Mom Says Counsel Forced Son to Take Guilty Plea

A mother, whose son was convicted of first-degree murder, recently told D.C. Witness about the unlawful neglect and judicial injustice her son was subject to as his case underwent court proceedings.

Robin Michelle Bell said May 18 that counsel neglected her son’s mental and physical health to coerce him into pleading guilty to first-degree murder while armed.

Bell’s son, David Joshua Bright, was convicted for the shooting deaths of Clifton David Francis and David Aumon Watkins, Jr. The homicides occurred in a group home on the 500 block of 58th Street, NE in 2016. The plea deal carries a sentence of 33 years in prison, after which Bright will be required to serve five additional years on supervised release.

The sentencing was delayed until June 8 because Bright’s attorney, Dominique Winters, was not present. Winters did not respond to D.C. Witness inquires about Bell’s accusations.

However, in the hallway outside the courtroom, Bell showed D.C. Witness a black and white photo of a man standing next to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“This is my father, the honorable Dr. Roy Charles Bell,” Bell said. “A civil rights advocate that advocated for medical rights across prisons in this country and filed a federal lawsuit that ended segregation in Grady Hospital (Atlanta, Georgia) and nationwide. This is where we come from… I was without a father so he could fight this, and now his grandson is treated worse than a dog.”

Bell said her son suffered abuse while staying in the mental health ward at the DC jail.

She also said the ward deprived inmates of water to control their behavior. She said Bright was denied water for three days, which resulted in an asthma attack. According to Keena Blackmon, public information officer at DC Jail, the DC Department of Corrections does not withhold water to control inmate behavior.

In addition to depriving Bright of water, Bell said she believes Bright was beaten by jail guards and that his property, including legal documents and a Bible, were stolen from his cell.

Bell said the beating was responsible for one of Bright’s several suicide attempts while at the jail. Apparently, Bright has attempted to kill himself five times by swallowing C-sized batteries.

“Why is it normal for a grown man to be in a cage… Naked on a cold floor in December? Why is that normal? That’s not normal,” Bell said. “That’s not supposed to happen here in DC. That’s not supposed to happen in this country.”

Bell said the plea was negotiated while her son was undergoing surgeries to have the batteries removed.

Furthermore, she said she believes her son’s mistreatment came as a result of her writing a letter to D.C. Superior Court Judge Jose Lopez about Bright’s autism. In the letter, Bell said she believed the court was trying to keep her son’s autism a secret.

Bell said she also believes her son’s case was neglected as retribution for speaking at a Department of Corrections oversight hearing that she was invited to by DC Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who chairs the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety.

Bell also told D.C. Witness about the rushed and unprofessional nature court officials and attorneys displayed toward her son’s case.

“The attorney said, ‘I don’t know the case, I don’t have the file,” said Bell. “The judge’s attitude was unusual. ‘No, I wanna get this over with.’ That’s what they’ve been saying. That’s been the undercurrent this whole time.”

Even though D.C. Superior Court Judge Ronna Beck delayed the sentencing until June, she still allowed the victims’ families to give statements.

“It was the worst day of my life,” Watkin’s mother told the judge. “I’ll never hear him again. I’ll never hear his voice… I can honestly tell you I had the best children in the world… David didn’t deserve this. He was too good of a kid.”

Patricia Nelson contributed to this article.

Defense Motions to Suppress Suspect’s Statement to Police

A District of Columbia Superior Court judge is considering the defense’s motion to have a murder defendant’s statement suppressed because he was under the influence of morphine when he spoke to officers at the Metropolitan Police Department.

Glover’s defense attorney argued that his state of mind during the interview made his statement about the homicide involuntary. According to the prosecution’s documents, Willie Glover was “fading in and out” near the end of his initial interview with police.

Judge Craig Iscoe said he would need to hear from other witnesses, who could testify to how Glover, 40, appeared, when he made the statement.

Glover, Joseph Barbour, 38, and Charles McRae,66, allegedly stabbed Lenard Wills on Dec. 21, 2015. The men are charged with first-degree murder while armed.

