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Jury chosen for 2015 murder trial

Davon Peyton, who was charged with second-degree murder while armed, will face a jury of 11 women and three men.

Peyton, 27, is on trial for allegedly killing 21-year-old Ray Andre Harrison. The trial began on Feb. 5.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Fischer said Peyton shot Harrison in a fit of rage.

Fischer said Harrison and his girlfriend, along with his girlfriend’s friend, drove to Peyton’s house, where he lived with his girlfriend and her 7-year-old daughter, in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2015.

Fischer said the incident happened when Harrison knocked on Peyton’s window and door, provoking him to go outside with a handgun. From there, a verbal altercation turned physical and Harrison punched Peyton.

Peyton allegedly shot Harrison in the chest and fled the scene, Fischer said. She said police located and arrested Peyton one week later on Nov. 21, 2015, at another girlfriend’s house. Police also found the handgun stashed under a pile of clothes in a closet in the house.

Fischer said the prosecution would call eyewitnesses along with a crime scene analyst, DNA analyst, and a firearms examiner. She said the evidence would prove Peyton’s guilt to the jury.

Peyton’s attorney, Joseph Wong, told a different story.

According to Wong, Peyton didn’t try to kill or hurt Harrison. Wong said Peyton was jolted awake by banging on his window in the middle of the night and grabbed his gun for protection.

According to Wong, Harrison began assaulting Peyton at his doorstep. Wong said that as the physical altercation unfolded, Peyton’s gun went off accidentally.

“This was not a murder,” Wong told the jury. “This was a tragic accident.”

Wong said the defense would call a DNA expert and a toxicology expert to prove that Harrison was intoxicated on the night of his death.

The trial is scheduled to continue on Feb. 7.

Police arrest suspect in Dante Coleman homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Feb. 6 the alleged killer of Dante Coleman.

According to MPD, Ricardo Daquan Boston was taken into custody after being extradited back to D.C. in pursuance of an arrest warrant. Information on how he was apprehended is not available. Boston, 23, is charged with second-degree murder while armed.

Officers found Coleman, 20, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 3900 block of First Street, SE on Dec. 29, 2017. He died at a local hospital.

A court date has not been scheduled, at this time, for the suspect.

Man fatally stabbed in northwest D.C.

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred inside a residence on the 2300 block of 11th Street, NW, on Feb. 5.

According to the MPD, officers found Michael Mahoney unconscious and suffering from multiple stab wounds. D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services reported that Mahoney, 71, did not show any signs of life.

MPD is currently offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction on this homicide or any other homicide in D.C.

Defendant’s ex-girlfriend testifies during triple homicide trial

The ex-girlfriend of Benito Valdez, who is currently on trial for a triple homicide in 1991, testified Feb. 5 about her violent relationship with the defendant.

The ex-girlfriend told the jury that Valdez told her about the homicides of Curtis Pixley, 29; Keith Simmons, 24; and Samantha Gillard, 23, to threaten her.

She said he told her about the homicides when he thought she was cheating. The ex-girlfriend said Valdez told her that after killing three people he could kill her easily.

She said Valdez mentioned the homicides about six or seven times during their relationship. He would bring them up whenever he became angry, the ex-girlfriend said.

She said Valdez told her that Michael Green, the second suspect arrested in the case, and Black Harry, the driver of the getaway car, were also on the scene when he allegedly shot the three people.

“It was a very unhealthy relationship, one that I blocked so deep inside me,” she said.

Valdez and his ex-girlfriend dated at some point in 1997 and then, after a few years apart, they lived together from 2000 to about 2002. She said she suffers with memory loss from a car accident in 2009, so she cannot recall the exact time period she and Valdez were together.

Valdez is charged with first-degree murder while armed. He was arrested in 2016.

The trial is expected to continue on Feb. 6.

Judge pushes murder trial back

The jury trial for Dominique Williams was postponed until the week of Feb. 12.

Williams, 24, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the 2015 homicide of Marcellus Green, 39.

Judge Judith Bartnoff asked witnesses to return on Feb. 13.

Bartnoff pushed the trial back because she is currently dealing with a 1991 triple homicide murder trial for Benito Valdez. Valdez’s trial began on Jan. 23.

