Defendant Pleads Not Guilty to Fatal Stabbing, Again

On Aug. 3, a murder defendant underwent a second felony arraignment after he received a second indictment for the murder of a woman in 2014.

Mark Kenyatta Bowser, Jr., who was initially indicted in June of 2015, received two additional charges. Bowser, 39, allegedly stabbed Tracy Womack, 39, on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE in 2014. Womack died at a near-by hospital hours later.

The two additional charges are of obstruction of justice. Apparently, Bowser tried to intimidate a witness from testifying. He is also charged with first-degree murder while armed, carrying a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon outside a home or place of business.

The defendant pled not guilty. Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff rescheduled the trial from Jan. 29 to May 13, 2019. The trial had been rescheduled three times before, according to court records.

A status hearing is scheduled on Nov. 16.

More about the case

According to court documents, Bowser, who is also known as “Piggy,” entered Womack’s apartment and went to her bedroom while she was sleeping.

A witness said Bowser stabbed Womack as she screamed for help. When a neighbor from down the street came to assist, Bowser also assaulted the neighbor while he was leaving the scene.

A detective testified, during a preliminary hearing on Oct. 7, 2014,that the victim was stabbed more than 40 times.

The victim was found unconscious with her pants pulled down. Bowser was arrested two days after Womack’s death.

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

Document: Police Arrest Second Suspect for June Murder

On Aug. 3, the Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrest of Dearren Dawkins for the shooting death of Larry Harrell.

According to a press release, police found Harrell, 43, suffering from a gunshot wound on the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE on June 13.

After locating Harrell, police arrested 16-year-old Titus Iracks in connection to Harrell’s murder.

Dawkins, 21, and Iracks are both charged with first-degree murder while armed.

Judge Sentences Defendant to 23 Years for Gun and Obstruction Charges

On Aug. 3, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a murder defendant to 23 years in prison.

In 2017, a jury found Derryck Decuir guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior felony, carrying a firearm without a license with a prior felony, obstruction of justice and tampering with physical evidence. The jury acquitted him for the charges of attempting to commit robbery while armed against a minor and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

However, the jury could not come to an unanimous decision with regard to Decuir’s first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence charges.

Decuir, 26, has been tried twice for allegedly shooting Malek Dayvon Mercer on the 2800 block of 28th Street, SE, in 2015.

Decuir was tried a second time in March for the murder and gun possession charges. The case resulted in a another mistrial; however, the prosecution said they plan to retry Decuir.

During his sentencing, the prosecution reiterated the facts of the case and said in 2015 Decuir left his home carrying a loaded semi-automatic firearm in violation of his probation for an unrelated case. The prosecution said that after his arrest for allegedly killing Mercer, 15, Decuir placed coded phone calls from jail to influence his friends and family to relocate the firearms, dispose of evidence and lie on his behalf.

The victim’s family was in attendance at the sentencing. During her impact statement, Mercer’s mother said that her son’s death “put a hole” in her family.

“We don’t have closure, we still don’t know what happened that night,” she said.

Prior to administering the sentence, Judge Puig-Lugo noted that Decuir demonstrated pride in owning three firearms while on probation. Apparently, Decuir uploaded pictures of the weapons on social media. Decuir also owned a 30-bullet magazine, which is commonly referred to has an extended clip.

“You (Decuir) were not defending yourself, you were preparing for an invasion,” Judge Puig-Lugo said. “This shows how little you care for the law and the court process.”

Judge Puig-Lugo ordered Decuir to undergo a mental health evaluation while incarcerated.

After his sentence, Decuir will serve five years on supervised release.

Murder Defendant Rejects Plea Deal

During a felony status conference on Aug. 2, a murder defendant rejected a plea deal.

Mario Alfaro is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Jonathan Vilchez, 22, on the 5400 block of Georgia Avenue, NW in 2017.