A witness said the three men entered an apartment on the 700 block of 24th street, NE wearing masks and brandishing guns. The witness also said the men had a physical altercation with Wills.

Wills, 50, was discovered at the apartment by police and later died at the hospital. After finding Wills, police followed a bloody trail to a knife in a trash can, according to court documents.

Glover, who suffered from stab wounds after the altercation, initially told medical staff at Prince George’s County hospital that he had been robbed.

But, during his interview with police, Glover eventually admitted he had been stabbed in the apartment where Wills was killed. Witnesses have not given consistent statements on whether drugs were sold out of the apartment.

The trial is scheduled to begin on June 11.

Get updates on the case at D.C. Witness.

Document: Homicide on Capitol Ave, NE

During the morning on May 20, the Metropolitan Police Department responded to reports of gunshots on the 1900 block of Capitol Avenue, NE.

Police found 43-year-old Edward Ferrell. He did not show any signs consistent with life. The decedent remained on the scene until being transported to the D.C. Medical Examiner’s office, where his death was ruled a homicide.

A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction for this homicide or any other homicide in D.C.

Updates on this homicide and other homicides in the District are available on dcwitness.org.

Document: Homicide on 4th Street, NE

Slightly after noon on May 20, the Metropolitan Police Department sent out a critical missing persons report on 39-year-old Ronald William Richardson, Jr. By 6 a.m. on May 21, the D.C. Medical Examiner documented Richardson as being deceased. His death was ruled a homicide.

Richardson’s homicide followed the shooting homicide of 43 year-old Edward Ferrell in Northeast D.C. on May 20.

According to the D.C. Medical Examiner’s office, Richardson suffered from multiple gunshots. Officers found him inside a residence on the 2300 block of 4th Street, NE. Richardson did not show any signs of life at the scene.

There is up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction for this homicide or any other homicide in the District of Columbia.

As of May 21, DC Witness documents 56 homicides in the District of 2018.

To get updates on other homicide cases in D.C., visit dcwitness.org.

Judge Moves Murder Trial to 2019

Washington D.C. Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe recently rescheduled a murder trial from July 9 to Sept. 16, 2019.

Judge Iscoe changed the trial’s date because the current prosecutor, Glenn Kirschner, was scheduled to retire at the same time.

The defendant, Taron Anthony Oliver, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting his stepfather, Nathanial Williams, in 1995. Williams,41, was arrested several times for domestic violence.

Oliver, 43, said he discovered Williams’ body when he stopped by the house, where he stayed, to feed his dog.

Williams was found dead in a bedroom with five gunshot wounds in his head. According to documents from the Metropolitan Police Department, there were no signs of forced entry.

A witness told police she heard gunshots and saw Oliver ditch an object that looked like a weapon when he left the house.

Oliver is currently in the High Intensity Supervision Program with a 10 p.m. curfew.

Murder Defendant Says He Stabbed Woman on Bike Trail

A murder defendant pled guilty May 17 to second-degree murder for stabbing a woman on a bike trail in Southeast D.C.

Elliot Starks told District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe that he stabbed Antina Pratt. He confessed to the murder as part of a plea agreement that is expected to carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Starks, 34, allegedly stabbed Pratt, 40, in November of 2016 on the Buena Vista bike trail between Suitland Parkway and the 2600 block of Pomeroy Road, SE. He was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017, after hiding for nearly a year.

Starks and Pratt were apparently involved in an intimate relationship. He also supplied her with heroin.

After his initial interview with homicide detectives, the D.C. Medical Examiner found Starks DNA under Pratt’s fingernails.

According to prosecutors, Pratt met up with Starks after she got off a bus near Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Howard Road, SE. Apparently, Starks approached Pratt and the two walked together toward Pomeroy Road. When they reached a grassy area, Starks stabbed Pratt 29 times as she tried to fend off her attacker, the prosecution said.

Starks told the judge that he had not been acting in self-defense.

Starks is scheduled for sentencing on July 13.

Judge Delays Hearing for Laundromat Homicide

Defense counsel for Keith Sweptson was granted a continuance to push back the date of a preliminary hearing.

The continuance was granted so the defense would have time to review video evidence. The hearing was rescheduled for June 4. The original date was on May 17.

