Witness Claims He Saw Co-Defendants Attempt to Rob NE Apartment

A witness in a 2015 murder trial confirmed that he saw the three co-defendants attempt to rob an apartment in Northeast DC.

Charles McRae, Willie Glover and Joseph Barbour are charged with first-degree murder while armed. The three men are accused of stabbing Lenard Wills in the course of the alleged robbery.

The witness was a frequent occupant of the apartment on the 700 block of 24th Street, NE. According to counsel, the apartment was a place where people would convene to do drugs. The witness said that he was the one who let three attackers in to the apartment.

According to the prosecution’s opening statement, Wills’ girlfriend was making dinner when McRae, 66, and Wills, 50, began arguing about money. McRae stormed out and found Glover, 40, and Barbour, 38, outside. The prosecution said the three then returned to the apartment to rob it.

According to the witness, he was nervous about letting McRae back into the apartment because McRae looked nervous.The witness also said he heard McRae talking about robbing Wills in the past.

The witness said once he opened the door, three men stormed in. Two of the men had guns and masks. When asked if he recognized the men in masks, the witness became silent. After a long pause, the witness said “Will and Short.” According to government documents, Barbour is sometimes known as “Shorty.”

In his opening statement, Barbour’s lawyer said his client was actually a victim of the attack. He said there was another attacker who worked with McRae and Glover. The lawyer said the third man escaped.

“(He) ran from apartment 81 into the night forevermore,” said Barbour’s lawyer. “He’s not in this courtroom today.”

Barbour’s lawyer also said a bloody knife, recovered from a trash can near the crime scene, was used to attack Barbour. The lawyer said Barbour did not use the weapon to attack Wills. The blood on the knife was found to belong to Barbour, according to the lawyer.

McRae’s attorney said that McRae and Wills actually had a good relationship and that most of their disagreements were about sports. “(McRae) was there to do what everyone else was there to do. He was there to get high,” McRae’s attorney said. “He left the apartment with the sole purpose of getting some more drugs.”

The lawyer noted that witnesses were inconsistent as to whether one, two or all three of the robbers wore masks.The prosecution acknowledged that their witnesses were not always consistent in their accounts.

The trial is scheduled to resume tomorrow, June 20.

Judge Pushes Convicted Murderer’s Hearing Back to September

After witnesses failed to show at a post disposition hearing, a DC Superior Court judge postponed the hearing until September. The witnesses were subpoenaed by the defense to testify that a convicted murderer was not the shooter.

Even though, Chamontae Walker was sentenced to 40 years for the first-degree murder of Darrel Hendy, Walker, 40, still insists that he is innocent. According to the defense, several witnesses said Walker did not shoot Hendy, 29. The incident happened in 2010 on the 800 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

Only one of three witnesses went to the hearing. The one witness who did go was already in custody for a probation violation when summoned.

The witness repeatedly stated that he knew Walker didn’t shoot Hendy. “When the shooting rang out we all ran inside the apartments,” he said. According to the prosecution, Walker was convicted of the murder because he provided the murder weapon.

Counsel was initially given time to locate witnesses that were in the vicinity of the murder after a post disposition hearing in April. DC Superior Court Judge Thomas Motley refused to allow the defense to put convicted murderer Meeko Carraway on the stand. Carraway pled guilty to Hendy’s murder in 2011. He is currently serving a 25-year sentence at Lee County Industrial Park, a U.S. penitentiary in Virginia.

Walker’s hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26. The defense expects to hold a video conference with a witness, who is currently in custody in Prince George’s County, Md., at the hearing.

Trial Date Set for Accused Shooter

During a felony status hearing June 15, a DC Superior Court judge set a trial date for an alleged murderer in order to give counsel ample time to present the case. The trial is scheduled for May 20, 2019.

Charles Young is charged with allegedly shooting Kenneth Poindexter on the 4700 block of Benning Road, SE. on Jan. 20.

The motion to set a date comes after the 26 year old’s defense team requested an official trial date. The prosecution had no opposition with this request.