According to court documents, the incident was recorded by three different cameras. According to surveillance footage, Alfaro, 23, mouthed something to Vilchez while they were in a convenience store, before showing his firearm. A second video showed Vilchez drawing his gun and shooting Alfaro first. The third video shows Alfaro stop outside of the convenience store, load his gun and fire shots at Vilchez.

Police subsequently found a blood trail which led them directly to a dumpster where the murder weapon was located. The trail then led them to Alfaro, who was found suffering from gunshot wounds and brought to the hospital.

Under the plea agreement, Alfaro could have pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed with a firearm and the prosecution would drop all other charges.

A felony status conference is scheduled on Aug. 29.

Judge Grants Trial Delay in 2015 Murder Case

Nearly a month before a murder trial was scheduled to begin, a DC Superior Court judge granted the defense’s request to push back the date.

Ryan Thompson is charged with second-degree murder and reckless driving for his alleged involvement in the death of Matthew Roth, 22, at the intersection of 16th and Madison Streets, NW in 2015.

Thompson’s previous co-defendant, Rasheed Murray,accepted a plea agreement in July. The terms of the plea deal have not been released. But, as part of the deal, Murray agreed to testify against Thompson in court, according to the defense.

According to court documents, Thompson and Murray were street racing, traveling north on 16th Street, NW, when Murray lost control of his vehicle and struck Roth’s car. Roth was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and later pronounced dead. In 2016, Fox 5 reported that Thompson used to work as a firefighter with DC Fire and EMS.

Based on Murray’s plans to testify, Thompson’s defense attorney, Rebecca Bloch, motioned to push the trial date in an effort to have additional time to investigate and prepare for the prosecution’s case with Murray as the “star witness.”

The prosecution had no objection.

Judge Milton Lee granted the motion but said he was “troubled” by the amount of time he would have to delay the trial and noted that the case was more than three years old.

The trial, originally scheduled for September, was rescheduled to April 1, 2019.

Judge Refuses to Intervene in Murder Defendant’s Jail Sanctions

On Aug. 1, a murder defendant was escorted out of the courtroom after a judge refused to order the DC Jail to restore his visitation rights.

Co-defendants, Jolonta Little and Monte Johnson are charged with felony murder while armed for allegedly shooting 22-year-old Deeniquia Dodds, a transgender woman, on the 200 block of Division Avenue, NE in 2016. The case is being treated as a hate crime. Cyheme Hall and Shareem Hall are also charged with Dodd’s murder. The Halls’ case statuses are not available at this time.

During a trial readiness hearing, counsel agreed they were on track to go to trial in January in 2019.

Subsequently, Little’s attorney, Brandi Harden, requested that the judge order the DC Jail to restore her client’s visitation rights or at least create provisions that would allow human contact.

Harden said that living in isolation and not being able to see his family has caused Little to have a mental breakdown. She said she deems these conditions as “cruel and unusual punishment.”

In March, the prosecution requested the jail curtail Little’s contact with visitors because he was allegedly ordering hits and assaults on witnesses in the case.

DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee said that while he agreed the provisions may not be fair, they were reasonable considering the allegations against Little. Judge Lee said he had no jurisdiction to tell the jail what to do, and he refused to get involved with the situation.

Little started yelling at the judge because of the decision and had to be escorted from the courtroom by the U.S. Marshals.

Little, 27, and Johnson, 23, are also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy, robbery while armed, assault with attempt to commit a robbery, carrying a pistol without a license and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Little and Johnson are scheduled for a status hearing on Jan. 4, 2019.

Judge Denies Motion to Sever Co-defendants in Murder Trial

On July 31, a DC Superior Court judge denied a motion to sever co-defendants in a murder trial.

Jeremiah Jordan and Jerrell Powell are charged with first-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Antoine Danell McCullough on the 3500 block 18th Street, SE in 2016. The co-defendants are also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, McCullough, 30, told witnesses he was assaulted. Area surveillance videos captured three people getting into a verbal altercation with McCullough. The individuals followed McCullough after he tried to leave, and one suspect was seen shooting the victim. McCullough died shortly after.

