Scheduling Conflict May Delay Murder Trial

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.

Judge Finds Probable Cause Against Murder Suspect

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.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 17.

Judge Sentences Double Offender to 15 Years

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.

Murder Defendant Pleads Not Guilty to 2015 Homicide

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.

Prosecution Demands Jury Find Murder Defendant Guilty

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.

The jury began deliberating on Aug. 9.

Co-defendants in Murder Case Plead Guilty

On Aug. 8, two co-defendants pleaded guilty to their respective roles in a murder case.

Michael “Mike” Jones and Khalil “Boogie” Davis admitted to fatally shooting Omar Rogers on the 2200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE in 2017.

According to a proffer of facts submitted during the plea hearing, Rogers, 25, performed with his band, the “AJA Band,” at Uniontown Bar and Grill where Jones, 23, and Davis, 22, were also in attendance. After the club closed, Rogers had a brief verbal altercation with Jones and Davis in a parking lot behind the establishment.

A second altercation ensued after Rogers backed his car into Davis’ car, a 2001 red Oldsmobile Intrigue, when he was attempting to pull out of his parking spot.

Jones followed Rogers on foot to a nearby parking lot and fired seven shots within close range at Rogers. Jones then ran to Davis’ car, which was parked directly behind Rogers’ car, and jumped into the rear passenger seat. The two fled the scene.

A witness transported Rogers to a hospital, where he died soon after.

Jones pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed. Davis pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact of second-degree murder while armed.

Per the terms of the plea agreements, the prosecution dropped all other charges and requested that DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff sentence the co-defendants within the range provided by the sentencing guidelines.

According to the sentencing guidelines, Jones could receive a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison with five additional years on supervised release. Davis could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison with three additional years on supervised release. Following their prison terms, both men are required to register as gun offenders.

The defendants’ sentencing hearings are scheduled on Oct. 12.

Video Footage Shows Change in Defendant’s Story

During arguments, the prosecution in a murder trial, showed a recorded interrogation of a defendant changing his story several times.

Sean Green is charged with felony murder while armed for allegedly shooting Derrick Black on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW in 2015.

A Metropolitan Police Department detective, who interviewed Green, 27, told him that his DNA and phone were found at the murder scene. Green, who experienced bouts of homelessness during the time period, initially denied knowing anyone named Black and said his phone was stolen a month before the shooting.

However, during the taped interrogation, Green told the detective that a person named “Mike-Mike” gave him a gun and forced him, at gunpoint, to shoot Black. Green said he returned the gun to “Mike-Mike” after the shooting.

“He used me ‘cuz he know all I ever do is get high,” Green said during the interrogation. “He used me as a scapegoat.”

According to the prosecution, Green changed his story again, telling the detective that “Mike-Mike” didn’t actually threaten to kill him but instead promised him money and drugs.

Later, a female visitor, who seemed to have a romantic connection with Green, is seen speaking with him inside the interrogation room.

The woman scolded Green, encouraging him to “snitch” on the real killer. “I know you know who did it,” the woman said. “Don’t take nobody’s beef.” It is not apparent why the woman was allowed to speak with Green.

When the detective returned, Green said he lied and that he actually did not shoot Black. He said the real culprit was “Mike-Mike,” whose name was actually “Man-Man.”

Green asked the detective if he could be an “informant” or if he could be “pardoned” if he led the police to Black’s real killer.

D.C. Witness couldn’t verify if “Mike-Mike” or “Man-Man” is a real person. The police have not arrested anyone with the name “Man-Man” or alias “Mike-Mike” in connection with this homicide.

Jury deliberations are expected to begin on Aug. 9.

Jury Finds Defendant Guilty of 1st Degree Murder

After deliberating for less than a day, a jury found Aug. 9 a defendant guilty of first-degree murder while armed, among other charges.

Sean Green was convicted of fatally shooting Derrick Black on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW in 2015. Black, 24, fell in the street after being shot and was subsequently run over by a car. The incident was captured by a security camera.

The defendant was also found guilty of assault with intent to kill, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior felony.

During opening statements, prosecutors called attention to the physical evidence that linked Green, 27, to the crime scene. Green’s DNA was found on a gun-magazine recovered near the location where Black was killed.

According to court documents, the magazine had the capacity to hold ten cartridges, but only three cartridges were still inside the magazine when it was recovered. A forensic analyst said seven of the eight shell casings he received for examination were ejected from the same gun.

Green’s cell phone was also found on the scene.