In April, Sweptson, 29, was arrested in connection with the murder of Yusef Turner. Sweptson is accused of beating Turner, 33, to death with the help of another man in a laundromat on the 3500 block of Georgia Ave., NW. He is charged with first-degree murder.

Police are still searching for another suspect related to the homicide.

According to Metropolitan Police Department documents, a witness said there was a physical altercation between Sweptson and Turner a few days before the homicide. Sweptson tried to pull a gun on the decedent, but it dropped during a scuffle, the witness said.

To read about more information with this case, visit dcwitness.org.

Prosecution Seeks Delay in Murder Trial to Crack iPhone Passcode

Defense attorneys recently clashed with prosecutors over whether D.C. Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson ought to delay a murder trial to give the prosecution more time to figure out the passcode of the victim’s iPhone.

Burroughs, 24, is accused of shooting Jarell Walker three times on June 2, 2016, on the 3700 block of Hayes Street, NE.

“We’re not talking about a situation where this will be dealt with during trial,” one prosecutor said. “We’re talking about a situation where this will be dealt with after the trial… (so) we are asking for a very short continuance.”

The prosecution said they requested a continuance to have more time to get access to messages on the phone. They said Hakeem Burroughs was detained for a Maryland parole hold, so the continuance would not be the only thing keeping him in jail.

Prosecutors’ threatened to have Burroughs’ trial dismissed and re-indicted if the trial began before they could open the phone.

Judge Dayson seemed hesitant because the prosecution was beginning to make a habit of requesting continuances in the case. She said the prosecution requested a continuance before because they were trying to locate a witness.

The witness the prosecution wanted to locate apparently told Metropolitan Police Department detectives that Walker, 22, was walking away from a verbal altercation with Burroughs when he was shot.

Another victim was also shot but survived the incident, which occurred at the Paradise Apartment complex.

Burrough’s defense attorney, Dominique Winters, said the trial for first-degree murder while armed should proceed without continuance because it does not take long to crack an iPhone passcode. According to Winters, some iPhone codes have been cracked in thirty seconds.

Winters was also concerned that a continuance would violate Burroughs’ right to a speedy trial.

The prosecution said they only recently gained access to the technology required to break into iPhones.

Dayson requested the prosecution provide her with more information on the iPhone code cracking process before she would make a decision.

As of May 18, the trial is scheduled to begin on May 21.

Document: Police Investigate Death of 1-Year-Old Boy

The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the death of Carter Sanders.

According to police reports, Sanders, 1, was found unconscious and unresponsive inside a residence on the 4700 block of Benning Road, SE on May 16.

Up to a $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other homicide in Washington, DC.

To get more information on homicides in the city, visit dcwitness.org.

Document: Police Arrest Green Street Homicide Suspect

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested May 17 Juan Kibler. Kibler, 27, was charged with second-degree murder while armed for the alleged stabbing death of 40 year-old Joseph Harris.

Harris was stabbed May 7 at a residence on the 2300 block of Green Street, SE, according to police reports. Police located Harris on the 2100 block of 14th Street, SE.

Follow this case on dcwitness.org.

Judge Finds Probable Cause in Light of Defendant’s Self Defense Claim

Even though defense counsel recently claimed the alleged stabbing death of a known drug dealer was in self defense, a DC judge recently found probable cause for the murder.

Fredrick Nowlin allegedly stabbed Andre “Dre” Butler on March 22 in a residence on the 900 block of Mt. Olivet Road, NE. Nowlin then fled the scene after being threatened with a rake by another resident who lived in the home, according to court documents.

According to the defense, Butler was known to be violent and unstable. Defense attorney Mani Golzari added that probable cause could not be found because the prosecution’s witnesses were “unreliable due to mental illness and drug abuse.”

However, the prosecution said there was no evidence that Nowlin knew Butler was violent.

Washington, DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff said May 17 the prosecution presented enough evidence to justify the need for a murder trial for Nowlin, who is also known in the community as JR.

Nowlin is scheduled for a status hearing on July 13.

