Curfew Lifted for Second-Degree Murder Suspect

During a status hearing June 11, the presiding judge in a homicide case involving a man accused of second-degree murder ruled in favor of removing his curfew, which has been in place for the past three years.

Defense attorney Dominique Winters argued that Brian Jackson was “an exemplary defendant” who has been in accordance with the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP). Jackson, 29, has been compliant with the court’s orders and continues to “attend his meetings,” she said.

Jackson told DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson that he was a commercial driver with a Class B license but due to his inability to attend night classes he lost his job.

Jackson is charged with allegedly stabbing Joshua Steele, 23, on the 600 block of Alabama Avenue, SE in 2015 .

Judge Dayson agreed to lift Jackson’s curfew but left him on the Global Positioning System (GPS), which tracks his movement.

Jackson is scheduled for a status hearing on Aug. 16.

Judge Rules on Evidence Distribution in 2013 Homicide Case

A presiding judge in a 2013 homicide case gave defense counsel extra time to review evidence before handing it over to expert witnesses for review.

The defendant, Stefon Kirkpatrick, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend, Julisa Washington, in 2013. According to court documents, Washington, 22, was found face down in a pool of blood in an alleyway on the 400 block of Chesapeake Street, SE. Apparently, the cause of death was a stab wound to the neck.

Defense counsel argued that if the prosecution was allowed to distribute the case’s evidence to all parties at the same time, the defense’s expert witness at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital, could be flipped. According to court records, Kirkpatrick told police, on the scene of the crime, that he committed the murder.

DC Superior Court Judge Ronna L. Beck ordered the prosecution to give the evidence to defense counsel by June 15. Beck granted the defense two weeks to review the evidence, after which counsel would be required to disclose all evidence to expert witnesses.

Kirkpatrick is scheduled for a status hearing on June 28.

Prosecution Offers Plea Deal to Dismiss Murder Charge

In light of recent DNA evidence, the prosecution in a 2016 homicide case, offered the defendant a plea deal June 8. The plea deal would dismiss all but one of the defendant’s charges.

The defendant, Sean Smith, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Matthew Walker. Smith, 38, also faces unlawful possession with a prior felony and carrying a pistol without a license charges.

According to court documents, Smith and Walker, 26, attended a party on the 900 block of Eastern Ave., NE in August 2016. Witnesses said the two men started arguing. Shortly after the argument, witnesses said they heard gunshots. Walker suffered from multiple gunshots to the upper body, including his heart and lungs.

Defense counsel said Walker pulled a gun on Smith and ultimately their client acted in self-defense. The prosecution said DNA testing found both Smith and Walkers’ DNA on the gun.

As a result, the prosecution offered a plea deal that would keep the unlawful possession charge and dismiss the murder and licensing charges. The plea deal will be available until Smith’s next hearing.

Based on the downgraded charges, the defense motioned to review Smith’s terms of release. While the defense was in favor of a full release, the prosecution argued for Smith to remain in prison.

In 2005, Smith went “on the run” for a month with relation to prior charges that were not related to the homicide. The prosecution said he could be a potential flight risk.

DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff said that while she acknowledges the prosecution’s argument, she believes “the poster of the case is different now that the murder charge is gone.”

Judge Bartnoff said she is in favor of release with some level of supervision. She said she would make a ruling based on Smith’s pre-trial screening.

Smith is scheduled for a status hearing on June 13, where his release is expected to be discussed.

New Defense Counsel Ready to Continue Shooting Case

New defense counsel in a 2017 homicide case told the court he was ready to begin arguments on June 8.

Howard Mceachern, who was appointed on May 22, said he was “up to speed” on the case and ready to continue. Mceachern is defending Khalil Davis, who is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Omar Rogers.

According to court documents, Rogers, 25, was in his car in the parking lot of Uniontown Bar and Grill, located on the 2200 block of Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, SE, when a black car pulled up next to him and opened fire.

Davis, 23, along with his co-defendant, Micheal Jones, 21, are scheduled for a felony status conference on July 19. Kevin McCants is Jones’ defense counsel.

Defendants in Matthew Shlonsky Homicide Plead Guilty

Marcus King, Kevin Proctor and Andre Dudley pled guilty June 8 to the 2015 shooting death of Matthew Shlonsky.

The three men recanted their previous not guilty plea and pled guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. According to court documents, Shlonsky, 23, was an unintended target who was caught in a crossfire after exiting a taxi.