Judge pushes jury selection back in murder trial

Judge Danya Dayson pushed jury selection to Feb. 6 for the trial of a man accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Ray Andre Harrison.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Davon Peyton shot Harrison in the chest on the 1300 block of Adams Street, NE on Nov. 13, 2015. Peyton was charged with second-degree murder while armed. The trial officially started on Feb. 5.

Assistant United States Attorneys Katie Earnest and Jennifer Fischer announced they would be introducing evidence that Peyton, 27, was in possession of a gun illegally at the time of the homicide. The prosecution said they planned on using testimony from a former girlfriend to prove that Peyton possessed a gun illegally since June of 2015. The prosecution also said they planned on using an incident in 2009 where the ex-girlfriend accused Peyton of assaulting her with a gun.

Unaware of the fact that the prosecution planned to use the ex-girlfriend’s testimony in their argument, Matthew Davies and Joseph Wong, Peyton’s defense team, asked Judge Dayson to either not allow the testimony or grant them extra time to present a rebuttal.

Judge Dayson gave the defense team one more day to prepare a response to the girlfriend’s testimony. Judge Dayson also ruled that the 2009 incident with the girlfriend could not be addressed because the case is old.

Police investigating fatal stabbing in downtown D.C.

A man was fatally stabbed in downtown D.C. over the weekend.

On Feb. 3, Gregory Monroe, 56, was found with apparent stab wounds in a residence on the 400 block of H Street, NW.

The homicide is under investigation, but the Metropolitan Police Department has not released any information on a suspect or suspects at this time.

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

Man sentenced to 22 years for 2007 homicide

Convicted second-degree murderer Maurice Blakey was sentenced to 22 years Feb. 2.

After his prison sentence, Blakey, 25, will be required to serve five additional years under supervised release and register as a gun offender.

In November of 2017, Blakey pled guilty to second-degree murder for fatally shooting Timothy Spicer on Nov. 17, 2007, while attempting to steal Spicer’s car at the Anacostia Metro Station in Southeast D.C.

As part of a plea deal, a 2015 homicide, where Blakey was charged with allegedly shooting 28-year-old Gregory Lee, was dismissed.

Members of both Spicer and Lee’s families were in the courtroom. Spicer’s mother told Judge Judith Bartnoff about her son, who had worked at Ben’s Chili Bowl prior to his death, was “a really lovable man.”

“I just want the punishment to fit the crime,” Spicer’s mother said.

Judge finds probable cause for murder, arson

A D.C. resident, who spent the majority of his life on the 1100 block of Queen Street, NE, was found to have probable cause in setting a fire on the same street that was responsible for killing a 66-year-old man.

Taylor Garrett was arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of Ayele Awlachew on Dec. 15, 2017. According to the D.C. Office of the Medical Examiner, Awlachew died on Jan. 26, 2017, from soot and smoke inhalation combined with multiple contusions of blunt force trauma.

According to testimony from Metropolitan Police Department Detective Robby Lawrence, several witnesses identified Taylor, who was a known drug dealer and user, and reported that he forcefully took over the apartment that Awlachew shared with two other men. Lawrence said people frequented the apartment, conducting drug and other illegal activities, at all hours of the day and night.

One of the reasons for probable cause in Judge Ronna Beck’s decision came from reports that police smelled smoke on Taylor’s clothing. When questioned about the smell, Taylor told the police he was allegedly pepper sprayed, but that could not be corroborated.

Lawerence said a witness testified that noises and other sounds of commotion were coming from Awlachew’s apartment. The witness used an umbrella to bang on the ceiling, in which the noise settled, but then the witness smelled smoke.

According to the defense team, Taylor did not have a motive to commit the homicide. The defense referenced a statement Taylor made hours earlier that seemed as if he was trying to stop someone from setting a fire in Awlachew’s apartment. The defense used this example to show that Taylor was more protective of the victim than he was aggressive.

The defense also presented the theory, referencing a lighter in Awlachew’s hand, that he started the fire accidentally. Awlachew was a known drug user.

Judge Beck dismissed the theory, saying the lighter in Awlachew’s hand, while he laid on a make shift bed, was not near the closet where the fire started.

Judge Beck denied bail based on Taylor’s criminal history and a recommendation from pretrial services that said the community would not be safe if he was released.

