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Retrial for 15-year-old’s homicide begins

Once again Derryck Decuir is standing trial for the alleged fatal shooting of a 15-year-old in Southeast D.C.. The first trial ended in a mistrial in March 2017.

Decuir, 25, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly fatally shooting Malek Mercer as he walked to a friend’s house from a bus stop on the 2800 block of 28th Street, SE.

On Feb. 28, the prosecution said Decuir murdered Mercer, who was a sophomore at Ballou High School, on June 16, 2015, because Decuir believed he needed to prove he was not a homosexual after his friends had taunted him for admiring Mercer’s belt.

The prosecution revisited the information presented in the first trial, placing an enlarged photo of Mercer, in front of the jury and showing footage from several surveillance videos from the buses that night.

During the night on June 15, 2015, Mercer was with friends “hanging out.” Mercer’s father lived in Southeast D.C. and his mother stayed in Clinton, Md., so the teen would usually stay in several different places, living like a “nomad” often with friends, the prosecution said.

On the night of his death, Mercer and the friend he was staying with escorted a third friend for a part of her way home. One the way back, the two ran into Decuir and two friends. The men were coming from a funeral ceremony for Decuir’s father.

Anthony Ryans, one of Decuir’s friends, was on parole at the time. He supposedly asked the boys if they had a cigarette and Decuir asked if the boys sold belts, admiring the red Versace belt and carrying a black duffle bag.

When the boys got to the bus, Decuir and his friends followed. Mercer was shot in the back of the neck almost immediately and died, from the wound, three days later. The prosecution noted that Decuir’s actual stop was more than a mile past where the shooting happened.

Although the defense agreed with most of the events, it claimed that Decuir was acting in self defense because Mercer was carrying a shotgun in his duffle bag. The defense argued self-defense was supported by the fact Decuir only fired once before running away, and said the police did not recover evidence of self defense because their investigation was sloppy.

On the first day of arguments the prosecution called nine witnesses, including Mercer’s mother, the friend who was with Mercer when he was killed, several police officers, a retired police officer and a technology specialist.

Mercer’s mother recalled texting her son before she went to sleep that night, and then being wakened by a phone call summoning her to Washington Hospital Center in Northwest D.C. She also noted, regarding the belt, that her son was very fashionable.

When Mercer’s friend took the stand, the recalled the events of that night but denied seeing or knowing that Mercer had a shotgun.

The police testified to items recovered from the crime scene including two gun casings, one from a shotgun and one from a 9-millimeter handgun, the duffle bag, and the belt, No shotgun at the murder scene.

The trial is scheduled to continue on March 1.

How the desire for revenge turned into Marcellus Green’s murder

The driver in a drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of Marcellus Green testified Feb. 28 to the events leading up to the homicide.

Steven Pugh, who accepted a plea deal for the homicide, said he drove Maricco Knight and Dominique Williams to the 3200 block of 28th Street, SE on the night of the shooting. Williams, 24, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and Knight, 22, is charged with accessory after the fact to an assault with the intent to kill and accessory after the fact to murder.

Pugh said he gave Williams a gun two days before the shooting. On the night of Sept. 18, 2015, Pugh said he picked Williams and Knight up from the Minnesota Avenue metro station and bought a bottle of Patron Tequila from a nearby liquor store.

Pugh told the jury about wanting to confront someone who had slashed his girlfriend’s tires and how Williams wanted to make a statement to someone who threatened him. Pugh said he drove by his girlfriend’s old apartment and saw two men he recognized from the neighborhood, apparently the old men were not the subjects that Williams’ or Pugh had wanted to confront. Push said he tried to stop Williams from shooting, but Knight told him to let Williams shoot.

According to Pugh, he and the two others drove off after the shooting, and a car chase with the police ensued through D.C. and Maryland. He said he intended on driving to his mother’s house in Southwest D.C., but couldn’t shake the police. He instructed Williams to throw the gun out of the vehicle before a police car hit the Honda Accord and caused it to crash.

Williams was the only one in the car to avoid getting arrested.

The trial is expected to continue on March 1.

Kevin Chase says he shot Marcus Manor in self-defense

One of the defendants in a 2015 homicide trial testified Feb. 28 that he shot 38-year-old Marcus Manor as an act of self-defense.

