,46; and Veralicia Figueroa, 57 in the Savopoulos home located on the 3200 block of Woodland Drive, NW in 2015.

Wint, 36, is also charged with first-degree burglary, felony murder while armed, extortion, kidnapping, arson, kidnapping against a minor and first-degree theft.

According to a previous D.C. Witness report, police say Wint held the Savopoulos family and their housekeeper (Figueroa) hostage for 18 hours, during which he beat and tortured them until a $40,000 ransom arrived. Subsequently, Wint allegedly set the house on fire. Wint’s DNA was later found at the scene, which spurred a police hunt to find him. Police arrested Wint at a stop light in DC.

The jury selection process began Aug. 5 with DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna informing a panel of 80 potential jurors that the murder trial has a projected duration of two months. Judge McKenna then read a series of 17 questions, probing whether or not the potential juror heard about the alleged murder, whether or not they lived in the area of the crime and their knowledge of the people involved i.e. counsel, decedents, defendant, and/or witnesses.

The questions also extended to whether potential jurors would be able to fairly evaluate testimony from a cooperating witness or someone who is testifying as a part of a plea offer they entered into with the government. Another question led to whether or not the length of the case would create an “extreme hardship.”

Of the jurors who were excused, multiple people cited financial hardships associated with the length of time they’d be out of work and other reasons. Some said their children attended the same school as Philip.

While Judge McKenna excused various jurors, she denied the defense’s motion to strike or excuse others. In fact, Judge McKenna denied Wint’s defense attorneys’ request to strike a juror who works for the Department of Justice. Apparently, the potential juror is a criminal prosecutor who works on computer hacking cases.

The trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 11 with opening arguments.

Judge Sentences Defendant to Time Served for Gun Possession

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man, who was charged with murder, to time served after he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.

Sean Smith, who was initially charged with second-degree murder while armed in 2016, was sentenced according to a plea he took on June 19. Smith allegedly shot and killed Matthew Walker on the 900 block of Eastern Avenue, NE.

According to court documents, Smith, 38, and Walker, 26, were engaged in a verbal confrontation after a party. Both parties were intoxicated. Witnesses said they heard gunshots shortly after the argument.

The District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Walker suffered from multiple gunshots to the hand, arm, chest, abdomen and penis. The decedent was found on the driver’s side of a dark colored Chevrolet van, according to court documents. 

In previous hearings, Smith’s defense attorneys told DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff that Smith acted in self-defense after Walker pulled a gun on him. Court documents state that only one gun, with DNA from both Smith and Walker, was found on the scene.

According to sentencing guidelines, Smith was eligible to receive a sentence between 24-48 months in prison. However, during the Sept. 5 sentencing, Judge Bartnoff went against sentencing guidelines for the charge, crediting Smith with the 21 months he previously served in DC Jail. Smith was released under the High Intensity Supervision Program in June.

Smith is required to serve three years on supervised release and pay a $100 fine.

“Mr. Smith has started the process of getting his life together,” Judge Bartnoff said. “I don’t see any reason to interrupt that. He’s on the right track and I want him to continue.”

Judge Releases a Defendant Charged for a 2014 murder

After enduring two trials, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man, who spent more than three years in jail, to time served.  

Following a mistrial in 2017, a jury found Andre Joyner not guilty for the 2014 stabbing death of Jamie Washington. However, the jury did convict Joyner of tampering with physical evidence. Apparently, Joyner, 29, got rid of the clothes he wore on the night of the murder.

Joyner was released from jail June 28 after the jury reached their verdict.

According to the prosecution’s theory, the fatal stabbing stemmed from a hunt for a stolen laptop. Joyner’s girlfriend, at the time, came home from work and found her laptop missing. After talking with her cousin, Joyner’s girlfriend suspected Washington, 31, who was in her apartment earlier that day, took her laptop.

Ultimately, Joyner and his girlfriend searched for Washington and found him in an alleyway on the 700 block of 18th Street, NE. During opening statements, the prosecution told the jury that Joyner stabbed Washington, 31, in the alleyway with a kitchen knife.

The trial, which lasted for two weeks, included Joyner’s ex-girlfriend, who pled guilty to being an accessory to Washington’s murder. She testified as part of a plea bargain with the government.