Dudley, 22, also pled guilty to one count of attempted assault with a deadly weapon. According to news reports, Dudley, who also pled guilty to charges in an unrelated prison stabbing, could get 20 years and four months in prison.

King, 22, and Proctor, 28, who are apparent members of a DC gang called the Ninth Street Crew, were allegedly arguing with Dudley before the gunfight.

King agreed to a prison term of 15 to 20 years and Proctor agreed to a prison term of 12 to 14 years, local news station WTOP reported.

DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna accepted the defendants’ pleas. Their sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 13.

Joyner Receives 16 Years for 2016 Murder

On June 8, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man, who pled guilty to a fatal shooting, to 16 years in prison.

Thomas Joyner pled guilty to second-degree murder on Sept. 16, 2016, for fatally shooting Joe Cook. As part of Joyner’s sentence, the 23-year-old is required to serve an additional five years on supervised release.

By pleading guilty to the murder, several other charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, were dismissed.

Joyner shot Cook, 35, on the 2500 block of Elvans Road, SE. During a May 25 hearing, Joyner said he was under the influence of PCP, an hallucinatory drug also known as angel dust, when he pulled the trigger.

Even though Joyner was sentenced on May 25, his sentence was not imposed because Joyner needed to resolve a civil matter in Maryland.

Learn more about the case here.

Document: Traffic Fatality on H Street NE

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested June 8 Daryl Grant Alexander for a traffic fatality that occurred on the 1100 block of H Street, NE.

According to the police, Alexander, 47, was driving under the influence when he struck a 2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX motorcycle. The driver of the motorcycle, 53 year-old Oren Dorell, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Alexander is charged with second-degree murder, driving under the influence and leaving after colliding.

Defense Attorneys Split on Decision to Push Trial Date

In a status hearing June 6, defense attorneys for co-defendants in a homicide case disagreed on whether to keep the current trial date or to delay the trial by more than a year.

Antoine Byrd and Devonte Johnson are charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Robinson Pal inside Barcode, a nightclub located on the 1100 block of 17th Street, NW, on January 31, 2016. Pal died on Feb. 1, 2016.

Johnson’s attorney, Brian McDaniel, said he would like to continue with the current July 30 trial date, while Bryd’s attorney, Brandi Harden, said she would like to delay the trial to conduct further DNA testing.

Harden said she received DNA test results from the prosecution that led her to believe that additional testing was needed. According to Harden, she doesn’t know how long the testing would take or what her defense theory would be when it is done.

“We’re talking about a whole new defense theory,” Harden said. “I don’t think it’s fair to ask me to do it in 45 days, nor can I.”

Harden emphasized that the court gave the prosecution six months for DNA testing.

According to the prosecution, their DNA analysis lasted as long as it did because the results from the knife’s handle were a mixture of DNA from five individuals. Test results placed Byrd’s DNA on the knife handle, and results for the other four individuals were inconclusive, the prosecution said.

DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe said he wouldn’t issue a ruling, but would keep the current trial date for the moment. If the trial is delayed, it would likely have to wait until October 2019.

A status hearing is scheduled for June 20.

Man Charged with Double Homicide Switches Plea

On Feb. 21, David Bright pled guilty to two counts of murder in the first-degree. However, on June 8, Bright changed his plea to not guilty.

Bright, 31, is accused of allegedly shooting his housemates, 45-year-old David Watkins Jr. and Clifton Francis,51, on the 500 block of 58th Street, NE in February 2016. According to court documents, Bright was found with the murder weapon, a .40 caliber pistol. Despite an extensive amount of evidence from the prosecution, Bright wrote a letter to DC Superior Court Judge Ronna L. Beck stating that he wanted to change his guilty plea.

The change follows a sentencing hearing held May 18 that was continued to June 8. After the May 18 hearing, Bright’s mother told D.C. Witness that her son’s guilty plea was coerced. D.C. Witness is currently investigating the mother’s accusations.

Because of the change, Judge Beck assigned a criminal justice attorney to advise Bright on his decision to change his plea. The defense is interested in having a mental health evaluation and/or a competency screening conducted.

The judge is giving Bright more time to decide if he would like to move forward with the not-guilty plea.

A status hearing is scheduled for June 29.

