Edward Brown, 55, was arrested on Feb. 27 for allegedly stabbing Michael Mahoney, 71, on the 2300 block of 11th St., NW on Feb. 5.
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
Neighbor’s credibility questioned during 2015 murder trial
During a 2015 murder trial, the prosecution questioned Feb. 21 the validity of a neighbor’s testimony. The neighbor’s testimony included inaccuracies that varied from statements she made during a grand jury trial.
According to the neighbor, she didn’t know what floor Kevin Chase, who is currently charged with first-degree murder while armed, lived on. She previously told a grand jury that Chase lived on the third floor.
The prosecution impeached the neighbor’s testimony a second time when she said she didn’t know where the gunshots came from on Oct. 20, 2015, the day Marcus Manor was killed. During the grand jury trial, the neighbor said she heard gunshots coming from the front of the building.
The neighbor said even though she was subpoenaed to be in court, she did not want to be there.
In addition to the neighbor, the prosecution also called two police officers who were on the scene of an assault involving Manor, 38, and Chase on Oct. 16, 2015, and a trauma surgeon from George Washington University Hospital who treated Manor. The surgeon confirmed that Manor’s nose and both cheekbones were fractured in the assault. According to the surgeon, Manor was combative and resistant to treatment when he arrived at the hospital.
Chase and Demetrius Brandon, both 30 years old, allegedly fatally shot Manor on the 2900 block of Sherman Avenue, NW. Brandon is also charged with first-degree murder while armed.
The trial is expected to continue on Feb. 22.
Documents: David Bright pleads guilty to 2016 double homicide
On Feb. 21, 31-year-old David Bright pled guilty two charges of second-degree murder while armed for the deaths of his roommates, Clifton Francis and David Watkins.
Girlfriend testifies to lending murder suspect her car
The girlfriend of Steven Pugh, who signed a plea deal in connection with the alleged fatal shooting of Marcellus Green, testified Feb. 20 to lending her 2008 Honda Accord, the vehicle used in a drive-by shooting on Sept. 19, 2015, to Pugh.
According to the prosecution, the shooting that Pugh participated in, allegedly with Dominique Williams and Maricco Knight, was an act of revenge.
Before the shooting took place, Pugh’s girlfriend assisted a man from the neighborhood, named CJ, with a check cashing scheme. She said she drove CJ to deposit a fraudulent check, but he was arrested. CJ then threatened the girlfriend and demanded $400 to pay a bond.
Pugh’s girlfriend said she moved to 16th Street, SE after CJ, who apparently lived in the area of 28th Street, SE, slashed her tires because she did not give him the money. Afraid to park her car at her new apartment, she said she would leave it with Pugh overnight.
A police officer from the Metropolitan Police Department also testified to finding the weapon used to kill Green on the morning after the shooting. He said an area resident told him about a gun on the ground.
Williams is charged with first-degree murder while armed and Knight is charged with accessory after the fact while armed. Knight is currently released under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP), a release program for higher risk defendants who have been charged with violent misdemeanors and felonies.
The trial is expected to continue on Feb. 21.
Defense questions lead detective’s investigation of 2016 homicide
A Metropolitan Police Department detective was questioned Feb. 20 about procedures he used for investigating a fatal stabbing on April 23, 2016, that led to the arrest of the wrong suspect.
Even though Christian Romero, 24, has been charged with second-degree murder while armed for the alleged homicide of Dimas Fuentes-Lazo, Francisco Ayala, 24, who resembled Romero, was initially arrested and charged. Ayala’s charges were dropped before Romero was charged.
Fuentes-Lazo, 38, was killed on the 800 block of Kennedy Street, NW.
According to the detective’s testimony, camera footage from various businesses around the murder scene showed Romero running after the alleged attack. The prosecution played these videos for the jury.
Additionally, the prosecution confirmed that Romero changed his hairstyle after the homicide and told detectives during questioning, “I’m not Christian Romero,” which the prosecution said is a sign of guilt.
Romero’s attorney, Steven Kiersh, insinuated the detective had not been thorough in his investigation since he provided documentation to justify the arrest of Ayala.
The prosecution is expected to rest their case when trial resumes on Feb. 21.
Documents: news release of Chicano Phillips’ homicide
Eighteen-year-old Chicano Phillips was fatally shot on Feb. 16 on the 4200 block of 7th Street, SE. He died from his injuries on Feb. 18.