On Sept. 6, Judge Judith Bartnoff allowed Washington’s mother to speak at the sentencing. However, prior to the mother’s statement, the judge acknowledged that Joyner was not convicted of murder and there was no victim associated with the tampering charge. Thus, she noted there could be no victim impact statement; however, she said she “appreciated” that Washington’s family was there and that they had been through two trials. 

“My son was treated unfairly as far as justice,” Washington’s mother said with tears in her eyes. “I just want to know why. Why did he kill my son? It haunts me every day,” she said.

Judge Bartnoff acknowledged that the case was a “very unusual case.” According to Judge Bartnoff, Joyner was imprisoned a little more than three years, he was arrested in 2015, and the maximum sentence for tampering with evidence is two years. She said Joyner served more time than the court could impose.

The prosecution argued in favor of placing Joyner on five years of supervised release and cited concerns about Joyner’s attitude and the impact it could have on his reentry into society. Judge Bartnoff denied their request and noted that there would be no way to enforce probation, as Joyner already served more than the two-year maximum.

 

Document: Police Arrest Suspect in Labor Day Weekend Homicide

On Sept. 5, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Timothy Gibson for the homicide of Carl Day-Baker.

Gibson, 27, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Day-Baker, 28, on the 1500 block of T Street, SE on Sept. 1.

According to a press release, police found Day-Baker suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

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



Judge Finds Substantial Probability in March Homicide

A DC Superior Court judge found substantial probability Sept. 4 that a defendant was involved in the murder of a man he was sexually involved with.

Jerome Wilson is charged with second-degree murder while armed for fatally shooting Sean Anderson on the 2300 block of Good Hope Road, SE in March. According to a detective on the case, the exact day of death could not be determined. 

According to court documents, Wilson, 35, told Metropolitan Police Department detectives that he had sex with Anderson, 48, on the night of March 23.

On March 24, police responded to Good Hope Road and found Anderson unconscious and naked on a couch. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia determined that Anderson had been dead for approximately 24 hours, placing his death somewhere between the night of March 23 and the early morning on March 24.  The cause of death a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

During a preliminary hearing, a detective said multiple witnesses, as well as surveillance footage, confirmed that Wilson was in Anderson’s apartment and the last person to see him alive.

During his initial interview, Wilson told police that he had never been to Anderson’s apartment complex. He later admitted to lying, saying he did go to Anderson’s apartment.

Wilson said he was in Anderson’s apartment and saw the decedent smoking crack cocaine. Wilson said he left the apartment because he felt uncomfortable. However, Wilson later told police he lied again, confessing to smoking crack cocaine and watching pornography with Anderson on March 23. 

According to a witness, Wilson said he was at the hospital visiting a family member during the early morning hours on March 24. However, the family member told police that Wilson never showed.

The same witness told police that Anderson had a revolver on the night of the murder. During cross-examination, Wilson’s defense attorney, Dana Page, noted that the lead detective wrote, in court documents, that the murder weapon was not a revolver. However, the detective testified he learned new information on Sept. 4, which led him to believe the murder weapon could be a revolver.

The detective told the court that during a subsequent interview, Wilson told police that he “felt bad” and “wished he could take it back.” However, Page pointed out that police did not ask Wilson what he felt bad about or what he wished he could take back.

Judge Ronna Beck found substantial probability based on Wilson’s access to the revolver, witness testimony, surveillance footage and Wilson’s attempts to create false alibis.

Judge Beck also ordered Wilson be held without bond. Apparently, Wilson has two prior felony convictions: for unauthorized use of a vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Wilson is scheduled for a felony status conference on Dec. 27.

DC Homicides Shift in August

Even though homicides across the District are down, a different ward tops the list as Washington, DC’s leading area of homicides. Ward 7 accounts for approximately 50 percent of all homicides in August.

According to D.C. Witness data, there were a total of eight homicides in DC in August.  Four of the eight homicides occurred in Ward 7, two homicides occurred in Ward 5 and both Ward 8 and Ward 1 accounted for one homicide each. All of the victims were adult males.

Ward 8, until August, contained the most homicides in the city accounting for nearly 50 percent of the 19 homicides that occurred in July. Ward 8 has been the city’s leading area of homicides since May.

Prior to the start of summer, the mayoral administration along with the Metropolitan Police Department added more public safety resources, including officers to patrol in Wards 7 and 8. City officials did this in response to a series of homicides in May, including a deadly Memorial Day weekend that left Venius Badgett, 35; Jaquon Helm, 40; Alexander Mosby, 39; and Anthony Clark, 24, dead.

