The Washington Post reports that defense attorneys say they plan to introduce evidence that points to another suspect responsible for the homicides of Savvas Savopoulos, 46; his wife, Amy, 47; their son Philip, 10; and one of their housekeepers, Veralicia Figueroa, 57 on the 3200 block of Woodland Drive NW in 2015.
The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating a fatal shooting on the 4300 block of 4th Street, SE.
On July 27, officers found 22 year-old David Hart suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this homicide or any other homicide in DC.
On July 27, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Alton Rivers for the fatal stabbing of Anthony Anderson on the 3600 block of 14th Street, NW.
According to a press release, an off-duty officer witnessed the assault and intervened in the altercation. However, Anderson, 68, who sustained multiple stab wounds, succumbed to his injuries at an area hospital.
Rivers, 54, is charged with second-degree murder while armed.
During a status hearing, a DC Superior Court judge ruled July 27 to push back all further court proceedings for a murder defendant charged for a 2016 homicide.
On June 14, per the terms of a plea agreement, Traveous Brown pled guilty to first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for his role in the shooting death of Adam Barker on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE.
As a part of his plea deal, Brown, 28, testified against his previous co-defendant Paul Swann, who is also charged with Barker’s death.
On July 26, the presiding judge declared a mistrial after jury deliberations resulted in a two-day deadlock.
On July 27, Judge Ronna Beck ruled to push back Brown’s hearings contingent on the status of Swann’s case. Judge Beck said that if Swann’s case is tried again the case would continue to be pushed.
Judge Beck also granted defense attorney Dorsey Jones’ request to send his client back to a facility in Virginia, where he was previously being held. Jones said there were safety issues associated with Brown being held in DC Jail.
Brown was not present during the hearing. Jones said Brown had a medical issue that prevented him from appearing.
Brown is scheduled for a status hearing on Dec. 14.
On July 27, a DC Superior Court judge ordered a juvenile murder defendant to be placed in jail instead of a youth development facility.
Titus Iracks is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Larry Harrell on June 13 on the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE. According to court documents, Iracks, 16, and two other people were attempting to rob Harrell, 43, at gunpoint shortly before he was shot.
Iracks is being charged as an adult.
The prosecution opposed the defense’s request for him to be sent to New Beginnings, a Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services facility. The prosecution said the facility was less secure than DC Jail.
The prosecution also expressed concern that Iracks would be “co-mingling with other juveniles detained for less serious charges.” The prosecution said the problem would not exist at DC Jail because Iracks would be locked up with inmates that had more comparable charges.
Iracks’ defense attorney Ronald Resetarits argued that his client would be better off at New Beginnings. “There is no evidence there is an escape risk with regards to New Beginnings or Mr. Iracks,” he said.
Judge Danya Dayson denied Resetarits’ request.
“It’s not as if Mr. Iracks was the unarmed getaway driver,” Judge Dayson said. “It is alleged that… Mr. Iracks (was) running away, shooting over (his) shoulder.”
A felony status conference for Iracks is scheduled on Sept. 28.
After postponing the deadline for a murder defendant’s indictment, a DC Superior Court judge rejected the defense’s request for release.
Giovanti Young is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Andre Jahmal Johnson, 42, on the 5000 block of H Street, SE in 2017.
Judge Judith Bartnoff rejected the request for release because Young is wanted in Maryland for assault and gun charges. “Why take the risk for three weeks,” Bartnoff said.
During a felony status conference on July 27, Young’s defense attorney, Madalyn Harvey, requested that her client be released under personal recognizance because the prosecution could not get an indictment within nine months. On July 26, the judge gave the prosecution 21 extra days to secure enough evidence for an indictment.
Harvey emphasized that being incarcerated for the extended period of time had been detrimental to Young’s mental health.
The defense argued that a conditional release would allow Young, 24, to participate in Vesta, a Maryland-based program designed to help adults diagnosed with mental illness. In addition, the defense argued to have the defendant released pending trial under court supervision. Young was not eligible for the High Intensity Supervision Program because of the Maryland warrant.
However, the warrant in Maryland would cause Young to be incarcerated again if he were released in DC. “I don’t know if a release changes much else,” Judge Bartnoff said.
The prosecution said releasing Young would prove to be more burdensome. The prosecution must indict Young by Aug. 17, or file to dismiss the case.
A DC Superior Court judge set a tentative trial date for two murder defendants who are charged with more than 24 infractions.
Robert Moses and James Mayfield are charged with first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor on the 1400 block of Saratoga Avenue, NE in 2017. According to court documents, stray bullets allegedly fired by Moses,19, and Mayfield, 17, killed Sydnor and injured three others.
Mayfield’s defense attorney asked Judge Craig Iscoe to set a date because of the high volume of trials scheduled through the end of 2019. The court agreed to schedule a trial to begin on Jan. 7, 2020.