The defense also requested Young be released under the High-Intensity Supervision Program (HISP). However, Judge Judith Bartnoff feared Young was a “flight risk” and denied his release.

Young’s next status hearing is scheduled for Sept. 7.

Defendant in Traffic Collision Case Receives 7 Years

A man who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter after killing a close friend in a traffic collision was sentenced to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release.

Tyre Donnell Bailey was in the passenger’s seat of Lawrence Dukes’ car at the time of the accident. According to court documents, traffic cameras caught Dukes running a red light and hitting a Metrobus. Along with killing Bailey, Dukes also injured four people. Dukes was driving erratically between 55 and 60 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour zone. He ran a traffic light at the intersection of Stanton Road, SE and Suitland Parkway, SE in 2016.

When police arrived on the scene, Dukes, 28, and Bailey, 20, were unconscious according to court documents. Officers managed to remove Dukes from the car, but Bailey’s legs were pinned by the passenger’s side dashboard. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were unable to extricate him before flames consumed the vehicle. Bailey burned to death.

Dukes is currently undergoing rehabilitation to recover from the injuries he sustained in the crash.

“Mr. Dukes is just like a son to me,” one of Bailey’s family members said. “I’m here for Mr. Dukes. And I understand the government’s gonna do what it’s gonna do.”

According to Dukes’ defense attorney, Bailey’s family has come to every one of Dukes’ court hearings to show their support.

The defense also said that Dukes was enrolled in college classes and asked that he be allowed to complete them before being sent to prison. DC Superior Court Judge Zoe Bush declined the request.

“When you’re released from prison you’ll still be a young man,” Judge Bush told Dukes. “You’ll be living for two people now.”

Man Charged with Killing Cousin Receives New Counsel

During a status hearing June 18, a man accused of fatally shooting his cousin presented a letter requesting new counsel to DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson.

Gary Proctor is charged with second-degree murder while armed. He allegedly shot Jerome Diggs, 47, on the 1300 block of First Street, SW in 2015 because he was being teased, according to court documents.

Judge Dayson granted the defendant’s request for new counsel. She appointed Steven Kiersh as Proctor’s, 40, new defense attorney.

A status hearing is scheduled for June 25.

Judge Rules Against Suppressing Defendant’s Statements to Police

A judge ruled against a motion that would have suppressed statements made by a murder defendant while he was recovering from surgery.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe said he ruled against suppressing statements Willie Glover made while under the influence of morphine because the prosecution met its burden of proof to show that police did not obtain the statements through coercion.

Judge Iscoe noted that Glover was not hallucinating or speaking nonsensically when he made the statements and that officers of the Metropolitan Police Department voluntarily terminated the interview when it became clear that Glover could not continue.

Glover, 40, is charged with first-degree murder along with Charles McRae and Joseph Barbour. The three are accused of stabbing Lenard Wills in an apartment on the 700 block of 24th Street, NE in 2015. Glover was arrested after checking himself into a hospital in Prince George’s County with stab wounds.

Judge Iscoe said he would not credit testimony from the mother of Glover’s child, who said Glover was incoherent for days at a time while in the hospital. This was contradicted by medical records and testimonies from other witnesses. The baby-mother also said she was too upset to notice whether nurses were coming and going from Glover’s bedside.

In addition, Judge Iscoe ruled that information about selling drugs would not be admissible in court since its potential to turn the jury against the defendants outweighed its value. Judge Iscoe said his understanding of the incident in which Wills was killed was consistent with a robbery, so it would be treated as such.

The jury trial for Glover, McRae, 66, and Barbour, 38, is set to begin on June 19.

Defendant Ordered to Pay $200,000+ in Restitution for 4-Year-Old’s Death

A judge ordered a convicted murderer to pay more than $200,000 in restitution for the death of a four-year-old girl.

A jury convicted Jerome Lewis of first-degree murder and first-degree cruelty to children, among other charges, in 2017. Apparently, he intentionally set fire to a home he owned on the 2600 block of 33rd Street, SE. Samauri Jenkins died in the fire.