Data shows that citywide homicides are down by nearly 58 percent from July.

August has been the least deadly month in DC since the summer began in June.

Even though the number of homicides are down in August, homicides in DC are still high. There have been 105 homicides in the District, as of Sept. 4, nearly a 24 percent increase from this time a year ago.

Document: Labor Day Weekend Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating a fatal shooting on the 1500 block of T Street, SE. The shooting, which occurred less than two hours into Labor Day weekend, is the first homicide to happen in the month of September.

According to a press release, police found Sept. 1 Carl Day-Baker suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The 28 year old was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Police are currently offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this homicide or any other homicide in DC. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099 or send a text message to the Text Tip Line at 50411.

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



Judge Sentences Murder Defendant to 8.5 Years in Prison

A prison term of 102 months (8.5 years) is the price a man has to pay for the shooting death of a woman in 2017.

DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson sentenced Aug. 31 Aaron Jacobs for the shooting death of Robin Fitzgerald in an apartment on the 700 block of 51st Street, NE on June 21, 2017. Fitzgerald, 41, was a mother of three, according to WUSA9.

“What happened that night was a tragic mistake,” Jacobs said during his apology to the decedent’s family. “I never intended to hurt Robin.”

Jacobs pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in March. He was initially charged with second-degree murder.

According to court documents, the defendant and his brother had a verbal argument on June 20, 2017. Surveillance footage captured the defendant returning to his brother’s apartment with a handgun, which was later identified as a Taurus .357 magnum revolver. Apparently, Jacobs was high on PCP, a hallucinatory drug, when he fired two shots into a wall. Jacobs then left the apartment.

The bullets went through the wall, striking Fitzgerald in the butt and torso while she laid on a bed in the bedroom, according to the documents. The Medical Examiner of the State of Maryland determined those wounds to be the cause of death.

The question of whether Jacobs knew Fitzgerald was in the apartment when he fired the gun is still unknown. Contrary to the prosecution’s claim, the defense claimed that Jacobs didn’t realize Fitzgerald was in the apartment and didn’t find out he shot and killed anyone until later. Jacobs turned himself in to authorities hours after Fitzgerald died.

Judge Dayson said she took into account the fact that Jacobs took responsibility for a charge that she was not sure the prosecution could prove. She said she agreed to the plea even though the paperwork seemed to indicate involuntary manslaughter more than voluntary.  The judge also said she would recommend Jacobs be held at Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg in Hopewell, Va., where he could receive drug treatment.

Jacobs is also required to serve five years on supervised release after his prison term and pay a $100 fine.

Document: Pedestrian Fatality on Kenilworth Ave., NE

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a fatal hit and run that occurred on the 1600 block of Kenilworth Avenue, NE.

According to a press release, a dark-colored vehicle was traveling westbound on Eastern Avenue, NE. The vehicle took a left turn and hit two pedestrians in the crosswalk on Kenilworth Avenue.

Sherron Pressley, 51, died after being transported to an area hospital. The status of the other victim, who was also transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, is not known at this time.

The driver of the vehicle did not remain on the scene. the release said.

Police are requesting that anyone with information, call 202-727-9099.



Judge Reschedules 2016 Murder Trial, Again

During a hearing Aug. 29, a DC Superior Court judge found a murder defendant competent to stand trial and vacated the trial date, pushing it back nearly a year.

Co-defendants Jeremiah Jordan and Jerrell Powell are charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Antoine McCullough on the 3500 block of 18th Street, SE in 2016.

According to court documents, McCullough, 30, told multiple witnesses that people were trying to jump him. Shortly after speaking with McCullough, witnesses say they heard gunshots and found McCullough suffering from a gunshot wound.

Judge Danya Dayson deemed Powell, 23, incompetent on June 27 and ordered him to undergo treatment at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital.

On Aug. 29, Judge Dayson found Powell competent to stand trial based on a report from St. Elizabeth’s.

While Brandi Harden, Powell’s defense attorney, didn’t formally challenge Judge Dayson’s competency finding, Harden argued that the medical report was conducted by a doctor who has biased intentions. Harden said she has additional questions and is unsure whether or not the report is “fair and objective.”

Subsequently, Judge Dayson rescheduled the trial for a second time. The trial date was pushed back to July 15, 2019, due to the prosecutions’ inability to locate witnesses as well as counsel scheduling conflicts.

The trial was originally scheduled for July 31, but was pushed to Aug. 29 because of Powell’s pending competency determination.