In addition, Moses and Mayfield are charged with assault with the intent to kill, aggravated assault while armed, conspiracy while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Moses is also being charged with obstruction of justice. Both defendants could face a maximum of life in prison if convicted.
When Sydnor was driving with her 12-year-old cousin, a bullet struck Sydnor and incapacitated her, causing her to lose control of the vehicle. Her passenger sustained non-life threatening injuries. Two other victims sustained non-life threatening injuries.
Apparently, Sydnor was the daughter of a DC police officer and recent a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Northwest DC. She was set to attend Florida A&M University.
Moses and Mayfield are scheduled for a status hearing on Nov. 9.
On July 26, after four days of jury deliberations, a DC Superior Court judge declared a mistrial for a 2016 murder after a two-day deadlock.
Paul Swann and Traveous Brown are charged with the murder of Adam Barker on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE. According to court documents, Brown, 28; Swann, 24; and another individual engaged in a verbal argument with Barker, 21, before the shooting. Barker initially implicated the men in his uncle’s murder trial.
On June 14, Brown pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed for Barker’s death. Swann is charged with first-degree murder while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm due to a prior conviction.
Despite pleading guilty, Brown denied killing Barker. He also incriminated Swann during his testimony.
During Brown’s testimony, defense counsel, Mani Golzari, accused Brown of being an unreliable witness because Brown did not tell the truth about using drugs or hitting his daughter.
Brown was not the only supposedly unreliable witness. The defense accused another eyewitness of being “untruthful” during his testimony because the witness said he saw Swann commit the murder but did not mention Swann’s face tattoos.
The witness also denied using a criminal justice database called JUSTIS, which keeps records of offenders, to research Swann. However, the defense provided login information for the database that indicated that the witness used it to find the victim before making a formal identification of the suspect to detectives.
The defense maintained their position, saying that Brown was the shooter based on his blue shoes, which were seen in a surveillance video.
However, despite witness testimonies and the surveillance video of the suspect with blue shoes, the prosecution said they believed there was enough evidence to convict Swann “beyond a shadow of doubt.”
Evidence included cell phone data which placed Brown and Swann near the scene of the crime and text messages between Brown, Swann and the third individual that specifically told the individual “not to snitch.”
Swann is scheduled for a status hearing on Aug. 10.
Less than two weeks before a murder trial was scheduled to begin, counsel debated the admissibility of evidence in a 2016 case.
Nathaniel Taylor, 25, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of Nuru Frenche on the 4900 block of Just Street, NE in 2016. According to court documents, Taylor and Anthony Blackmone, who was Taylor’s previous co-defendant, allegedly planned to rob Frenche, 23, but the incident escalated and Frenche was fatally shot.
Taylor is also charged with conspiracy, attempt to commit a robbery while armed, felony murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Per the terms of a plea agreement, Blackmone, 23, pled guilty and was sentenced to six years for voluntary manslaughter and attempted robbery on April 20.
According to the prosecution, they plan to call Blackmone as a witness. Even though Blackmone is being held in a facility in New Hampshire, the prosecution said they don’t anticipate any problems with his transfer.
On July 26, the prosecution requested to enter statements from Blackmone into evidence.
They asked DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna to defer making a ruling on the matter until Blackmone’s availability for the trial was known.
Taylor’s attorney, Antoini Jones, argued against the request and said that portions of the statements had “nothing to do with his client” and were “heresy.”
Judge McKenna said that in January, the prosecution had given enough evidence of a conspiracy between Blackmone and Taylor to deem Blackmone’s statements relevant. According to McKenna, portions of the statements were helpful in understanding who, between the co-defendants, controlled the situation. The statements also let the judge understand how the defendants planned the robbery.
Judge McKenna gave the defense time to file an opposition and said she would make a ruling on the statements’ admissibility after jury selection.
Taylor’s trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 6.
A DC Superior Court judge pushed a murder defendant’s grand jury hearing back three weeks, so the prosecution could locate two witnesses.
Giovanti Young is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Andre Jahmal Johnson on the 5000 block of H Street, SE in 2017.
According to the prosecution, surveillance footage shows two unidentified witnesses at the scene of the crime during the shooting. The prosecutor requested time to locate the witnesses before a grand jury hearing that was originally scheduled on July 27.
Judge Judith Bartnoff postponed the indictment deadline by 21 days.
During a motions hearing on July 26, Young’s defense attorney, Madalyn Harvey, requested that the case be dismissed since there is no evidence the prosecution could elicit probable cause. Young was arraigned on the charge in 2017.
If the case would not be dismissed, Harvey requested that Judge Bartnoff release her client. “[Young] has been sitting in jail to the detriment of his health” for more than nine months, Harvey told Judge Bartnoff.
Judge Bartnoff said a potential release for Young would be considered during a felony status conference scheduled on July 27.
Two murder defendants were indicted July 25 by a grand jury for allegedly murdering a teenage girl and wounding several others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia.
