On May 1, the Metropolitan Police Department released a video and image of a suspect wanted for allegedly fatally assaulting 33 year-old Yusef Turner on April 5 on the 3500 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.
Document: Juvenile Fatally Stabbed on 2nd Street NE
The Metropolitan Police Department responded to report of a stabbing on the 1300 block of 2nd Street, NE on May 1.
Police located 16-year-olf Tyshon Perry suffering from a stab wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Authorities are offering a monetary award worth up to $25,000 for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction for any homicide in Washington, D.C.
View the Washington Post’s story here.
Information on any other homicide in D.C. is located here.
Document: U.S. Attorney Concludes Investigation in Police-Involved Shooting
According to a press release from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, there was insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal, civil rights or D.C. charges against an officer from the Metropolitan Police Department who was involved in the Feb. 23, 2017, fatal shooting of Timothy Williams.
Williams, 47, was allegedly in possession of weapons during a confrontation with officers from the crime suppression unit on the 1200 block of Holbrook Street NE.
“After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer used excessive force under the circumstances. To the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that the officer was acting in self-defense and defense of others at the time of the shooting,” the release said.
A bystander captured a video of part of the shooting and posted it on Twitter. View the video and a corresponding article posted by WUSA 9, a local news organization, here.
D.C. Cause of Death Rates
Fifty-two people have died from various causes in Washington, D.C., not including medical or age-related deaths.
D.C. Witness documents that shooting deaths were the most common cause of death in the city. Suicides and pedestrian fatalities were documented as the lowest.
View other D.C. Witness infographics here.
Murder Trial Continues After Motion to Dismiss is Denied
Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson recently ruled a 2016 murder trial would not be dismissed in reference to the defense’s motion that claimed the prosecution suppressed evidence.
Judge Dayson told counsel April 30 that Brady v. Maryland had not been violated in respect to the lack of a connection made between a fraud case and a homicide case.
Arlene Petty, a co-worker of Stephanie Goodloe, allegedly made more than $30,000 from her death after setting up a GoFundMe account for the decedent’s daughter. Petty is charged with fraud in the first-degree.
Goodloe, who was 40 at the time, was allegedly shot in her home, located on the 700 block of Kentucky Avenue, SE on June 18, 2016, by her ex-boyfriend Donald Hairston. Hairston, who was 49 at the time, is charged with first-degree murder while armed.
The judge says that although troubling, she understood why the officer did not make the connection, referencing that he seemed genuinely perplexed about how the cases related to the other during his testimony on April 27.
The defense’s motion to question an officer of the court who supposedly knew about both cases was granted.
A Brady violation was also found on April 11. The court ordered the prosecution to turn over any evidence regarding WePay, and online payment service, or GoFundMe payments that were flagged as fraudulent.
The defense has filed several motions for the case to be dismissed. All motions have been denied.
The trial is expected to continue on May 1.
Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal Stabbing
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested April 30 Marquette Jordan hours after he allegedly stabbed 58-year-old Ivan Lynch, a resident of Hyattsville, Md., on the 900 block of 5th Street, SE.
Jordan, 26, is charged with second-degree murder while armed.
The Washington Post reports that there have been 40 homicides in D.C. in 2018. According to D.C. Witness data, there have been 42 homicides in the city as of April 30.
Read the Post article here.
Skeleton Remains Found on Construction Site in SE D.C.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating skeletal remains that were located on April 25 on the 100 block of Wayne Place, SE. The D.C. Office of the Chief Medical examiner said the remains as human.
Document: Homicide on Gresham Place NW
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department found April 28 Isaiah Harris, 23, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds on the 700 block of Gresham Place, NW, which is a residential block near Howard University.
He was pronounced dead at an area hospital. Police are currently investigating the homicide. A reward is being offered.
Document: Double Homicide on 61st Street NE
The Metropolitan Police Department discovered the bodies of 23 year-old Dalonte Wilson, a resident of Northeast, D.C., and 44 year-old Antone Brown, a resident of Capitol Heights, Md., with apparent gunshot wounds at a residence on the 400 block of 61st Street, NE. Police are currently investigating the homicides and are offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and a conviction in any homicide in D.C.
For news on other homicides in D.C., please click here.
Document: Police Arrest Suspect in Yusef Turner homicide
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested April 25 Keith Sweptson in connection with the homicide of 33-year-old Yusef Turner on the 3500 block of Georgia Avenue, NW on April 5. Sweptson, 29, is charged with first-degree murder (premeditated).
Decedent’s Daughter Says Hairston Killed Her Mother
On the second day of a 2016 murder trial, the decedent’s 13-year-ol daughter testified that she was sure Hairston killed her mother.
The daughter, who was 11 at the time, told the jury that she was 100 percent certain that she saw Donald Hairston pass in front of her door after allegedly killing her mother. The daughter is the only eyewitness in the case.
Hairston, 51, is charged with first-degree murder for the alleged shooting death of Stephanie Goodloe on June 18, 2016, at her home located on the 700 block of Kentucky Avenue, SE. Apparently, a motive for the killing was the fact that Hairston couldn’t control Goodloe, according to the prosecution.
During her testimony, the daughter, who was asleep in the bedroom next to her mother’s, told the jury that she was wakened by shooting noises and her mother’s screams. She said that while she lay in her bed, peaking out from the covers, she saw Hairston pass-by. “I was scared,” she said.
