Witness Said Defendant Claimed he “Punished” Victim

A witness in a murder trial said he heard one of three co-defendants admit to the crime.

Lenard Wills was allegedly stabbed by Joseph Barbour, Willie Glover and Charles McRae when the trio attempted to rob an apartment, located on the 700 block of 24th Street, NE in 2015.

The witness said he saw McRae, 66, at the bus stop after the attack. He said McRae talked about stabbing Wills, 50, saying “I punished his ass.” McRae has not been linked to the scene by DNA evidence.

According to the witness, McRae initially left the apartment, that was known to have drug activity, after an argument with Wills’ girlfriend. Later, McRae came back with two men in masks. The witness identified the masked men as Chill Will and Short, which are nicknames for Glover, 40, and Barbour, 38, respectively.

The witness said Wills looked like he was going to give the robbers what they wanted until McRae punched his girlfriend. After that, the witness said Wills started swinging a knife. The witness said he gave Wills the knife.

According to the witness, Wills was alive and looked “normal” when the witness left the apartment. However, the witness admitted to taking drugs to treat depression.

A firearms expert said a casing, which could have come from a clip for a Ruger rifle, was found on the scene.

The trial is scheduled to resume on July 2.

2011 Murder Convict Files Complaint Against Attorney

A man who pleaded guilty to murder now blames his attorney for his 31-year sentence.

Per the terms of his plea deal, Stephen Page and his co-defendant James Brewer pled guilty to first-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Solomon Reese on the 2300 block of Good Hope Road, SE in 2011.

Following his sentencing in 2014, Page filed ineffective assistance of counsel paperwork against his attorney, Justin Okezie. Page said he is unhappy with his 31-year sentence because Okezie told him he would receive no more than an 18-year concurrent sentence.

On June 28, Page told DC Superior Court Judge Herbert Dixon, that prior to pleading guilty he told Okezie that he wanted to go to trial. Page said he did not want to accept the plea, but Brewer did. Since they could not agree, the plea deal was rejected.

When the prosecution asked if there was anyone who could corroborate his claim, Page said there was not.

During the hearing, Okezie said that he did not make any promises to Page about his sentence.

According to Okezie, Page wanted to accept the prosecution’s deal, but Brewer refused. Furthermore, Okezie said when the co-defendants got closer to trial Brewer changed his mind and decided to plead guilty. Brewer and Page ultimately accepted the plea deal.

Judge Dixon said he would take the case under advisement.

Witness Says Defendant Was Angry at Decedent’s Girlfriend on the Night of a Murder

A witness said one of three co-defendants in a homicide trial had a verbal altercation with the decedent’s girlfriend shortly before the murder.

Joseph Barbour, Willie Glover and Charles McRae are charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Lenard Wills in 2015 on the 700 block of 24th Street, NE.

The witness said she bought crack cocaine at the apartment. She said she overheard McRae telling Wills’ girlfriend that she should stay in “a woman’s place” and “be more respectful” before storming out.

The witness said McRae returned later with three men to try to rob the apartment. The witness said she tried to run, but McRae punched her.

The trial is scheduled to resume July 3.

Police Close 4 DC Homicides in 2 Days

During a Metropolitan Police Department press conference June 28, Chief of Police Peter Newsham announced that the department arrested four homicide suspects from June 26-28, closing several cases before the Independence Day holiday.

Police arrested Deon Crowell,49, on June 28, in connection with the stabbing death of Joni Rockinham on Dec. 12, 2017, on the 3300 block of Ames Street., NE.

Crowell is charged with first-degree murder while armed. Newsham said he believes the motive was related to a domestic issue.

According to police documents, sanitation workers found 53-year-old Rockinham’s body in a trash receptacle. Stab wounds were all over her body, according to Nesham. Family members reported Rockinham missing the day after Thanksgiving.

Police closed another homicide case after apprehending Javonte Brown, 25, on June 28. Police charged Brown with first-degree murder while armed and one count of attempted murder.