According to Kevin Chase, his decision to shoot Manor on Oct. 20, 2015, was not premeditated and his friend, Demetrius Brandon, just happened to stop by at the time of the shooting.

Chase and Brandon, both 30, have been charged with first-degree murder while armed for the alleged fatal shooting that occurred on the 2900 block of Sherman Avenue, NW.

Chase told the jury that he did get into an altercation with Manor on Oct. 16, 2015, in his sister’s apartment building. Chase’s sister and Manor allegedly had a rocky relationship, and she kicked him out of her apartment that night prior. Chase apparently broke Manor’s cheekbones and nose. He told the jury that Manor swung at him first in the apartment hallway after his sister refused to let him into their room.

Chase said that on the morning of the shooting, he had plans to hang out with Brandon, who drove to Chase’s sister’s apartment to pick him up. When he went outside, he was summoned by Manor, who was sitting in a black Ford Explorer across the street.

When Chase told Manor to leave his sister alone, Chase said Manor became angry and said “I’m going to kill you.” Chase said Manor looked like he was reaching for a gun, so he fired his gun in self-defense. Chase said he was scared he would’ve been killed and that “everything happened so fast.”

The Metropolitan Police Department never found a gun on Manor or in his vehicle, however a knife was discovered in a door compartment on the passenger side.

The prosecution is expected to cross-examine Chase on March 1.

IHOP manager says he spoke to shooter after 2015 drive-by

A manager at an IHOP Restaurant in Southeast D.C. testified to speaking with the man who shot and killed Marcellus Green. However, the manager said he could not identify the man because the encounter happened nearly three years ago.

Dominique Williams is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with a drive-by shooting that happened on the 3200 block of 28th Street, SE in 2015. Williams,24, was allegedly in the car with two other individuals, Maricco Knight, 22,who is charged with accessory after the fact to an assault with the intent to kill and accessory after the fact to murder. Steven Pugh,22, accepted a plea deal for the homicide and is awaiting sentencing.

The manager, who works at an IHOP on Alabama Avenue, said he was working at the restaurant on the night of Sept. 18, 2015, when he heard sirens outside. He told the jury that he saw a silver Honda Accord speeding down the road and several cop cars racing behind it.

Shortly after seeing the chase, the manager said he stepped outside for a smoke break when he noticed a man walking towards him. He said the man had a large phone and was wearing sagging blue pants that showed green boxers.

According to the manager, the man “bragged” to someone on the phone that he was just in a car chase with the police after shooting a man. The manager said the man said he felt bad because other people were arrested even though he was the shooter.

According to the manager, the man told him and another IHOP employee that he shot someone because they looked at him the wrong way. The manager said the man left in a white convertible. To corroborate the manager’s testimony, the prosecution played camera footage from outside the restaurant that showed a man with a large phone and sagging pants get into a vehicle before driving off.

The trial is expected to continue on Feb. 28.

Medical examiner says Manor likely shot in his vehicle

A medical examiner testified Feb. 27 that 38-year-old Marcus Manor was likely fatally shot while sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle across from his ex-girlfriend’s apartment. According to the prosecution’s expert witness, the eight bullet wounds were consistent with Manor being shot from his left side.

Kevin Chase and his friend, Demetrius Brandon, both 30, are charged with first-degree murder while armed for Manor’s death on the 2900 block of Sherman Avenue, NW on Oct. 20, 2015.

In a photograph presented to the jury, the examiner pointed out soot and stippling on the wounds, which indicated that the gun was fired at close range.

In addition to the soot, the examiner also said Manor had abrasions on his face along with two black eyes, which the prosecution said supports their theory that Chase assaulted Manor on Oct. 16, 2015. Apparently Chase’s sister and Manor were in a tumultuous relationship that resulted in the sister kicking Manor out of her apartment on Oct. 15, 2015.

However, the defense said the examiner could not be sure what physical position Manor was in when he died, nor if he was shot as an act of first-degree murder or self-defense.

Chase is expected to testify on Feb. 28.

EMT testifies to housing murder suspect

The ex-girlfriend of Maricco Knight, who is the emergency medical technician that treated Marcellus Green, testified Feb. 26 to housing Green’s alleged shooter Dominique Williams before his arrest.