Powell, 23, was found incompetent to stand trial one month before the proceeding, which was originally scheduled for July 31. Powell’s attorney, Brandi Harden, requested an additional mental competency evaluation for her client and filed a motion to sever the cases based on his incompetent status.

Judge Danya Dayson denied the motion to sever the defendants in an effort to ensure the security of an eyewitness and to avoid holding two duplicate trials. Judge Dayson rescheduled the trial for May 2019.

Subsequently, Ronald Resetarits, Jordan’s defense attorney, argued that Jordan’s right to a speedy trial was violated since Jordan, 28, and Powell’s trial was rescheduled to 33 months after his client’s arrest. To address this concern, Judge Dayson said she would try to reschedule the trial for an earlier date.

Resetarits filed a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the prosecution had been withholding evidence and that the evidence was incomplete. According to Resetarits, the evidence was disclosed a week before the trial was originally scheduled, too late to be used during trial.

Judge Dayson denied the motion to dismiss the case given the delayed trial date, which provided the defense with more time “to make use of” the new evidence.

A status hearing is scheduled on Aug. 29.

Murder Trial: Prosecution Begins with Police Interrogation

After jury selection, prosecutors teased footage of an interview a defendant had with police during opening statements in a murder trial July 31.

Sean Green is accused of shooting Derrick Black in the summer of 2015. Green is charged with felony murder while armed. According to testimony from a Metropolitan Police Department officer, 24-year-old Black’s body was run over by a car and dragged in the street on the 3300 block of Georgia Ave, NW after he was allegedly shot.

The prosecution said Green’s taped police interview had three phases: Green attempting to concoct an alibi, Green attempting to negotiate and Green attempting to “minimize” his involvement in the crime.

On the footage, Green is seen telling detectives that he had “nothing whatsoever” to do with Black’s death. Later, the defendant said he might have known how his DNA ended up at the crime scene. Green also asked police to become an informant and requested a “pardon.”

According to a prosecutor, in the third and final phase of the interview, Green, 27, said a man named “Mike-Mike” threatened to kill him if he did not kill Black. Later, Green said “Mike-Mike” didn’t actually threaten to kill him but instead promised him money and drugs. Green also said the person’s name was not “Mike-Mike”, but “Man-Man.”

“He made a choice,” the prosecutor said. “He didn’t have to approach Derrick Black, but he did… He didn’t have to run over Derrick’s body and shoot it again, but he did.”

The prosecutor also called attention to a gun magazine with Green’s DNA on it, which was recovered from the crime scene. The magazine was capable of holding 10 cartridges. There were three cartridges left in the magazine and seven casings were found at the scene, according to the prosecutor.

Green’s defense attorney said, during his opening statement, that a key witness for the prosecution was high on K2, a synthetic drug, when she saw the crime. The attorney said that both the woman and another witness said the shooter had long dreadlocks.

One witness, who failed to identify Green in a photo array, later said Green was the shooter after calling the police and asking about reward money, according to Green’s attorney.

Green’s attorney also referenced the police interrogation video, saying the first portion of the video is Green alone in the room, “mumbling and rambling and cursing.” He said Green has mental problems from a car accident in 2006.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Aug. 2.

Document: Victim Dies 11 Years After Being Shot

The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating a fatal shooting that occurred 11 years ago.

On Jan. 14, 2007, James Eason was allegedly shot on the 3100 block of 24^th Street, SE. He had been treated at an area hospital until he succumbed from injuries related to complications from a gunshot wound on July 25, 2018. The District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner classified the shooting as a homicide.

According to a press release, two unidentified suspects, approached Eason, 32, with a gun, demanding property. One of the suspects allegedly shot Eason, and then both fled the scene.

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

Expert Witness Could Be Problematic, Prosecutors Say

Prosecutors warned defense attorneys, during a trial readiness hearing July 31, about questions they might ask a potentially problematic expert witness in an upcoming murder trial.