Police said, Brown allegedly shot two victims in their residence on the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace, SE on Jan. 6, 2017. One of the victims, Carl Gray, 26, died on March 16 from complications of the shooting. The second victim survived with non-life threatening injuries.

On June 27, police arrested 22-year-old Steven Robin in connection with the fatal shooting of Kenneth Poindexter, 29, on the 4700 block of D Street, SE on Jan. 20.

Police charged Robin with first-degree murder while armed and carrying a pistol without a license. Another suspect Charles Wennen Young, was arrested on Feb 28. Young is also charged with first-degree murder while armed.

Police arrested Kaevone Sutton, on June 26 for allegedly fatally shooting aspiring boxer Aujee Tyler, 22, on the 3500 block of Stanton Road, SE on March 19.

Sutton, 17, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and will be tried as an adult.

Follow D.C. Witness for updates on each suspect’s court proceedings.

Alleged Murderer Rejects Plea Deal

During a preliminary hearing, a defendant, who is accused of first-degree murder while armed, rejected a plea offer that would have downgraded his charge.

Police say Kavonte Richardson allegedly stabbed Matthew Scott Rooker on the 600 block of 7thStreet, NW on May 23. Apparently, surveillance footage from the crime scene shows Richardson, 24, assaulting and robbing Rooker, 26.

In a prior hearing, the prosecution asked the court to find “substantial probability” that Richardson committed the stabbing based on the video footage and testimony from a detective assigned to the case.

According to court documents, a witness from the scene was able to identify Richardson as the man who committed the robbery.

Defense counsel Mani Golzari tried to shift the blame to Matthew McCullough, another suspect who was in the area at the time of the murder. According to court documents, McCullough was not questioned by police because a witness at the crime scene said McCullough was too slim to match the description of the robber.

Golzari also argued that, per the surveillance footage, Richardson’s clothes didn’t have blood on them and that he was not carrying a knife during his initial search.

On June 28, the prosecution offered Richardson a deal in which he would plead guilty to second-degree murder while armed. In accordance to the plea, Richardson could receive a sentence of 18 to 22 years in prison.

Richardson rejected the plea offer. Golzari then motioned for his client to be released from jail and placed in a halfway house or on house arrest.

DC Superior Court Judge Ronna L. Beck denied Richardson’s release because she said he had multiple bench warrants for failure to appear to previous hearings.

“Because of this aggravated burglary, you are a danger to the community,” Judge Beck said.

A felony status conference is scheduled for Sept. 5, where the prosecution said they would offer another plea deal.

Document: Homicide on Penn Ave., SE

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the fatal stabbing of 29 year-old Johnathan Grady on the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE on Jan. 28.

According to a press release,Grady was taken to an area hospital. After all life-saving efforts failed, he was pronounced dead. Police said the death apparently resulted from a dispute with an unidentified man. Police have not arrested a suspect in the case.

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in Grady’s homicide or any other homicide in DC.

Judge Issues Warrant for Manslaughter Convict

After violating probation and failing to appear in court, a judge issued June 22 a warrant for the arrest of a man who was previously convicted of murder.

Per the parameters of his 2007 plea bargain, James “Doo Doo” Yarborough pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter for his role in the fatal shooting of Edward Crockett Jr. on the 2000 block of Langston Place, SE in 2000.

According to court documents, witnesses told police “Doo Doo” and another unnamed person were selling drugs near the scene of the crime. Apparently, while Crockett, 50, was trying to buy cocaine, Yarborough attempted to rob him and ultimately shot him in the head.

Crockett was brought to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner noted the bullet pierced Crockett’s brain.

Yarborough, 38, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison and subsequently five years on probation. The terms of his probation included anger management and drug testing.

Court services told D.C. Superior Court Judge Erik Christian that Yarborough recently tested positive for heroin and cocaine. Furthermore, Yarborough was placed in rehabilitation and was unsuccessfully discharged three times.