Jury finds Davon Peyton guilty of involuntary manslaughter
A two-week long homicide trial came to a close Feb. 16 when a jury found Davon Peyton guilty of involuntary manslaughter and related weapons charges for the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Ray Andre Harrison.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Peyton, 27, shot Harrison on the 1300 block of Adams Street, NE on Nov. 13, 2015. Peyton was initially charged with second-degree murder while armed. The trial officially started on Feb. 5.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Fischer and Katie Earnest opened their case by claiming that Peyton shot Harrison in a fit of rage.
In the prosecution’s opening statement Fischer said Harrison and his girlfriend, along with his girlfriend’s friend, drove to Peyton’s house in the early morning hours.
The incident allegedly happened when Harrison knocked on Peyton’s 7-year-old daughter’s window, provoking him to answer the door with a loaded gun. From there, a verbal altercation turned physical and Harrison punched Peyton.
Peyton’s ex-girlfriend, who also lived in the residence, testified that she never saw Peyton grab his gun on the night of the homicide, but the prosecution presented video clips from MPD that showed the ex-girlfriend telling police that Peyton grabbed his gun after seeing someone at the window. The ex-girlfriend also signed off on a police report that stated she “witnessed Peyton shoot Harrison.”
The prosecution also called Harrison’s girlfriend to the stand.
According to the girlfriend, her best friend came into town for a surprise visit and met Harrison that night. She said they wanted to show her a good time, so they decided to go to Peyton’s house to get marijuana.
Harrison’s girlfriend said that he called Peyton “at least two times” before they decided to go to his residence, but Peyton never answered the phone.
According to phone records, Harrison called twice after midnight, but both calls were ignored. The records also showed that Peyton made outgoing calls after he ignored Harrison’s calls.
The girlfriend said, when Peyton answered the door, the men got into an argument. She said she heard Harrison tell Peyton to calm down before she heard a gunshot.
Earnest played the girlfriend’s 911 call for the jury. Peyton is heard in the background telling Harrison’s girlfriend to give the wrong address to the dispatcher. In addition to the 911 call, the prosecution also played a voicemail that Peyton’s girlfriend left for him while she was talking to detectives. In the voicemail, she told Peyton that he “needs to make better decisions.” Earnest said the voicemail showed Peyton acted intentionally when he shot Harrison.
The prosecution stated that after the shooting, Peyton fled the scene. Police located and arrested Peyton one week later on Nov. 21, 2015, at another girlfriend’s house. Police also found the gun stashed under a pile of clothes in a closet in the house.
Joseph Wong and Matthew Davies, Peyton’s attorneys, laid out a different scenario in their opening statement.
According to the defense, Peyton didn’t try to kill or hurt Harrison, instead Peyton was jolted awake by someone banging on his daughter’s window in the middle of the night and grabbed his gun for protection.
The defense said Harrison began assaulting Peyton at his doorstep, and Peyton’s gun went off accidentally. Peyton’s DNA was found under Harrison’s nails.
“This was not a murder,” Wong told the jury. “This was a tragic accident.”
The defense presented evidence that, at the time of the altercation, Harrison was intoxicated.
The defense also emphasized that Peyton’s ex-girlfriend told the police that he “didn’t mean to” shoot Harrison and that the shooting was an accident.
On Feb. 13, Peyton took the witness stand to claim once again that Harrison was shot accidentally.
Peyton testified that he had a “business” relationship with Harrison, and that he would often provide Harrison with marijuana in exchange for rides.
According to Peyton, Harrison became defensive and angry and began assaulting him while at his apartment. After being punched in the face, Peyton said his gun went off by accident.
When he realized Harrison had been shot, Peyton said he tended to Harrison and instructed those around him to call 911.
“I feel horrible,” said Peyton. “I didn’t mean for him to die. It wasn’t supposed to go like that.”
Davies said everything Peyton did on the night of the altercation was in reaction to Harrison.
The defense claimed Peyton “woke up to a parent’s worst nightmare” when he heard banging on his 7-year-old daughter’s window in the middle of the night.
However, when Earnest presented the prosecution’s closing argument, she stated that Peyton’s testimony was illogical.
According to Earnest, self-defense is not applicable for Peyton because he made the conscious decision to grab a loaded gun and go through two sets of locked doors instead of calling the police.
“Peyton saying ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t bring Ray Harrison back,” said Earnest. “Saying ‘I’m sorry’ does not make Davon Peyton not guilty.”
The jury of nine women and three men deliberated for one day before convicting Peyton of involuntary manslaughter and related arms charges.
Peyton is scheduled to appear before Judge Danya Dayson on April 13 for sentencing.