Judge Denies Murder Defendant’s 2nd Request to Enter Release Program

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe denied a murder defendant’s second request to be placed in the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP).

Stephon Marquis Williams is accused of shooting Jamar Morris on the 50th block of M Street, NW on Feb. 9, 2016. He is charged with second-degree murder while armed. Williams was arrested on Oct. 27, 2017.

Williams’ defense attorney, Daniel Quillin, said that only one witness connected Williams, 25, to the murder. But, the prosecution said they believe the testimony of the witness could be corroborated by video evidence.

According to documents from the Metropolitan Police Department, the witness reported that Williams said he shot Morris,28, because he cheated in a game of craps. Morris allegedly won $35,000.

Judge Iscoe declined to place Williams in HISP because of the nature of the crime and his inability to guarantee safety to the community.

As of May 17, Williams had not been indicted by a grand jury. He is scheduled to return to court on July 27, so counsel can determine how to proceed with the case.

Judge Sentences Williams, Knight for 2015 Drive-by Shooting

Two of the three men involved in a fatal shooting of a 39-year-old father were recently sentenced by a Washington, DC Superior Court judge.

Judge Judith Bartnoff sentenced May 11 Dominique Williams to 24-years in prison for shooting Marcellus Green during a drive-by on the 3200 block of 28th Street, SE. Williams, 24, was charged with second-degree murder while armed in March. After his prison term, he will serve five additional years under supervised release.

A co-defendant in the case, Maricco Knight, was sentenced May 15 to 84 months for being an accessory after the fact and 72 months for obstruction of justice. Knight, 25, will also serve five additional years under supervised release.

The third defendant in the case, Steven Pugh pled guilty to second-degree murder in 2016. He is awaiting sentencing.

During the early morning hours on Sept. 19, 2015, Pugh, 22, Knight and Williams were apparently in a car and, as they drove down the street, Williams allegedly wanted to make a statement to the person who threatened him, and Pugh wanted seek revenge for his girlfriend, whose tires were slashed when she lived on the block.

Williams shot at four people, including an 11-year-old boy. The boy, who is Green’s son, is now 13 years old.

As the oldest brother delivered his statement of impact, he commented on the tragedy that his younger brother witnessed. He told the judge that he doesn’t want his younger brother to grow up an animal and that the family is trying to help him cope with his loss.

“There’s nothing out here in these streets but disappointment,” Green’s oldest son told the judge. He referenced his younger sister’s statement, saying Williams robbed his siblings of sharing special moments, such as graduations and weddings, with their father.

“I can’t show sympathy [or] pity…I can’t,” the brother told the judge in reference to Williams.

There is “nothing I can say to make this any better,” Judge Bartnoff said. She said the situation doesn’t make sense because Williams did not have any prior felonies before the homicide.

As U.S. Marshals escorted Williams out of the courtroom, a female yelled, “I love you Domo mo.”

To read about the entire case, click here.

Judge Pushes DUI Murder Suspect’s Hearing Back

A District of Columbia Superior Court judge pushed back a preliminary hearing date for a second-degree murder defendant.

Roger Hamilton’s defense attorneys requested May 16 that Judge Danya Dayson hold his preliminary hearing at a later date because an indictment had not been issued and court reports had not been updated. Hamilton’s next preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 23.

On March 2, Hamilton, 37, allegedly struck and killed 42-year-old Vincent Childs with his car. According to documents from the Metropolitan Police Department, Hamilton was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when his car jumped a curb on the 3200 block of Wheeler Road, SE and hit Childs. The report also says he tried to flee the scene before authorities arrived.

Hamilton is being held without bail.

Document: Homicide on Alabama Ave. SE

On May 16, the Metropolitan Police Department responded to reports of gunshots on the 600 block of Alabama Ave., SE. Upon arriving, police found 15 year-old Jaylyn Wheeler suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Up to a $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of this homicide or any other homicide in the District of Columbia.

Visit dcwitness.org for more information on this homicide or other homicides in Washington, DC.

Read the Washington Post’s article on the shooting, which seemed to stem from an earlier fight between students at Ballou High School. The shooting did not happen near Ballou, another public charter school in Ward 8.

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