The ex-girlfriend said it was a coincidence that she treated Green, 39, on the night of Sept. 19, 2015, mentioning that the scene on the 3200 block of 28th Street, SE was “unforgettable” because of Green’s bloody wounds. Green succumbed to his injuries. He was not the intended target.

The ex-girlfriend said she saw a social media positing that showed Knight and Steven Pugh being arrested for the homicide after a car chase on the same night.

When the ex-girlfriend called Knight, to inquire about the arrest, she said he told her the police were “trying to hit him with a body.” According to the ex-girlfriend, Knight said he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The ex-girlfriend and Knight began living together in May of 2016.

On the morning of July 21, 2016, Knight’s ex-girlfriend said she had shoulder surgery scheduled and asked Williams, who was staying with her and Knight at the time, if he could put her 6-year-old daughter on the school bus.

While Knight and his ex-girlfriend drove to the hospital that morning, she said she received a call from a detective telling her to pick up her daughter because Williams had been arrested for murder. She said Knight told her the police arrested Williams for the same homicide that he and Pugh had been arrested for.

Knight is charged with accessory to murder while armed and Williams is charged with first-degree murder while armed. Pugh took a plea deal for the homicide.

The trial is expected to continue on Feb. 27.

What did Chase’s sister really know about decedent’s death?

In a 2015 murder trial, the prosecution questioned Feb. 26 the defendant’s sister on her knowledge regarding Marcus Manor’s death.

According to Kevin Chase’s sister, who was also Manor’s girlfriend, she had no idea who was behind an assault on the 38-year-old on Oct. 16, 2015, nor did she know who fatally shot Manor four days later. During opening statements, the prosecution said that Chase assaulted Manor days before the shooting, breaking his nose and cheek bone.

The prosecution presented texts between Manor and the sister, after the assault. In the texts she told him that she “never wanted it to get like this.”

According to the prosecution, the sister also told the police that she “didn’t care” when she found out Manor was killed.

Additionally, according to the prosecution, the sister refused to answer the door when police showed up to take her in for questioning and when she was subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury. The sister allegedly hid under a pile of clothes on the top bunk of one of her children’s beds and refused to cooperate, the prosecution said.

The prosecution also insinuated that the sister knew about her brother’s involvement in the homicide and her actions showed signs of guilt. Assistant United States Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou cited phone records that showed two calls between Chase and his sister on the day of Manor’s death.

Chase’s sister testified that Manor and the defendant rarely interacted, despite both of them living in her apartment on the 2900 block of Sherman Avenue, NW. She said that even though arguments between her and Manor were sometimes loud, Chase never heard them.

The defense said Manor’s death was an act self-defense, presenting texts from Manor to the sister that showed him repeatedly threatening to kill both her and her children. The texts included messages, such as, “I will come into your home and murder you.” Manor also stole the sister’s eldest son’s keys and other belongings.

After the sister kicked Manor out of her apartment on Oct. 15, 2015, she said he begged for forgiveness but was still aggressive. According to photos of the crime scene, Manor was sitting in a black Ford Explorer across the street from the sister’s apartment.

Chase and his friend, Demetrius Brandon, both 30, have been charged with first-degree murder while armed.

The prosecution is expected to rest their case on Feb. 27.

Guilty verdict in Benito Valdez case

A four-week long homicide trial for three homicides in 1991 ended on Feb. 16 when a jury found Benito Valdez guilty of multiple counts of first-degree murder while armed. The trial began on Jan. 23.

During the trial, the prosecution proved that Valdez fatally shot Curtis Pixley, 29; Keith Simmons, 24; and Samantha Gillard, 23; on the 1800 block of Franklin Street, NE, located in Langdon Park in Northeast D.C., on April 23, 1991. Valdez was also found guilty of three counts of kidnapping while armed and one count of sodomy while armed.

Following autopsy reports from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and a firearms expert, it was determined that Valdez used two separate guns in the homicides. In addition, investigators discovered DNA evidence — Valdez’s semen and spit — on Gillard’s clothing.