The defendant, Sean Hurd, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Antonio Lee Bryant on the 3300 block of D Street, SE in 2015. The Washington Post reported that Hurd, 22, was wearing a GPS tracker as a result of a previous conviction for attempted robbery at the time of the incident. Data from the tracker placed Hurd at the scene. His trial is scheduled to begin on Aug. 23.

The prosecution said the potential witness used to work as a forensic analyst in Atlanta, Ga. but was fired from his job due to poor performance. He did not have a good professional repertoire, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors cited an “unpleasant” incident that occurred when the witness came to testify at D.C. Superior Court, for an unrelated case, and ended up testifying that he had been fired from his job in Atlanta due to racial discrimination.

According to prosecutors, the witness said he had been fired “so they could put a black female in his place.” The witness is a white man.

Still, defense attorneys said they wanted to call the witness, claiming he had testified in trials and hearings all around the country. “He’s actually very knowledgeable about his field,” one of Hurd’s attorneys said.

The prosecution added that they were aware of an incident, when the witness was working as a crime analyst in Atlanta the witness shot himself when a gun he was examining discharged accidentally.

“We anticipate having a lot of fodder for cross examination,” said a prosecutor, explaining that there was plenty of material to question the witness about if he took the stand.

A trial readiness hearing is scheduled continue on Aug. 16.

Murder Defendant Says He Was Confused During Police Interview

Defense attorneys requested July 30 to suppress statements that a murder defendant made during his interview with police.

Sean Green is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 24-year-old Derrick Black in 2015. Green, 27, was identified as a suspect by DNA evidence recovered from a gun magazine that was found on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

According to the defense, Green did not know what was happening during an initial interview with detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department. According to Green’s defense attorneys, he was “confused” before being read his rights. However, the prosecution argued that there were indications throughout the interview that Green understood his situation.

Surveillance video captured Green telling detectives that he had “nothing whatsoever” to do with Black’s death. Later, the defendant said he might have known how his DNA ended up at the crime scene. During the interview, Green asked police to become an informant and requested a “pardon.”

“I don’t think there’s any question he understood what was happening,” DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff said. She denied the defense’s request to suppress the statements.

Opening statements for Green’s trial began on July 31.

DC’s Not Guilty Verdicts

Although the number of not guilty verdicts has been slim over the years, there have been seven people found innocent of murder in Washington, DC since 2016.

As of July 31, four cases resulted in not guilty findings in 2018, two not guilty verdicts were rendered in 2017 and one in 2016. Ninety-seven homicide cases have reached a verdict in DC Superior Court since 2016, according to D.C. Witness data.

An overview of each case, presented below, details the charge and when the defendant was deemed not guilty.

On June 28, Andre Joyner was found not guilty of second-degree murder while armed for the fatal stabbing of 31-year-old Jamie Washington. However, Joyner, 27, was found guilty of tampering with evidence for getting rid of his clothes from the night of the murder.

During his trial, Joyner’s defense attempted to shift the blame to Joyner’s ex-girlfriend, who was a cooperating witness. Joyner’s attorney claimed the girlfriend killed Washington because she was angry, under the influence of alcohol and motivated by the belief that Washington stole her laptop.

On April 12, about a week and a half after Vernon Hedrick‘s murder trial began, a jury found him not guilty for the 2014 shooting death of 26-year-old Titus Jackson.

According to Hedrick’s defense, the prosecution charged the wrong man with first-degree murder while armed. Hedrick’s attorney said one of the prosecution’s witnesses told detectives multiple stories over the course of three interviews, which showed he was actually the killer. It’s unclear if the witness was ever charged with Jackson’s murder.

Hedrick is still being held, serving an accumulated four year sentence for two unrelated cases.

On March 22, a jury found Harold Marshall not guilty for the fatal stabbing of Tyrone Moore.

Marshall’s defense argued that he was defending his sister, who was in an abusive relationship with Moore.

