Mason Binion was arrested on Jan. 24 and charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of Michael Francis Taylor in 2008.
Trial date set for man accused of fatal shooting
A trial date of Feb. 5 has been set for the man accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Ray Andre Harrison.
At a trial readiness hearing, in which both parties addressed final housekeeping procedures, on Jan. 25, Davon Peyton, 26, appeared in court before Judge Danya Dayson.
Police say Peyton shot Harrison in the chest on the 1300 block of Adams Street, NE on Nov. 13, 2015. Harrison was found around 2:30 a.m. and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Peyton has been charged with second-degree murder while armed.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katie Earnest and Jennifer Fischer, said the government was prepared to call between 15 and 20 witnesses to the stand. The attorneys said they anticipate the trial to last from a week to a week and a half.
Among the prosecution team’s witnesses is April Hill, a forensic scientist who will be training with the FBI in Boston during the week of Feb. 5. Earnest requested that she testify on Feb. 12.
In addition, Earnest said a medical examiner from Santa Clara, Calif., will serve as another expert witness.
Attorneys for Peyton, Joseph Wong and Matthew Davies said they plan to call up to four witnesses to the stand, anticipating a two day time frame.
The defense will call their DNA expert witness to the stand within the first week of trial, as he will be testifying in another case on Feb. 12.
Peyton rejected a plea deal that would’ve guaranteed a potential sentence anywhere from eight and a half to 13 years in prison.
Earnest said she plans to turn over witness DVDs and transcripts to the defense. She also shared that the government’s office is now in possession of Harrison’s clothing from the day he was killed.
According to Earnest, the government also intends to introduce more information about the relationship between Peyton and Harrison at the trial. The defense had no opposition.
The trial date is subject to change, as Judge Dayson has a trial starting next week that could take longer than expected. In the event that it does last longer, Judge Dayson said that jury selection could potentially be pushed to Feb. 6.
17-year-old fatally shot
A 17-year-old male who was fatally shot in Southeast D.C. died on Jan. 5.
James Colter was shot more than a year ago on Dec. 9, 2016. Officers arrived on the 5000 block of Jay St. NE at 9:07 a.m. and found Colter unconscious. He was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be from gunshot wounds and the Metropolitan Police Department has ruled the death a homicide.
Police have not released any suspect information.
Second arrest made in 2008 shooting
The Metropolitan Police Department made a second arrest Jan. 24 in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Michael Francis Taylor.
Members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested 30-year-old Mason Binion, who is a resident of Silver Spring, Md. He has been charged with first-degree murder while armed.
Taylor was found on June 22, 2008, when police responded to a report of an unconscious person on the 600 block of Farragut Street, NW. Personnel from the Office of the Medical Examiner pronounced him dead on the scene.
Binion’s arrest occurred two years after Joshua Massaquoi was detained on Nov. 23, 2015. He was also charged with first-degree murder while armed.
According to an arrest affidavit, Massaquoi, 27, voluntarily showed up at the homicide office to talk about the 2008 shooting. He told detectives he supplied the gun and set up the killing over a botched drug deal.
Massaquoi is currently being held without bond and is set to appear in court for a status hearing on March 22.
Police report for Mason Binion:
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Alleged drug dealer on trial for 1991 homicide
A man arrested for allegedly killing three people in 1991, in what seems to be a drug deal gone bad, is currently undergoing trial.
After jury selection, the trial for the case against Benito Valdez began on Jan. 23. Valdez, 45, was arrested on Feb. 16, 2016 and charged with first-degree murder while armed.
The trial stems from a shooting involving Curtis Pixley, 29, Keith Simmons, 24, and Samantha Gillard, 23. All three were found with apparent gunshot wounds on the 1800 block of Franklin Street, NE on April 23, 1991. They were unconscious when officers arrived and they were pronounced dead on the scene.
According to documents by the Metropolitan Police Department, Valdez and Michael Green were selling drugs in Langdon Park in Northeast D.C. on the morning of the homicide. Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Merikas gave the government’s opening statement and described the events leading up to the homicide.
Merikas told members of the jury about Pixley and Simmons, two of the people allegedly killed by Valdez. Pixley and Simmons went to Langdon Park looking to buy drugs. They sought out Valdez and Green to purchase crack cocaine.
After inspecting the product, Pixley changed his mind and gave it back. However, Valdez didn’t receive all of the drugs back and pulled out his gun at Pixley and Simmons. Valdez saw that neither Pixley or Simmons had money and forced them to start searching for the missing drugs.