Yarborough was not present in court. The defense told the judge he had not seen or heard from his client.

Judge Rules Defendant Incompetent One Month Before Trial

One month before his scheduled jury trial, a judge ruled June 27 that a murder defendant was not competent.

Jerrell Powell and Jeremiah Jordan are charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Antoine McCullough on the 3500 block of 18th Street, SE in 2016. According to court documents, McCullough, 30, told witnesses he was jumped. Nearby surveillance videos captured three people getting into a verbal altercation with McCullough and following him after he tried to leave.

Powell’s attorney, Brandi Harden, presented DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson with a report from a doctor at St. Elizabeths Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital. The report contradicted a previous diagnosis made by another doctor in 2017 that said Powell was competent.

Harden said she had suspicions of Powell’s original doctor being biased against Powell. Along with the apparent misdiagnosis, Harden said the previous doctor also prescribed the wrong medication to her client.

Defense counsel previously requested a motion of severance for the defendants. Judge Dayson told Harden June 25 that if Powell were found incompetent, “Jordan would likely move on by himself.” Judge Dayson said she would decide on the motion by the trial readiness hearing scheduled on July 20.

The prosecution objected to Powell returning to St. Elizabeths. Judge Dayson overruled the objection and order Powell to return to St. Elizabeths for treatment.

Jordan was not present at the hearing.

Judge Allows Prosecution to Retest Condom

During a felony status hearing on June 26, defense counsel submitted a motion to halt further testing on DNA samples previously tested by the prosecution.

Jackie Berry, 29, is accused of stabbing 38-year-old Michael Geoffrey McKoy, a known gay man from the Anacostia neighborhood, on the 1600 block of V Street, SE in 2010. According to the Washington Blade, McKoy was the fourth gay man to be murdered in the area in 2010.

Police located Berry in 2017 through a criminal database after matching his DNA to a condom found on the crime scene. At the time, Berry was incarcerated in New York for an unrelated crime.

Emily Stirba, Berry’s defense attorney, said there were three reasons why the prosecution shouldn’t be granted permission to retest a condom found at the crime scene.

Stirba said the prosecution already tested the sample in 2011. She also said the lab wasted DNA by testing 16 microliters of the original 23, leaving only nine for the defense to possibly test, independently. Finally, Stirba said the nine remaining microliters would not be sufficient to find a DNA profile.

However, the prosecution said there was more than enough DNA for both parties to test. “We have new technology that wasn’t available back in 2011,” the prosecution said, claiming that only a few drops were needed.

DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna sided with the prosecution and ruled in favor of additional testing of the contraception.

“I see no ill faith nor negligence in the prosecution’s want for testing,” Judge McKenna said. “There’s plenty of extract left for both sides to test.”

Judge McKenna has allocated three months in order for both parties to conduct their DNA tests. A status hearing is scheduled on Oct. 12.

Defense Needs to Return Evidence, Prosecution Says

On June 26, the prosecution in a 2015 murder case reminded a judge that they have not received any testing results or evidence back from the defense.

Gary Proctor allegedly shot his cousin Jerome Diggs on the 1300 block of First Street, SW. Proctor is charged with second-degree murder while armed.

Even though the prosecution decided that it would not test DNA from a blanket, pillow and the victim’s clothing, a judge ordered all items, including five cell phones, be turned over to the defense for testing in 2016.

According to court documents, Diggs, 47, told two witnesses that Proctor, 40, shot him. Diggs died shortly after. One witness said the shooting occurred because Diggs refused to allow Proctor to sell drugs outside of his house.

Apparently, there was an incident a few weeks before the shooting where Proctor and his father assaulted Diggs and his nephew.

A status hearing is scheduled for Aug. 15, where the judge expects to set a trial readiness date for the case.