Michael Green, who said he sold drugs with Valdez, is the only eyewitness to the homicides. He told the prosecution that he watched Valdez shoot Pixley, Simmons and Gillard “execution-style” — making the victims lay facedown and firing 17 times. He said he and Valdez then drove to Valdez’s mother’s house to clean and take apart the guns and then Valdez’s mother drove them to the Francis Scott Key Bridge to throw both guns over the edge.

Green, along with several other witnesses, told the jury that Valdez was not only known as an aggressive drug dealer, but also routinely mentioned that he committed the homicides. Valdez was charged with the crimes in February of 2016.

Samuel Edmonds, a witness who also sold drugs with Valdez, said he recalled a conversation about unpaid drug money where Valdez said he allegedly shot three people — two men and one woman — when drugs went missing. Edmonds testified on behalf of the prosecution as part of the terms of a 2007 plea deal for an unrelated drug conviction.

Valdez’s ex-girlfriend also told the jury that Valdez told her about the homicides six or seven times during their relationship, usually in a threatening manner, whenever he became angry.

Valdez is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13 by Judge Judith Bartnoff.

Judge sentences man to 27 years for Anacostia River Trail homicide

Judge Judith Bartnoff sentenced Wandell Roy to 27 years in prison for fatally shooting Victor Williams while he was walking his two dogs on the Anacostia River Trail in July of 2017.

These are really incredibly sad situations. I can’t fix this, if I could I would,” Bartnoff told several of Williams’ family members who not only presented letters of impact, but also shared tearful memories of their lost loved one.

“This has broken my family in ways that are indescribable,” the wife of Williams, who was 37-years-old when he died, told the judge. Williams’ wife said she had to bury her husband a day before their second anniversary.

The impact reverberates forever,” Williams’ cousin told Bartnoff.

As Roy’s defense attorney, Jonathan Zucker, addressed the judge, he opened his remarks with remorse, stating that Roy wishes he could apologize to Williams for the “senseless act of violence” against him.

“If Mr. Roy had any ability to take it back, he would take it back,” Zucker said, his statement was later corroborated by an apology from Roy to Williams’ family. Roy’s family was also in the court room.

Zucker told the judge that he disagreed with the prosecution’s version of the circumstances that took place that day, claiming that Roy shot Williams, not just to steal his Iphone 7, but because he was under the influence of PCP or angel dust. However, the judge did not accept drug use as an explanation for the homicide.

Zucker also disagreed with the prosecution’s statement that Roy had a violent criminal history. Zucker said most of Roy’s prior offenses dealt with robbery and that he was never accused or convicted of hurting anyone before the 2017 shooting. However, in 1992, Roy was charged with assault with intent to kill.

The defense asked for a 15-year sentence.

Williams accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder in November of 2017. He is also sentenced to serve five years of supervised release after prison.

Man sentenced to 32 years for child’s death

A man was sentenced to 32 years in prison in connection with four-year-old Samauri Jenkins’ death.

Jerome Lewis, 50, was sentenced Feb. 23 after he was found guilty of first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances, second-degree murder, and first-degree cruelty to children on Oct. 25, 2017. The case against Lewis went to trial twice due to a hung jury in April 2016.

Lewis will be placed on five years of supervised release following his sentence.

Although a sentence was imposed, there will be also be a hearing for restitution for the estate of Samauri Jenkins on June 15. According to the Office of the District Attorney, Lewis rented the first and second floors of his house, located on the 2600 block of 33rd Street, SE, to relatives, but tension between them rose and Lewis began to accrue a massive amount of debt. To solve his financial troubles, Lewis set fire to his mattress and burnt the house down in order to get insurance money.

According to charging documents, everyone but Jenkins escaped uninjured. Firefighters rescued her from the second floor of the house but she was taken to a local hospital where she died from her injuries two days later.

Jenkins’ uncle spoke on behalf of the family attending the sentencing. “[Lewis] broke our heart, but he didn’t break our will and spirit,” he said. “That’s why we’re here today.”

Officer involved in car chase testifies in 2015 homicide trial

A Metropolitan Police Department officer testified Feb. 22 to pursuing a vehicle that crashed and led to the arrest of Steven Pugh and Maricco Knight for the alleged shooting death of Marcellus Green.