Stephany Reaves, Jordan’s defense attorney, argued that the rescheduling was infringing on her client’s right to a speedy trial. Reaves noted that she and Jordan, 28, were ready to proceed to trial and that she was in favor of severing the co-defendants.

Judge Dayson previously refused to grant severance in July. She denied the motion again on Aug. 29, saying that scheduling conflicts and witness complications aren’t grounds to grant severance.

Powell and Jordan are scheduled for a status hearing on Sept. 25. Harden is expected to decide if she will challenge Powell’s competency finding at that time.

Judge Orders 3rd Suspect in 2017 Murder Held Without Bond

During an arraignment Aug. 29, a DC Superior Court magistrate judge found probable cause that a third suspect was involved in a 2017 murder case.

Malique Lewis is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the shooting of Kerrice Lewis, 23, on the 800 block of Adrian Street, SE. It is unclear if the two were related. 

Marcel Vines, 22, and Ashton Briscoe, 24, were also charged with first-degree murder while armed for their alleged roles in the murder.

According to court documents, cell data places Vines, Briscoe and Lewis, 20, at the crime scene at the time the decedent was killed. Furthermore, the data shows the trio were in contact with each other. Court documents also note that the young woman’s death was allegedly in retaliation for the 2017 death of Ronzay Green.

Witnesses told police that Vines believed the decedent was responsible for Green’s death. According to court documents, the decedent apparently set Green, 23, up to get robbed.

On Aug. 29, Lewis pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Gregg Baron, argued against a probable cause finding, claiming there was no forensic evidence that placed his client at the scene of the crime.  However, Baron acknowledged that Lewis’ cellphone was “near” the area.

Judge Sean Staples found probable cause based on information contained in court documents. He also ordered Lewis held without bond  since, at the time of the murder, Lewis was on probation for an unrelated drug and gun possession conviction. 

Lewis is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 21.

Case Acquitted: Man Ordered Held Without Bond in 2017 Murder Case

This case has been acquitted.

During an arraignment Aug. 28, a DC Superior Court judge made a probable cause finding and ordered a man held without bond for his alleged involvement in a 2017 murder.

Cedric Alexander, 47, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 38-year-old Daquan Hooks on the 1900 block of 13th Street, SE in 2017.

According to court documents, area surveillance footage, taken shortly after Hooks’ death, shows a black male exit Hook’s truck on the driver’s side and head in the direction of another car that contained three occupants. Apparently, the male’s body shape and size match that of Alexander.

On Aug. 28, Alexander pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Jacqueline Cadman, argued against a probable cause finding, saying there were no eyewitnesses, video of the shooting nor any other physical evidence that linked her client to the murder.

According to Cadman, a witness told police that Alexander confessed to them. However, Cadman said the witness came forward only after they were shown a reward flier. Apparently, a second witness told police Alexander confessed to them as well. Cadman said the witness has “bad blood” with the defendant, which stems from a previous physical altercation.

Magistrate Judge Sean Staples found probable cause based on the information found in court documents. He is also being held because of a 2004 conviction for aggravated assault.

Alexander is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 6.

Weekly Editor’s Note

As D.C. Witness increases its content, a new section will display a note from the editor on the week’s homicides. This note will not only serve as an analytical point for the editor, but also put some of the site’s news content into perspective. The first editor’s note is below. Thank you. 

— D.C. Witness Editorial team

News Site Steps Up to Battle Homicides in the District 

Despite the District’s legalization of marijuana, an illegal weed is growing in Washington, DC. And instead of leaving users in a daze, it leaves fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands and wives sitting on wooden seats in courtrooms waiting for a verdict they never — before now — dreamed they’d have to endure. 

However, not all of these cases will live past the mass circulated blurb released in the daily newspaper and most won’t even make it to the nightly news. But one website, D.C. Witness, a nonprofit organization, was founded to keep that news cycle going, while also delivering data-driven statistics to help community and government officials create better solutions to solve the city’s homicide problem, not just affixing a temporary band-aid to the persistent social ill. 

Without D.C. Witness, public officials can tout inaccurate statistics or misleading closure rates for homicides. Without D.C. Witness, parents who do not understand the legal system or know how to find out about a family member’s court case would not have a way to have their questions answered. Without D.C. Witness, the perception of our city’s homicides would remain defined by innuendo and alternative facts. 