Trial Date Set for 2014 Murder

During a status hearing, a judge set a trial date for a man charged with first-degree murder while armed among other charges.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Simwone Milstead was found unconscious suffering from gunshot wounds on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE in 2014. Milstead, 36, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital the following day.

Four years later, Denzel Grandson was arrested and charged with Milstead’s death. Grandson also faces one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm.

On June 27, Grandson’s defense attorney, Andrea Antonelli, told DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna that the prosecution needed to provide the defense with additional evidence.

Judge McKenna scheduled the trial for April 29, 2019. A status hearing is scheduled for Oct. 26 .

Judge Denies Murder Defendant’s Request for Release

A judge denied the release of a murder defendant while the prosecution tests his DNA with blood from the crime scene.

Leonard Smith is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Leonte Butler, 26, on the 4000 Block of South Capitol Street, SE in 2017. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Smith, 32, and two other individuals were seen on surveillance footage, covered in blood and changing clothing after the incident.

The prosecution acquired June 13 a mouth swab from Smith to test his DNA with blood from a jacket retrieved from his residence. The blood on the jacket did not match the victim’s blood.

“Due to Mr. Smith’s prior charges of assaultive behavior, I will not entertain the request of release”, DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson said. “Once the DNA results are in, maybe I will consider this request.”

A status hearing for the DNA results is scheduled for July 19.

Murder Weapon Includes Witness’s DNA

During a status hearing for a man awaiting trial, the defense accused the prosecution of hiding vital information concerning a witness’s DNA that was found on the alleged murder weapon.

Eunise Melton, 62, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the allegedly beat Jerimi Meade to death on the 400 block of Burbank Street, SE in 2016.

According to court documents Meade, 29, sustained more than ten blows to the head and face consistent with a claw hammer found on the scene.

On June 22, DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson recommended that defense counsel file a motion for the prosecution to hand over its findings regarding the DNA evidence.

The prosecution said that even though the witnesses’ DNA is on the murder weapon, they will not release the witness’s information because the defendant knows the person.

A felony status hearing is scheduled for Aug.10.

Prosecution Needs to Provide More Evidence, Judge Says

A D.C. Superior Court judge is requiring that the prosecution provide more evidence and DNA test results from Dominic Brooks’ murder to the defense.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, William Edward Smith is charged with first-degree and second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Brooks, 29, on the 800 block of Chesapeake Street, SE. On June 9, 2017, Brooks was found unconscious and suffering from a fatal stab wound to the chest, which punctured his heart and lung.

The government is in the process of doing DNA testing on several undisclosed items.

On June 27, Judge Juliet McKenna required the government to provide the court with a complete list of all the items being tested and a DNA report of the test results. Smith’s defense is allowed to test the items as well if they choose to do so.

A status hearing is scheduled on Oct. 12.

Case Dismissed: College Grad Pleads Not Guilty to Roommate’s Murder

Editor’s note: The case against Kenneil Cole was dismissed on Feb. 1, 2023.

After turning himself in as a suspect in his roommate’s murder, a man, who claimed self-defense, was charged with second-degree murder.

During an arraignment June 26, defense counsel for Kenneil Cole said there was not enough evidence to charge his client with premeditated murder following the death of Keon Wallace.

According to Cole, 24, after an altercation to evict the decedent, Wallace, who was also 24, became violent. He apparently threatened Cole with a semi-automatic .40mm pistol. Cole said he wrestled the gun away from Wallace and began to shoot.

The incident occurred on June 25 on the 2400 block of Skyland Place, SE in a townhome shared by both the decedent and defendant.

James King, Cole’s attorney, requested Cole be released on his own accord due to this being an “open-shut” case concerning self-defense. King also told the judge his client was a Delaware State University graduate and “gainfully employed” for five-years at a law firm.

“This man was shot behind the ear, and in the back,” he said. “This is not self-defense, this is murder, ” DC Superior Court Magistrate Judge Erroll Arthur said.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled with DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe on July 6.

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