According to Green’s defense attorney Steven Kiersh, several witnesses were not reliable. He said one witness was high on K2, a synthetic drug, on the night of the murder.

Also, witnesses gave various descriptions of the shooter. Some witnesses said the man who killed Black was thin and had long dreadlocks, however, Green is not thin and has short hair, Kiersh said. Another witness, a Metrobus driver, said the shooter had a medium build and did not have dreadlocks.

Kiersh also asked the jury to disregard the statements Green made during his initial interview with Metropolitan Police Department detectives. He emphasized that Green is “rambling and mumbling and cursing” when he is alone in the interrogation room. Green told detectives he was confused. Finally, Kiersh said Green had a “closed head injury” from a 2006 car accident that impaired his mental faculties.

The prosecution spent days of the trial playing hour-long chunks of Green’s interview with MPD detectives. During the footage, Green initially said he could not have committed the murder because he was being treated at the Clean and Sober Streets program on the night Black was killed.

However, the director of the Clean and Sober Streets program said Green did not start the program until Aug. 10, 2015, nearly a week after the homicide. The director said Green was not enrolled in the program at any point in July of 2015.

“You can’t get around the fact that your DNA is on that piece of evidence,” the detective said. “That camera caught the shooting. We see you brother, we see you. But you can help yourself by telling us what happened.”

Green then asked if there was any way he could secure a “pardon” for providing information on Black’s real killer. He also asked if he could be an informant for the MPD.

“That’s not how this works,” the detective said.

Green then switched gears and admitted to pulling the trigger, but said a person named Mike-Mike gave him a gun and forced him to kill Black.

Soon after, a woman entered the interrogation room while no detectives were present. She and Green hugged, and Green told her he knew who really killed Black. The woman encouraged him to “snitch.”

After the woman left and the detective returned, Green said he actually did not kill Black, and that the real killer was named “Man-Man.”

Green’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 2.

Police Arrest Suspect in 19th Street, SE Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Aug. 8 Mark Price, a resident of Southeast DC, in connection to a July 30 homicide.

Price, 22, is being charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 47 year-old Andre Hakim Young on the 1500 block of 19th Street, SE.

Apparently, Young was one of two victims shot in a double shooting. According to the Washington Post, the other victim walked to an area hospital after being shot in the shoulder.

A MPD press release said Young was a resident of District Heights, Md.

Document: Homicide on Livingston Rd., SE

In the midst of summer — and for the first time in August — Washington, DC has recorded another homicide.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, 44-year-old Denard Orlando Hartwell, a resident of Northeast DC, was found Aug. 8 suffering from gunshot wounds on the 4400 block of Livingston Road, SE. The homicide has been recorded as the 73rd fatal shooting this year.

The Washington Post reported that a bystander took Hartwell to a hospital where he succumbed to his injures.

According to D.C. Witness data, there have been 96 homicides as of Aug. 8, a 28 percent increase from this same time last year. There were 75 documented homicides at this same time last year.

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

Drug Program Director Contradicts Defendant’s Alibi

A director with a local drug rehabilitation program contradicted a murder defendant’s alibi when he confirmed that the defendant was not actually in treatment at the time of the murder.

Sean Green is charged with felony murder while armed for allegedly shooting Derrick Black in 2015. Black, 24, was shot and run over by a car on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

The director of the Clean and Sober Streets program said Green’s start date in the program was on Aug. 10, 2015, more than a week after the murder. Green, 27, initially told police that he was in a drug treatment program at the time of the shooting and had nothing to do with it. Green left the program on Sept. 24, 2015, according to the director.

A gun magazine with Green’s DNA on it, which was recovered from the crime scene, was capable of holding 10 cartridges. There were three cartridges left in the magazine and seven casings were found on the scene.

In addition to the director’s testimony, the jury also heard from a witness who said he saw Black on the night of the shooting. The witness said he saw Black waving his shirt “as if he was flashing something.” The witness said Black had a gun in his waistband and that it was visible when he lifted his shirt.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Aug. 8.

Judge Finds Probable Cause from Child’s Statement

An 11-year-old child, who witnessed a double homicide, identified the murder defendant and his wife, according to a Metropolitan Police Department detective.

Alonzo Lewis is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Venius Badgett and Jaquon Helm on the unit block of Galveston Street, SW on May 26. Lewis was arrested on May 31.

According to court documents, the 11-year-old eyewitness saw Lewis stand over Badgett, 35, and shoot her before shooting Helm, 40. The victims had five children, who were not injured during the altercation.