D.C. Witness tracks the causes of homicides and follows each case by spending hours and days inside courtrooms at the H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse. Reporters, who are student interns studying journalism, sociology or legal studies, track judicial proceedings for homicide cases involving defendants such as 16-year-old Titus Iracks or 35-year-old Elliott Starks. We track each defendant, follow-up with families on both sides and consult with judicial staff to keep the conversation going and provide crucial information to residents so they can foster a safe place for all to live. 

D.C. Witness also tracks information from various city agencies. In tracking homicides in the city, D.C. Witness is not interested in capturing the “gotcha” stories of the evening. Rather it is a non-partisan, non-activist organization that only wishes to use statistics to improve the city by working with residents, the police and local government officials. 

And the data is sobering.

According to D.C. Witness data, homicides in July increased by 46 percent from the year before. Although the percentage has decreased in August, homicide numbers for 2018  have already reached triple digits.  As of Aug. 27, there have been 104 homicides in the District with 30 homicides occurring since the summer began on June 21. 

The data shows that homicides affect minority residents since a majority of the crimes occur in Southeast DC, where more minority, low income residents live. According to homicide studies conducted more than 30 years ago, not much, other than motive has changed. Today, according to D.C. Witness data, more murders result from disputes than from drugs, which was the main reason for homicides in the 1980s. 

The irony is that all of the data DC Witness gathers is public and the mayor even has an office that gathers similar data. It just refuses to share it with the citizens of DC. 

Even though a majority of homicides are occurring in the Southeast section of the city, the problem is still significant to every resident as homicides are occurring in more affluent, gentrifying areas of the District that attract tourists and new residents. One such example is the shooting death of 22 year-old Phillip Dumbuya on the 1900 block of 9th Street, NW, which is in the U Street corridor.

As D.C. Witness moves forward, it plans to incorporate new aspects of reporting on and tracking homicide data, such as monthly recaps, homicide synopses by ward, videos, infographics, feature stories and our daily news coverage from inside courtrooms. D.C. Witness will also publish cross-collaboration pieces with The DC Line, a nonprofit media organization dedicated to covering local news in the District of Columbia. 

Homicides in the District

As of Aug. 27, most homicides in the District of Columbia are gun related, according to D.C. Witness data. 

Map of the 103 homicides that occurred in Washington, DC, in 2018, as of Aug. 27

The data shows there were 104 homicides so far this year, including two police-involved shootings and two self-defense deaths. The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the two police-involved shootings and one death that involved a self defense claim. 

The majority of the homicides occurred East of the Anacostia River.

Data shows that 58 homicides took place in Southeast DC and 29 homicides took place in Northeast. Twelve homicides occurred in Northwest and five occurred in Southwest.

Broken down by murder type, D.C. Witness data notes that two people were killed by vehicles, 18 were stabbed, 78 were shot and six deaths were trauma-related. A weapon was not specified for the trauma-related deaths. 

Arrests were made for 39 of the homicides. Police are still investigating 64 cases from 2018, alone. The police are not investigating Ibria Anderson’s shooting death as a homicide because, according to news reports, the shooting is being considered self defense. Anderson apparently died in a shootout in Southeast DC. 

According to the Office of the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia, there have been 103 homicides. 

Map of homicides in which no firearm was involved that occurred in Washington, D.C., between Jan. 1 and Aug. 27, 2018.

The map, on the left, shows the 26 non-firearm-related deaths that occurred in Washington, DC, from Jan. 1 through Aug. 27. This map includes the location of Jeremy Bond‘s death. Bond, 28, was stabbed by a Metro employee at the Friendship Heights metro station on July 24. Police are still investigating the case’s self defense claim. 

Map of all homicides that resulted from gun violence in Washington, DC, between Jan. 1 and Aug. 27.

The map, on the right, shows all gun-related deaths that occurred in Washington, DC, from Jan. 1 through Aug. 27.

Between June 25 and Aug. 20, MPD recovered 122 illegal firearms located in Washington, DC, according to press releases.

Map of all illegal firearms recovered by MPD between June 25 and Aug. 20.

The individual location of each recovered firearm is shown on the map to the left.

During the same period of time, 19 people were killed as a result of gun-related violence in the city. 

A map of all gun-violence fatalities (blue) as of Aug. 27, and illegal firearms recovered by MPD (red) between June 25 and Aug. 20.
Map Key

Editor’s Note: Content will be updated to account for the full month of August.