Samantha Gillard, the third person killed in the homicide, was waiting in the car and came to see what was taking so long. She was forced to perform oral sex on Valdez, according to the prosecution. In connection with homicides, Valdez is also being charged with sodomy while armed.
According to the Merikas, Valdez forced Pixley, Simmons and Gillard to lay face down with their hands on their head, elbows touching. Autopsy reports stated that the victims’ DNA hair folicles were found on their hands.
Merikas said Valdez allegedly pulled out a gun and shot each person until there were no more bullets. Following autopsy reports from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, it was determined that two separate guns were used in the homicide. According to Merikas, although Green was present during the homicide, he said he did not fire any shots.
Green told the government about the events leading up to the homicide, which was corroborated by other testimonies. He told the government that Pixley, Simmons and Gillard were all killed “execution-style” by Valdez.
The murder weapon was never found. But, Merikas told the jury that Valdez and Green went back to Valdez’s mother’s house to take apart and clean the gun before throwing it off a bridge. Investigators discovered DNA evidence — Valdez’s semen and spit on Gillard’s clothing — to connect him to the crime.
While the defense counsel did not dispute the DNA found on Gillard’s clothes, defense attorney Lee Goebes told the jury that Green is an unreliable witness who has lied while testifying in court before. Green has also been charged for four other homicides and expected to be charged for allegedly killing a fifth person. He also told the government that Valdez and Gillard had sexual intercourse, but the medical examiner didn’t find any evidence of vaginal penetration after Gillard’s autopsy.
In addition, Goebes said drug users often exchanged sexual favors for drugs and it was possible Gillard did the same with Valdez. Another man’s semen was also found on Gillard’s clothing.
Michael Thompson, another member of the drug gang, testified in court that Pixley was a “go-hard” user who would fight and steal for crack cocaine and Valdez had a reputation for being a “bully” who would use aggressive tactics to get users to buy drugs from him. He also said it was common for users to pull tricks while inspecting drugs, such as grabbing and running off with drugs or pinching some drugs off before handing it back.
On Jan. 24, an expert witness, who was an undercover officer brought in by the prosecution, testified about his work with drug users and dealers as well as his knowledge about drugs in D.C.
The witness said his experience as an undercover cop makes him familiar with how drugs are packaged, prices of drugs and where to buy drugs in D.C. The undercover police officer has testified as a witness on behalf of the government 96 times and has been contacted by defense counsel in the past as well. While he said he had no first-hand knowledge about Valdez’s specific case, he said there was no specific distinction between drug activity in one area verses another.
Photographs of the crime scene were also shown to the jury, which showed where Pixley, Simmons and Gillard were found on the morning of April 23.
Valdez is being held without bond and is due back in court on Jan. 25.
March hearing date set for 2004 murder case
A Southeast D.C. man continues to fight against a 2006 second-degree murder conviction.
Johnel McQueen is currently serving a 41 year sentence for a 2004 murder.
When McQueen was 17-years-old he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in a March 22, 2004 shooting on the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE.
According to court documents, McQueen was seen talking to KaRon Barksdale, 22, near a burning car. Witnesses said Barksdale began to run toward his apartment when McQueen shot him in the back of the head. Both men lived on the block where the shooting occurred.
McQueen was eventually found guilty of second-degree murder while armed and related weapons offenses in connection with the murder.
Shortly after the result, the defense petitioned for the disclosure of Grand Jury proceedings and filed a motion to vacate convictions or grant a new trial on the grounds of actual innocence.
At a hearing on Jan. 24, Chief Judge Robert Morin appointed Attorney Janai Reed to represent McQueen as his new attorney. The decision was supported by both McQueen’s attorney, Leroy Giles Jr. and Attorney Tony Quinn, who appeared on behalf of the government.
Giles Jr. stated that the defense plans to only call one witness to the stand and stressed that McQueen would prefer that the case continue on a “fast track” while he remains incarcerated at Federal prison FCI Butner, a medium security correctional institution in Butner, N.C.
McQueen’s next hearing is scheduled for March 9, 2018, where witnesses are expected to take the stand. A status hearing is scheduled a week prior to confirm that all witnesses will be present.
Trial set for man accused of killing Federal employee
A trial has been set on July 9, 2018, for a man accused of fatally shooting a 46-year-old FBI janitor in March of 2016.
Kelby Gordon has been charged with the second-degree murder of Gabriel Turner. A trial readiness hearing was set for June 22; Turner’s trial is expected to commence three weeks after.
Turner, 46, was the victim of a bullet that was intended for someone else, according to reports from the Metropolitan Police Department that say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Detectives recovered surveillance footage that shows an unidentified man walking behind Turner. The video shows Gordon, age 29 at the time, shooting in the direction of the unidentified man. The altercation occurred on the 2600 block of Birney Road, SE.