Shooter in Domestic Homicide Pleads Not Guilty

After being charged with second-degree murder while armed, Kevin Smith pled not guilty during an arraignment on June 8.

Smith, who was 47 at the time of the homicide, is charged with allegedly shooting Valerie Coleman, the grandmother of his child. Apparently, Smith killed the 55-year-old in retaliation to finding out that his girlfriend, who was Coleman’s daughter, was cheating on him.

On June 8, Smith changed counsel. Smith’s new attorney requested time to review evidence in the case.

The arraignment is scheduled to continue on July 18.

Prosecution Continues to Investigate Parking Lot Murder

The prosecution said May 30 they would continue investigating a shooting death that took place in the parking lot of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near the 6900 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

Koonce Wright allegedly shot Brian Gibson three times on Dec. 8, 2017. Wright is charged with second-degree murder while armed.

Gibson and Wright worked for G&M Limo Service. On the day of the shooting, the men were driving construction workers to and from a construction site on Military Road, NW.

Wright, 59, said the two were involved in a verbal confrontation when Gibson, 45, became physically violent and punched him, knocking out several teeth.Wright said he then pulled a gun on Gibson.

According to court documents, Wright shot at Gibson as he began to run. Apparently, Wright chased Gibson until he fell, at which point Wright shot him again.

Wright’s defense attorney, Madalyn Harvey, requested time to file a motion to reconsider bond due to the defendant’s medical condition. The condition was not specified.

A felony status conference is scheduled on June 20.

Prosecutors Consider Counter-offer in 2016 Murder Case

In a status hearing for the 2016 murder of Deonta Farrar, the defense responded to a potential plea bargain with a counter-offer, which was not publically disclosed.

The defendant, Saeed Woodall, 24, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Farrar on the 4500 block of Quarles Street, NE in August 2016.

Farrar, 23, had a child with Woodall’s sister, according to court documents.

The prosecution said they would notify D.C. Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe once they examined the counter-offer and were ready to move forward.

A status hearing is scheduled for Sept. 7.

Probable Cause Found in Fatal Stabbing Case

On June 6, a Washington, DC Superior Court judge said prosecutors established probable cause in the case of a fatal stabbing that occurred in a Southeast DC alleyway.

Antonio Jackson, who is charged with first-degree murder while armed, allegedly stabbed Maria Antoinette Evans 19 times on March 29.

Jackson, 32, was identified by his parole officer from a surveillance video that shows him and Evans, 52, walking behind a fence in an alley.

The footage also shows Jackson holding a knife as he walks behind the fence with Evans. Shortly after, Jackson and Evans emerge from behind the fence, heading in different directions. In the video, Evans jogs a short distance before slowing while holding her side.

The defense said the video supported the defendant’s innocence because Evans was seen jogging away from the alleged area of confrontation.

“It’s probably not an exaggeration to say it’s physically impossible for her to have been stabbed 19 times,” said Jackson’s defense attorney, Gabriel Diaz. “You can see she’s alive and they part ways.”

The prosecution said the majority of her bleeding was internal, which would explain why the video does not clearly show her bleeding. According to court documents, Evans was stabbed in the upper body and torso.

Judge Craig Iscoe said he found probable cause from the lead detective’s testimony and the video.

Judge Iscoe also denied a request for release but said that if DNA evidence from the alleyway turned out to favor the defense, the request could be reconsidered.

A felony status conference is scheduled for Aug. 17.

Preliminary Hearing Continues for Suspected Child Killer

A District of Columbia Superior Court Judge continued June 6 the preliminary hearing for a murder defendant accused of beating a 1-year-old boy to death. The hearing was continued to give the defense more time to review evidence and a plea deal.

Brian Wooden is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly killing his girlfriend’s son, Carter Sanders, on the 4700 block of Benning Rd., SE on May 16. The boy’s injuries included a fractured skull, fractured ribs and a lacerated liver, according to court documents.

The plea deal would reduce Wooden’s charge to second-degree murder.

Wooden, 28, was apparently caring for the boy at the time of the murder.

As of June 6, Sanders death is the second murder of a child who was 2-years-old or younger in DC in 2018.

Document: Homicide on Stevens Rd. SE

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the homicide of 29-year-old Vincent Palmer.

Palmer was fatally shot on the 1300 block of Stevens Road, SE on June 6.

Police are offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this homicide or any other homicide in DC. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Information can also be sent anonymously to the text tip line at 50411.

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