Robert Moses and James Mayfield are charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill while armed and aggravated assault while armed for allegedly shooting 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor and wounding three other bystanders on Aug. 10, 2017. Moses, 19, was also charged with obstructing justice and committing offenses while on release for an unrelated gun charge.
According to a press release, Moses and Mayfield, 18, fired more than ten rounds at individuals at the intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues, NE.
At the time, Sydnor, who was the daughter of a DC police officer, was driving through the intersection with her 12 year-old cousin when she was struck in the head by a bullet. According to news reports, she died at a local hospital two days later. Sydnor was a recent graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Northwest DC, and was on her way to beginning classes at Florida A&M University. Her passenger sustained non life threatening injuries.
The shooting is believed to have occurred from an on going feud between young men from the Langston and Saratoga neighborhoods, according to the reports.
Moses and Mayfield are scheduled for an arraignment on July 27 before DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe. According to the District Attorneys office, the defendants could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison if they are convicted of the charges.
On July 25, a judge and counsel agreed on various hearings and deadlines for a 2019 murder trial.
Marquette Tibbs and Cinquan Cartledge’s attorneys, DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff and the prosecution agreed to schedule a status hearing on Oct. 19 and a trial readiness hearing on Jan. 25, 2019. The court proceedings would address any preliminary matters before trial on Feb. 19, 2019.
In 2016, Orlando Donald Silver, lll was found lying in-between two parked cars suffering from a single gunshot wound to the back on the 1300 block of Howard Road, SE. The District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner said Silver, 37, was shot in the back and the bullet exited through his abdomen. Two witnesses told Metropolitan Police Department officers that they saw two black men run from the shooting, one was described as having long dreadlocks.
According to court documents, MPD found a firearm with a 14-bullet magazine, which they believe is the murder weapon. The firearm had 12 bullets in the magazine, one bullet in the chamber and one bullet was missing.
Tibbs, 26, and Cartledge, 24, were wearing GPS ankle monitors that placed them within 30-40 feet of the shooting.
Counsel must alert the court of any expert witnesses that will testify and submit any motions by Dec. 14.
May has been the deadliest month Washington, DC has seen in three years.
According to D.C. Witness data, there were 19 homicides in DC in May, including one trauma, three stabbings and 15 shootings. Two women and 17 men were killed. The victims ranged from 1 years old to 43 years old. March closely followed with 18 deaths.
Nine out of May’s 19 homicides resulted in an arrest by the Metropolitan Police Department. These arrests include Brian Wooden, who is charged with beating and killing one-year-old Carter Sanders; Kavonte Richardson, who is charged with stabbing Matthew Scott Rooker; and Alonzo Lewis, who is charged with shooting Jaquon Helm.
According to D.C. Witness data, the majority of these homicides are a result of disputes. Court documents show that one death was a result of child abuse, another death was connected to illegal drugs, two deaths were a result of theft and six deaths were due to disputes.
The month of May had, on average, three murders a week, making it the deadliest month in years. According to D.C. Witness data, May has historically been known to have a high murder rate.
Nine of these murders took place in the Southeastern quadrant and eight took place in the Northeast DC.
The chart above shows DC’s homicide rate per month over the last three years. Since 2015, the homicide rate in May has decreased. But, in 2018 there has been a sudden spike in homicides. In May in 2015 there were 17 homicides, in 2016 there were 14 homicides, in 2017 there were 11 homicides and there have been 19 homicides in 2018.
Even though May trumped other months throughout the years, it has not risen above August’s count of 21 homicides in 2015. With August just around the corner, will the 91 homicide count, as of July 25, drastically increase?
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the shooting death of 46-year-old Paul Williams, Jr. on the 800 block of R Street, Northwest.
According to the police, officers responded to the Ward 6 location on July 24 where they found Williams suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He died at a local hospital.
The police are currently offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case or any other homicide in Washington, DC.
During closing arguments in a 2016 murder trial, the defense reaffirmed their client’s innocence.
Paul Swann is charged with second-degree murder while armed for the death of Adam Barker on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE in 2016. Traveous Brown, who implicated Swann, pled guilty to the murder on June 14.
Mani Golzari, one of Swann’s attorneys, criticized the prosecution for holes in their argument and unreliable witnesses. Golzari said the cell site analysis that places Swann, 24, in the area of the murder was inaccurate because buildings or signals could have blocked his true location.
“This case is riddled with reasonable doubt,” Golzari told the jury. Golzari summarized in detail how the major witnesses, including Brown, 28, were either unsure of the identification of the suspect, untruthful, or “sloppy” in their investigation.
According to court documents, after a verbal altercation, Swann and Brown opened fire on Barker, 21. Barker sustained a gunshot wound to the back.
On July 23, the prosecution told the jury that cell phone evidence, two eyewitness testimonies and surveillance footage “proved beyond a shadow of doubt” that Swann should be convicted for Barker’s death.
The jury began deliberating on July 23.