Taylor is scheduled for a felony status conference on May 18. The case is still waiting to be presented to a grand jury.

Judge Finds Substantial Probability for Murder Defendant

Judge Juliet McKenna said Feb. 2, the prosecution along with Metropolitan Police Department Detective Gabriel Truby presented enough evidence to find substantial probability for Kevin Lamont Smith to stand trial.

Smith, 47, is charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 55-year-old Valerie Regina Coleman on Dec. 2, 2017.

McKenna said that although there was no clear evidence of a motive, there was evidence that could show Smith committed the murder.

The judge cited Truby’s testimony that Smith’s girlfriend reported being awaken that morning by Smith tapping a gun on her head, telling her to check on her mother.

McKenna also referenced an altercation that another witness reported between Smith and his girlfriend.

“If I got to go, she got to go,” Smith apparently told his girlfriend when he was asked to leave the residence located on the 1700 Block of 16th Street, SE, the night before the homicide.

Even though the defense team argued that there were too many inconsistencies with timing and the girlfriend’s statements to find probable cause, McKenna said her ruling was based on the fact that shell casings found near the victim’s bed and inside the body bag matched the type of gun, a .380 semi-automatic, found on Smith when he was arrested.

McKenna said that when Smith told his girlfriend to check on her mother, he could have been admitting guilt. She said that it is reasonable to infer that Smith could have killed the girlfriend’s mother to hurt her.

Smith rejected the prosecution’s plea deal that would have reduced the possibility of his sentence from 60 years-to-life to 40 years-to-life.

A felony status conference is scheduled for April 13.

Prosecution to test DNA in 2016 homicide

The prosecution team in a 2016 murder trial revealed Feb. 1 that it would be conducting DNA testing.

Antoine Byrd and Devonta Johnson are accused of fatally stabbing 29-year-old Robinson Pal, 29, at a nightclub on the 1100 block of 17th Street, NW.

In addition, the prosecution informed Byrd’s attorney, Brandi Harden, and Johnson’s attorney, Brian McDaniel, that three final discovery file transcripts would be turned over in the near future.

Byrd, 37, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed on Feb. 17, 2016. Johnson, 29, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed on March 2, 2016.

Byrd and Johnson are scheduled to have a status hearing on March 16.

Judge denies release of 2016 murder suspect

At a felony status conference Feb. 1, Judge Craig Iscoe denied a motion for a man accused of fatally shooting 28-year-old Jamar Morris to be released from jail.

Stephon Marquis Williams, 24, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed on Oct. 27, 2017, for the fatal shooting that occurred on M Street, NW on Feb. 9, 2016.

Williams’ attorney, Daniel Quillin, argued that Williams should be removed from prison and called for reduced confinement constrictions. In his motion, Quillin cited that over the passage of time Williams has become less of a danger to society.

Iscoe said the passage of time is not an adequate enough reason for Williams to be released. Williams will continue to be held without bail.

After the decision was reached, family members of Williams and Morris engaged in a verbal altercation in the courtroom and were escorted out by the court marshal.

A status hearing to see where both parties are in the case is set for March 15.

Defendant’s friend testifies in 1991 triple homicide trial

An acquaintence of the defendant in a 1991 triple homicide testified on Jan. 31 about what he had been told of the killing.

Samuel Edmonds said he and the defendant Benito Valdez met in 2001 through an acquaintance. He told the jury he sold drugs with the defendant. Edmonds said he recalled a conversation about unpaid drug money. Edmonds said Valdez told him about an incident in Langdon Park, located on the 1800 block of Franklin St., NE, where Valdez allegedly shot three people — two men and one woman — when drugs went missing.

“When no one fessed up, [Valdez] shot them,” Edmonds told the jury.

Valdez is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the alleged shooting deaths of Curtis Pixley, 29; Keith Simmons, 24; and Samantha Gillard, 23.

In addition, Edmonds said that Michael Green, the second suspect arrested in the case, stood by and didn’t fire any shots.

Edmonds is testifying as part of a plea deal, for an unrelated 2007 drug conviction, Edmonds said he agreed to work with the government on the triple homicide case.

The trial is expected to continue on Feb. 1.