According to a retired Maryland detective, one of his sources said Lewis’ wife initiated an altercation and then called her husband. The husband allegedly shot both victims and disassembled the firearm, discarding it into dumpsters. Police have not located the murder weapon nor pieces of it.

Helm was not breathing when police arrived on the crime scene. The District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Helm was shot multiple times in the head and chest. Helm was lying next to Badgett, who died at the hospital.

During a preliminary hearing on Aug. 6, Craig Hicken, Lewis’ defense attorney, argued that the 11-year-old witness should not be considered reliable due to age.

However, after reviewing the evidence, DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson found that the 11-year-old’s account was corroborated by pictures taken at the crime scene, video footage from a surveillance camera and other testimonies. Judge Dayson found probable cause with substantial probability that Lewis could have committed the murders.

The prosecution extended a plea offer for two counts of second-degree murder while armed, but Lewis rejected the plea.

A felony status conference is scheduled for Oct. 30.

Judge Grants Motion to Push Back 2016 Murder Trial

On the day a murder trial was scheduled to take place, a DC Superior Court judge pushed the trial date back in light of the possibility of new DNA evidence.

Nathaniel Taylor is charged with felony murder while armed for allegedly shooting Nuru Frenche on the 4900 block of Just Street, NE in 2016.

Judge Juliet McKenna rescheduled the trial, which was previously slated to be held on Aug. 6, to Dec. 5 because the prosecution requested more time to retest DNA swabs. The prosecution said the swabs would be tested with upgraded equipment at a Signature Science lab to find any “useful matches” in the case.

Taylor’s defense attorney, Antoini Jones, said the additional testing could potentially bolster the idea that there is a “third-party perpetrator.”

According to court documents, a witness saw Taylor, 25; his previous co-defendant, Anthony Blackmone; and Frenche, 23, on the street. The witness also heard someone say “give that shit up” but was not sure if that person was Taylor or Blackmone.

Blackmone, 23, pled guilty to attempted robbery and voluntary manslaughter. In April, Blackmone was sentenced to six years in prison. According to the prosecution, Blackmone plans to testify against Taylor.

Taylor is scheduled for a status hearing on Oct. 5.

July Homicides Increase Nearly 46 Percent from Last Year

Homicide totals from July only confirm that Washington, DC’s spike in crime is getting worse.

According to D.C. Witness data, there were 19 homicides in DC in July, an increase of nearly 46 percent from 2017 and about 27 percent from June. There were 15 homicides in June and 13 homicides in July of 2017.

A majority of the July homicides resulted in shooting deaths. Four deaths resulted from fatal stabbings. One of the stabbing deaths was classified as self defense.

Of the 19 homicides, the Metropolitan Police Department has arrested Matthew Moore and Alton Rivers.

Although Moore, 33, has been detained since 2017 for the murder of Ronnell Reaves, 22, a second death was added to his first-degree murder charge. Apparently, Moore also allegedly shot 23-year-old Kevin Kennedy in 2017. Kennedy succumbed to his injuries on July 8.

Moore is scheduled for a status hearing on Sept. 7. A jury trial has been set for Jan. 7, 2019.

Alton Rivers was arrested by the MPD on July 27 for allegedly stabbing 68-year-old Anthony Anderson on the 3600 block of 14th Street, NW, earlier that day.

According to court documents, the murder weapon is believed to be a screwdriver. Rivers, 54, is charged with second-degree murder while armed. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 7.

The police are currently searching for two suspects involved in two shootings in July. The suspects are 28-year-old Marcus Whitaker, who is wanted for second-degree murder while armed, and 37-year-old Reginald Johnson, who is wanted for first-degree murder while armed.

Did a Police Officer Corrupt a Murder Scene?

During a murder trial, a Metropolitan Police Department reserve officer admitted to moving a cell phone at a crime scene before he realized it was evidence.

Sean Green is charged with felony murder while armed in connection to the 2015 death of Derrick Black on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

According to the reserve officer, who volunteers with the police, he picked up the cell phone after other officers arrived, thinking it belonged to another officer. When it occurred to him that it might have been evidence, the witness said he set it down several feet away from where he had found it.

Subsequently, Green’s defense attorney, Steven Kiersh, asked the witness why he did not put the phone back where he found it. The reserve officer said that would have only corrupted the scene more.

Another witness from the MPD said he used a software called “Cellbright” to extract information from the phone. In court, the prosecution displayed contact info, photos and texts pulled from the device.

There were several outgoing messages to an individual listed in the phone’s contacts as “Damen.” According to another witness, Damen is also the name of Green’s brother.

The trial is scheduled to resume Aug. 7.

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