Jurors found reasonable doubt that Marshall maliciously killed Moore.

On March 8, a jury found Demetrius Brandon, 30, not guilty of murder or possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Marcus Manor.

Brandon was charged with first-degree murder while armed for assisting Kevin Chase in killing his sister’s abusive ex-boyfriend. On March 12, Chase’s case resulted in a mistrial. He is scheduled for a retrial on Jan. 29, 2019.

On March 30, 2017, a jury found 21-year-old Dujuan Garris not guilty of shooting and killing 27-year-old James Anderson in 2015.

Garris’ defense suggested a drug gang was at fault for Anderson’s murder and claimed negligence on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Department for not wearing gloves while handling evidence.

During Garris’ trial, the defense revealed that police failed to disclose information about other potential suspects.

In 2017, Rashad Lamont Allen was found not guilty for the shooting death of 32-year-old David Troy Simmons in 2015.

Allen’s defense argued, during a two-week trial, that Allen could not be the shooter because police did not recover a gun or DNA evidence. Allen admitted to being at the scene, but defense counsel said the shooter had to have been someone else. In addition, no witnesses ever testified to seeing Allen with a gun.

Herbert Hines was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed for the 2015 stabbing death of 24-year-old Stephon Clark. After a nine-day trial, a jury found Hines not guilty of any murder charges on September 30, 2016.

Hines was the only homicide defendant found not guilty in 2016.

Thamar Bailey and Owen Meech contributed to this report.

Document: 2 Fatal Shootings in DC on Monday

The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating two homicides that occurred on July 30.

The first homicide was the fatal shooting of DC-resident Dion DeMarco Boyd on the 1400 block of Maryland Avenue, NE. Officers found Boyd, 21, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at 5:25 p.m. He was transferred to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The second homicide, another shooting, occurred on the 1500 block of 19^th Street, SE.

According to the police, officers found 47-year-old Andre Hakim Young, a resident of District Heights, Md., suffering from an apparent gunshot wound at 5:49 p.m. He was taken to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injury.

After investigating the scene further, officers also found another male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The second victim was treated at an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Police did not indicate any relation between the homicides.

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

Follow D.C. Witness for updates on both shootings.

Document: Police Search for Suspect in 4th Street, SE

The Metropolitan Police Department is searching for 28-year-old Marcus Whitaker in connection with the fatal shooting of 22-year-old David Hart.

Whitaker is described as a black male, approximately 5’11″ in height, weighing approximately 140 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He is currently wanted on a DC Superior Court arrest warrant for second-degree murder while armed. Authorities say he should be considered armed and dangerous.

According to a press release, Hart was found July 27 suffering from gunshot wounds on the 4300 block of 4th Street, SE.

Up to a $25,000 is being offered for information that can lead to an arrest and conviction in this homicide or any other homicide in DC.

Is Doc’s Report on Murder Defendant’s Mental State Correct?

Defense attorneys said their client was not capable of responding to a plea bargain despite being deemed competent by a doctor in June.

Deangelo Thorne pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 23-year-old Waliyatou Amadou on Jan. 8, 2017. Coordinates from a GPS monitor placed Thorne, 28, at the scene of the murder on the 1400 block of W Street, NW in 2017. Thorne was wearing the device as part of an unrelated conviction for drug charges.

In April, psychiatrists who examined Thorne asked that he be sent to a hospital in order to receive treatment and an additional evaluations. Several weeks later, according to a report from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital, Thorne had improved and became competent with the help of treatment.

Still, defense attorneys said they were not confident that Thorne was mentally equipped to proceed. DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff said the doctor who evaluated Thorne knew him well, which gave her additional confidence in the report.

After a bench conference, Judge Bartnoff ordered that Thorne should return to the mental health unit at DC Jail. Judge Bartnoff also ordered that another mental observation hearing be conducted on Sept.13.

“I’m going to give the defense a chance to study this further,” Judge Bartnoff said. “We’ll see if we have a dispute.”