According to Gordon’s attorney, Richard Holliday, Gordon is “anxious to have the situation resolved.”
Holliday stated that Gordon has more issues to raise but not without Lindsay Merikas, the prosecution attorney, present. She is scheduled to be present at Gordon’s trial readiness hearing.
Arrest made in murder of 66-year-old man
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch announced on Dec. 15, 2017, that an arrest has been made in reference to the homicide of 66-year-old Awlachew Ayele, a resident of Northeast D.C.
40-year-old Garrett Taylor, a resident of Northeast, D.C. has been charged with first-degree murder. The incident occurred on the 1100 block of Queen Street, NE on Jan. 26, 2017.
Ayele was found dead upon arrival. According to medical examiners, his death resulted from a fire that was intentionally set.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31, 2018.
Mother awaits trial for newborn’s drowning
A D.C. woman has been accused of drowning, strangling, and dismembering her newborn son in 2013. She is set to return to court on March 12, 2018.
Lillian Alvarado will return before Judge Milton Lee in just under two months to give her defense team time to dissect exam results from two doctors assessing Alvarado’s mental health.
Even though the government filed a motion, requesting the results of the doctors’ exams, prosecution has not received the documents.
Both the prosecution and defense would like time to review the documents in preparation for an upcoming status hearing, which has been approved by Judge Lee.
Alvarado, 24, has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree cruelty to children.
Prosecutors said she never told her family she was pregnant and tried to flush the partially dismembered infant down the toilet.
The incident took place inside her family’s apartment in Northwest D.C. in November of 2013. The discovery of the infant’s body was made when neighbors in the apartment below Alvarado reported bloody water leaking through their ceiling.
Alvarado’s defense team argued that she is not mentally competent for trial and should remain at a psychiatric hospital, but initial psychiatric evaluations revealed she is in fact competent.
A previously scheduled trial date of Jan. 7, 2019, remains.
D.C. man sentenced to 24 years for homicide
A D.C. man charged with fatally shooting 22-year-old Herbert Dowtin has been sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Malik Hough, who is also 22, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder from a shooting that occurred on Dec. 27, 2016, on the 800 block of Xenia Street, SE.
Hough was sentenced on Jan. 3, 2018, after being taken into custody in January of 2017.
Teen fatally shot in Southeast D.C.
A teenage boy was fatally shot on Dec. 18, 2017.
James Anthony Smith was found unconscious and unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds on the 1900 block of Frederick Douglass Court, SE. Smith, 17, was transported to a local hospital, but was pronounced dead by medical personnel.
The Metropolitan Police Department has not named any suspects.
D.C.’s first homicide of 2018
A 19-year-old man was fatally shot on Jan. 10.
Officers found Paris Brown, a resident of Southeast D.C., with apparent gunshot wounds on the 2400 block of Skyland Place, SE.
At 10:29 p.m., officers responded to a location after reports of gunshots and found Brown. He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Brown’s death is the first homicide in D.C. for 2018.
Homicide Suspect Scheduled for September Trial
A man who was arrested for allegedly killing Terry Crutchfield is scheduled to go to trial later this year.
Clinton Womack was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed after Crutchfield was found on the 1500 block of Olive St., NE. Officers arrived around 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2016, and found Crutchfield with apparent gunshot wounds.
Crutchfield was pronounced dead on the scene and taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Womack is scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 27. He is currently being held without bond and will appear back in court on March 23 for a status hearing.
New Years Eve traffic incident leads to death of 60-year-old
Roderick Scott was struck by a vehicle on Dec. 31.
At around 5:30 p.m., the driver of a Honda Civic hit Scott on the 1300 block of Rhode Island Ave., NE. The driver remained on the scene until Scott was taken to a local hospital for life-threatening injuries.
Scott, a resident of Northeast D.C., was pronounced dead a week later. His remains were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the actual cause of death.
Police are still investigating the incident, but charges have not been filed.
Derrick Hart arrested for allegedly shooting Maleak Coffin
A man has been arrested in connection with a shooting that led to Maleak Coffin’s death.
Derrick Hart, 22, was arrested on Jan. 2 for allegedly shooting Coffin and was charged with first-degree murder while armed.
Officers arrived on the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE on Dec. 23, 2017 after reports of gunshots. Coffin was found inside of a car with apparent gunshot wounds and taken to a local hospital where he was treated for life-threatening injuries. Coffin died three days later.
Hart is due back in court on Feb. 9 for a preliminary hearing. He is currently being held without bond.