Lewis, 51, rented out the first and second floors of the house to family members who lived there, including the decedent, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Jenkins was rescued from the fire by emergency services but later died at a hospital from smoke inhalation and burns.

Lewis was sentenced to 32 years in prison.

ABC 7 — The home that Jerome Lewis set fire to, killing 4-year-old Samauri Jenkins.

The prosecution said Lewis should pay more than one million dollars in restitution. They based the amount on what Jenkins could have earned if she reached adulthood. The projection came from an average of various high school and college graduates’ incomes.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Milton Lee said he did not struggle to decide whether restitution should be paid but had some difficulty deciding what the dollar amount would be. He ultimately settled on $204,503, noting Jenkins was an “amazing” and “bright” girl.

“How do I account for… that loss of earnings?” Lee said. “Did she have an interest that would motivate her beyond high school?”

Murder Defendant Found Competent To Stand Trial

A man charged with second-degree murder while armed appears to be mentally competent and will be released from mental health treatment, according to a DC Superior Court judge.

Deangelo Thorne allegedly stabbed Waliyatou Amadou, 23, on the 1400 block of W Street, NW in 2017. Court documents said surveillance footage and Thorne’s GPS monitor, worn for past drug-related charges, placed him at the scene of the crime.

On April 4, Judge Judith Bartnoff ordered treatment for Thorne at St. Elizabeths Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital. According to the defense, Thorne suffered from anxiety issues.

A report from St. Elizabeths stated that Thorne was capable of moderating his own behavior and received the maximum therapeutic benefits from treatment. Thorne continues to be held without bond.

Thorne is scheduled for a status hearing on July 25.

Judge Denies Convicted Murderer’s Release

A D.C. Superior Court judge denied the defense’s request June 15 to reconsider the release of a man charged with fatally shooting a teenager in 2010. The man claims the wrong guy was convicted.

Donnell Washington was convicted of first-degree murder while armed for shooting Stanley Dawson on the 3500 block of 19th St., SE in 2012. According to court documents, Washington, 34, shot three people in retaliation, after someone took a gun from Washington’s friend. Dawson, 19, was killed.

The defense said the prosecution should not have asked for jury instruction regarding aiding and abetting. The defense said the instruction inferred that Washington knew the murder would occur. Instead, the defense said Washington only pointed out Dawson to an unidentified shooter, not expecting anyone would be killed.

“I’ve been incarcerated eight years for a crime I didn’t commit,” Washington said. “If you give me the opportunity to go home and provide for my family, I’m not an animal… I will not flee.”

Even so, Judge Craig Iscoe said Judge Russell Canan was right to deny the motion for a bond review. “I find no new evidence that would lead to a different decision,” he said. “I’m taking time to explain it because I know how disappointing it is to you and your attorneys. Finding the law as I do, you must continue to be held.”

Washington is scheduled for a status hearing on Aug. 17.

Judge Sets Hearing to Review Murder Defendant’s Medical Treatment

A DC Superior Court judge set a status hearing to reevaluate the effectiveness of mental health and substance abuse treatment for a murder defendant.

According to court documents, Sean Maichael Baker called 911 after she allegedly stabbed Robert Leroi Wiggins on the 300 block of 37th Street, SE, in 2016. Baker, 35, faces charges of second-degree murder while armed and assault with the intent to kill. She is claiming self defense and is currently released on personal recognizance.

Even though Baker is subject to drug tests and treatment, Judge Judith Bartnoff expressed concerns June 15 that Baker voluntarily missed treatment and avoided drug tests.

John Fowler, Baker’s defense attorney, said she missed the tests on May 28 and June 8 because of health issues that were not specified. Fowler said Baker “frequently communicates” with her assigned social worker.

The effectiveness of Baker’s treatment is scheduled for review at her next status hearing on Oct 12.

Judge Accepts Murder Defendant’s Guilty Plea

After months of preparing for trial and maintaining his claim to innocence, a murder defendant pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed June 14.

Traveous Lamont Brown and Paul Swann are charged with allegedly shooting Adam Edwin Barker in 2016 on the 2000 block of Langston Place, SE. The murder allegedly happened after Barker, 21, testified in trial of the murder of Simwone K. Milstead, his uncle.