The girl said she believed she didn’t move for about 10 minutes because she was afraid Hairston was going to come back and kill her.
She said she recognized Hairston even though he was wearing a hoodie. She said she could see the left side of his face and noticed Hairston’s tall and wide build. She also told the jury that Hairston stopped in front of her bedroom door.
“I closed my eyes because I thought I was dreaming and when I opened them he was gone,” the daughter told an aide who works with children involved in traumatic events. According to the daughter, the shooter did not use the front door because she did not hear it open or close. The house contained three doors: a front door, back door and basement door.
However, the defense poked holes in the daughter’s testimony, questioning whether she actually saw Hairston pass in front of her door, referencing the 911 call when the daughter said, “I think it might have been my stepfather. I didn’t see anything.”
The defense also questioned the daughter’s testimony since she told the jury the murderer was wearing a gray sweatshirt and pants, but later said she didn’t actually see if he was wearing sweat pants or shorts. The defense pointed out that the daughter was most accustomed to seeing Hairston in sweat pants.
Defense attorney Lauren Johnson questioned whether the daughter was trying to make Hairston seem guilty because he moved on to caring for another family and another little girl. The daughter acknowledged that she felt jealous Hairston wasn’t paying her as much attention as he did before he started dating another woman who had a little girl.
Hairston was Abusive
According to the daughter, towards the end of Hairston and her mother’s relationship they began to argue a lot. The daughter said Hairston would threaten her mother. She also said she was sent to her room sometimes when they began arguing, but at other times left the house with her aunt.
In addition to the daughter’s testimony, a longtime friend of Goodloe testified that Hairston was physically and emotionally abusive in the months leading up to Goodloe’s death.
According to the witness, Goodloe kicked Hairston, who was 49 at the time, out of her home after the two broke up because Hairston was dating other women. Hairston stalked and harassed Goodloe, the friend said.
Johnson cited an occasion where Hairston showed up at Goodloe’s work, asking why she hadn’t answered his calls. When Goodloe explained she couldn’t answer her phone on the job, Hairston allegedly pushed her to the ground and spit in her face.
Then, about a month before the murder, Johnson said Goodloe called her after Hairston showed up at her home and asked “where the f*** have you been.” He allegedly banged on her door for several hours. The following morning, Goodloe’s tires had been slashed.
Goodloe filed a restraining order against Hairston after the incident.
Johnson is expected to be cross-examined by the defense on April 25.
Owen Meech contributed to this article
Document: Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal Shooting
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested April 23 Jerome Wilson for the fatal shooting of 48-year-old Sean Anderson on the 2300 Block of Good Hope Road, SE. Wilson, 35, is charged with second-degree murder while armed.
Document: MPD Searches for Suspect in Homicide
The Metropolitan Police Department is requesting the public’s help in locating 17-year-old Kaevon Sutton. Sutton is currently wanted on a DC Superior Court arrest warrant for first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of Aujee Tyler on 3500 block of Stanton Road, SE on March 19.
Prosecution Opens with Lack of Forensic Evidence in 2016 Murder Trial
A 2016 murder trial recently began with the prosecution’s admission that forensic evidence would not be provided.
Donald Hairstonis charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Goodloe, while she slept in her bed at her home located on the 700 block of Kentucky Avenue, SE.
The prosecution said that even though they believed they had a strong case against Hairston, who was 49 at the time, they were not going to be able to provide finger prints, bullet shell casings, cellular location tracking or DNA evidence.
Instead, the prosecution opened April 23 with the victim’s 11-year-old daughter’s 911 call. The daughter told the operator, in a frantic voice, that she believed the man who shot her mother was her stepdad.
The daughter said she heard her mother screaming and loud bangs. She said she saw a man wearing a hoodie, who she believed was her stepfather, walk out of her mother’s room , passing her’s as he exited the house.
The prosecution is expected to present around 40 witnesses, including experts, Metropolitan Police Department employees, and Goodloe’s family and friends. The prosecution said they will also present recordings, text messages, emails and phone calls made by Hairston to show guilt.
Apparently, Hairston had been harassing Goodloe, 40, and her child after the two parted ways. Goodloe filed a restraining order against Hairston days before the shooting because he allegedly slashed her tires and stole her keys.
According to the prosecution, one of the motives was that Hairston wished ill-will on Goodloe because he couldn’t control her.
“All she wanted was freedom,” the prosecution told the jury.
During the defense’s opening statement, attorney Lauren Johnson pointed out that the daughter couldn’t be sure it was her stepfather who shot her mother.
“The government has it wrong,” Johnson told the jury.
The defense pointed toward the absurdity of Hairston killing Goodloe feet away from her daughter, who he also claimed as his own. Hairston had been in the girl’s life since she was a toddler and continued to care for her after he and Goodloe ended their relationship.
“He did not do it,” Johnson said. “Convicting an innocent man for a terrible crime who did not commit it will not undo the tragedy, but add to a terrible injustice.”
The defense said the police failed to investigate properly, pointing out that a woman who made $30,000 on Goodloe’s death was not investigated.
Even though defense attorney Mani Golzari has made several motions to dismiss the case, continuously saying that it has been conducted in bad faith, Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson has denied the requests.
The prosecution is expected to continue arguments on April 24.
Document: Police Looking for Homicide Suspect
The Metropolitan Police Department is trying to identify a suspect, caught on a nearby surveillance camera, in the fatal stabbing of Maria Antoinette Evans on the 500 Block of Oakwood Street, SE on March 29.