Pugh and Knight were allegedly inside the vehicle that police identified as being involved in a drive-by shooting on the 3200 block of 28th Street, SE in 2015. There was a third passenger in the vehicle, Dominique Williams, who is charged with first-degree murder while armed. Knight, 22, is charged with accessory to a murder while armed and Pugh, 22, took a plea deal for the homicide.

The prosecution said Knight was arrested but later released because Pugh identified the shooter as Williams, who was not apprehended on the night of the shooting. However, charges against Knight were brought back when he was accused of aiding Williams, 24, while police were looking for him. There has not been any testimony to the validity of the prosecution’s statements.

The officer told the jury that she joined the chase in pursuit of a silver four door sedan registered to Pugh’s girlfriend, which was identified as Pugh’s girlfriend’s Honda Accord. The prosecution played camera footage showing the vehicle chase and car crash, as well as footage of the police officer running on foot to arrest the suspects.

In addition, another officer told the jury he recovered a semi-automatic gun that he believed was the to weapon used in Green’s homicide. A witness spotted the gun on the ground while he was driving through the area.

The trial is expected to continue on Feb. 26.

Defendant’s sister claims murder victim was abusive

The sister of one of the defendants, in a 2015 murder trial, claimed Feb. 22 that 38-year-old Marcus Manor was abusive and stole from her during the months leading up to his death.

According to Kevin Chase’s sister, she and Manor had a rocky relationship from April 2015 until he was fatally shot on Oct. 20, 2015. Chase and Demetrious Brandon, who are 30 years old, are charged with first-degree murder while armed for the alleged fatal shooting of Manor.

The sister said Manor allegedly stole her son’s keys to the apartment along with her Bluetooth, watches and belts. She told the jury of an incident in which Manor threw a rock through her window screen, nearly hitting her friend’s newborn baby.

The sister called Manor “disrespectful” and “nasty,” and said he often accused her of being unfaithful.

According to Chase’s sister, Manor kicked her and “put his hands” on her, which led to her kicking him out of her apartment on the 2900 block of Sherman Avenue, NW on Oct. 15, 2015. Manor was sitting inside his car in front of Chase’s sister’s apartment and refused to leave on the day of the shooting.

The prosecution insinuated that the sister’s testimony was not completely accurate because she did not want to testify against her brother.

According to the prosecution, the sister changed parts of her testimony from what she told the grand jury.

The sister said her daughter was the only one who witnessed Manor kicking her, but had previously told the grand jury that Chase and her other children were present. Additionally, she told the grand jury that she “didn’t recall” if she considered Manor to be jealous even though she told detectives that he was “jealous and insecure.”

Chase’s sister is expected to be cross-examined on Feb 26.

Officer says Knight lied to police about seeing murder suspect

The prosecution in a murder trial questioned a Metropolitan Police Department officer Feb. 21 to show that Maricco Knight, who is charged with being an accessory to murder while armed, lied to officers when he claimed that he had not seen murder suspect Dominique Williams for about a month.

Knight told officers, who forced their way into his apartment on the 4000 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE, on Dec. 16, 2015, that he hadn’t seen Williams since mid-November. In addition to not seeing Williams, Knight also told officers that he heard about the fatal shooting of Marcellus Green on Sept. 19, 2015. According to the officer, Knight was never told about a shooting or Williams’ connection to any shooting in Southeast D.C.

The defense argued that the situation coerced Knight into saying something about the shooting involving Williams.

Williams is charged with first-degree murder while armed.

In addition, an eyewitness, who was Green’s neighbor, testified to seeing Steven Pugh, who accepted a plea deal for the homicide, drive a 2008 Honda Accord on the night of the shooting. Police said the Accord was the vehicle used to administer the drive-by shooting.

The witness said that although he couldn’t identify the shooter, he saw a shooter lean out of the window behind the front passenger seat and extend both arms over the top of the car to fire four shots.

A forensic DNA analyst said Williams’ DNA was found on a styrofoam cup inside the Accord. Although the defense argued that it was possible Williams’ DNA was placed on the cup, the prosecution argued it was more likely that Williams’ DNA got onto the cup because he drank from it.

The trial is expected to continue on Feb. 22