Brown, 28, and his counsel were prepared for a trial on June 14 but instead of moving forward Brown pled guilty to all his charges, including the murder of Barker. Brown could face from 25 to 40 years in prison. He will be required to serve an additional five years on supervised release.

It is not clear if Swann, Brown’s co-defendant, has also pled guilty. He is scheduled for a status hearing on June 15.

Brown is scheduled to appear in court July 27 for a status hearing.

Mental Competency Appeal Requires Key Witness

Defense counsel requests more time to find a key witness that would provide important information on a murder defendant’s mental health.

Defense attorney, Steven Kiersh, told Judge Motley he “has not yet found the witness,” and did not request the government’s assistance. Kiersh is instead applying for a writ to summon the witness to testify in court.

Rickey Pharr, murdered Angelo Jones after a dice game on the 5300 block of Dix Street, NE in 2010. According to court documents, a witness said Pharr, 34, said he recognized Jones, 31, as a government informant. After which, they said Pharr left to retrieve a gun.

A jury convicted Pharr in 2012 for first-degree murder while armed. DC Superior Court Judge Thomas Motley sentenced Pharr to 40 years in prison. Pharr’s co-defendant, Curtis Patterson, was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for obstruction of justice and gun possession.

Kiersh said he believes Pharr’s sentence was too harsh, given the possibility of his mental incompetency. However, the defendant was found competent June 14 to stand trial.

Pharr is scheduled for a status hearing on Oct. 5 and a post-disposition hearing on Oct.12.

16 Year Old Held Without Bond and Charged as an Adult

During an arraignment June 15, a judge charged a minor as an adult for the murder of a 43-year-old man.

Titus Iracks, 16, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Larry Harrell on the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road, NE. Harrell was pronounced dead on the scene on June 13.

Iracks’ defense attorney ,Ronald Resetarits, argued that Iracks should be released under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) based on his age and current status in school.

Deputy Presiding Magistrate Judge Errol Arthur said there was “more than probable cause” to hold Iracks. Furthermore, Judge Arthur said there was no possible combination of services that would protect the community.

Iracks is being held without bond.

The defendant is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 22.

Decedent’s Mother testifies in 2014 Murder Trial

The mother of a 2014 murder victim took the stand June 14 to testify about the hours leading up to her son’s death.

The defendant, Andre Joyner, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Jamie Washington to death on the 700 block of 18th Street, NE. Joyner, 27, is also charged with attempting to get rid of evidence from the night of the murder.

Washington’s mother, told the jury that, on the night her son was murdered, Joyner; Joyner’s girlfriend; and the girlfriend’s cousin questioned her about Washington’s whereabouts. During opening statements the prosecution said Joyner’s girlfriend believed Washington stole her laptop.

The mother told the prosecution that the girlfriend was angry, yelling and going “on and on and on” about the missing laptop.

Apparently, Joyner stood by the door while his girlfriend searched the apartment for the laptop.

The mother said, Joyner kept telling his girlfriend: “Don’t worry, I got this.”

The mother told the prosecution the phrase made her fear for her son’s safety. Washington was not in the apartment at the time.

“I said ‘are y’all going to do something to my son,” the mother told the jury. She said no one answered her question.

However, during cross-examination, Young agreed that Joyner could have said, “Don’t worry, I got this,” in an effort to calm his girlfriend down.

The trial is expected to resume on June 18.

Judge Denies Murder Defendant’s Release

During a hearing June 15, a DC Superior Court judge denied the release of a man who is charged with second-degree murder while armed.

Ricardo Boston allegedly shot Dante Coleman, 20, on the 3900 block of First Street, SE in 2017.

Judge Judith Bartnoff denied the defense’s request to place Boston, 23, under the High Intensity Supervision Program. Judge Bartnoff said she was not given any new information that would convince her that Boston was not a danger to society.

Boston is scheduled for another felony status conference on Aug. 10. His trial is scheduled for March 29, 2019.

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