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.
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.
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 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.
Victor Hernandez, 17, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed on Nov. 30, 2017, for the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Yoselis Regino Barrios.
Kevin Sorto, 20, was arrested on Nov. 22, 2017, and charged with first-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Yoselis Regino Barrios.
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.
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.
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.
At a motion hearing Jan. 31, Judge Danya Dayson ruled that a man accused of a fatal stabbing in 2017 will continue to be held without bail.
Police charged 30-year-old Leonard Martino Smith is allegedly responsible for the murder of 26-year-old Leonte Butler on March 11, 2017. The crime occurred on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, SE.
Smith has been charged with second-degree murder while armed.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles Willoughby stated that the government plans on introducing DNA evidence during the jury trial, which is scheduled for Dec. 10. Smith’s attorney, Dinah Manning, requested the government let the defense know what physical evidence is to be tested.
Smith’s defense team has until Feb. 9 to let the government know if they plan on having an expert serve as a witness during the trial.
A status hearing is scheduled for March 27.
The prosecution and defense teams debated Jan. 31 using a theory that alleged shooter Derryck Decuir had the “intent” to rob 16-year-old Malek Mercer in 2015.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Nestler argued to use the theory of “intent,” but Decuir’s attorneys, Dana Page and Lee Goebes, argued the theory would confuse the jury about the difference between “intent” and “attempt” to rob.
Judge Craig Iscoe ruled the theory was “not constitutionally permissible” since Decuir, 24, was already acquitted on the count of attempted robbery. Iscoe also ruled that the prosecution could not bring up intention to rob during examination should Decuir testify.
The prosecution plans to file another motion to review a prior ruling, issued by Judge Hiram Puig-Lugo, that threw out a video that allegedly supports a theory that Decuir is homophobic. Nestler said he believes Decuir’s comments about homosexuals are relevant as a motive in the shooting.
Decuir is scheduled to appear in court for a motion hearing on Feb. 26, where Iscoe is expected to make a decision about the video.
Decuir is currently being held without bail for the alleged fatal shooting of Mercer on the 2800 block of 28th Street, SE. He is being retried for the homicide following a mistrial in 2017.
The defense team for one of the men charged in an alleged fatal shooting of a 37-year-old has received access to encrypted evidence.
Access was gained after Pamala McLean, the defense attorney for Nyekemia Everett, filed a motion Jan. 29 to compel discovery items obtained by the government in the murder case of Christopher Heard, who died from apparent gunshot wounds on the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE on April 27, 2017.
McLean filed the motion because she was unable to view the government’s files because they were on disks that the defense team couldn’t open.
Judge Danya Dayson denied the motion and dismissed both attorneys to briefly discuss how to share the items in question.
When the court session resumed, Barker offered to share the files on a jump drive or hard drive and additionally invited McLean to his office for viewing.
Barker revealed that the government had collected approximately 50 disks of recorded interviews, social media posts, and surveillance videos pertaining to the alleged murder of Heard.
Everett, 31, was charged with first-degree murder while armed on May 13, 2017. Malik Hewitt, 37, was also arrested and charged with first-degree murder a week later.
A status hearing for Heard has been scheduled for March 8.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a 2017 homicide involving a one-year-old child. The D.C. Office of the Medical Examiner ruled the child’s death a homicide on Jan. 29.
According to police, Rhythm Fields, was found unconscious and unresponsive on the 5400 block of C Street, SE, on March 21, 2017.
The medical examiner ruled the girl’s death resulted from multiple blunt force trauma injuries.
Police are currently offering a reward up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction for this homicide or any other homicide in D.C.
Even though, the defense team for suspects of a 2017 murder case argued that testimony from several witnesses has been unreliable and inconsistent, a Superior Court Judge found probable cause.
Both Kevin Sorto, 20, and Victor Hernandez, 17, have been charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting death of 16-year-old Yoselis Regino Barrios. Barrios was pronounced dead at a local hospital after the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) found him and an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds on the 1300 block of Rittenhouse Street, NW.
Hernandez’s attorney, Brandi Harden, called an MPD homicide detective to the witness stand to testify about six witnesses that he interviewed following the alleged murder.
Through her line of questioning, Harden insinuated that two of the witnesses had the chance to talk to each other before speaking to the detective, potentially leading to a fabricated account.
According to the detective, a witness saw Sorto on an Instagram live video in the back seat of a moving car allegedly bragging about something he had just done.
The homicide scene involved two cars, a red four door sedan and a silver car. The detective noted that a witness in a silver vehicle intended to purchase marijuana and testified that he heard gunshots but couldn’t see exactly where they were coming from – only that the first shot was fired from a red car with four doors.
Upon further questioning of the detective, Harden revealed that one of the witnesses changed his story over the course of three interviews about which car the shooting came from.
Although the witness originally claimed that shots might have come from the sliver car, the witness later revealed that it was only an assumption and that the first shot most definitely came from the back seat of a red car. The red car was confirmed to be stolen and was later dropped off at an undisclosed location after the homicide, according to witness testimony and admission from Hernandez.
Assistant United States Attorney Tom Saunders argued the witnesses’ testimonies and text messages were consistent with the Instagram live video and a surveillance video from a nearby building.
He said witnesses confirmed that Hernandez was driving the red vehicle and Sorto had fired gunshots from the back seat, arguing the accounts from the witnesses and the stolen car were enough to find probable cause for both defendants in the crime.
Judge Ronna Beck ruled the testimonies were reliable and that probable cause was present for both defendants. Additionally, she found substantial probability that Sorto had fired the gun from the back seat of the red car.
Beck ordered Hernandez and Sorto continue to be held without bail to “ensure the safety of the community.”
A status hearing is scheduled for May 18, 2018.
An eyewitness, a firearms expert and the chief medical examiner were called Jan. 30 to testify in a 1991 triple homicide murder trial that began more than a week ago.
Benito Valdez is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly fatally shooting Curtis Pixley, Keith Simmons and Samantha Gillard. Officers found the three bodies with apparent gunshot wounds in Langdon Park, located in Northeast D.C., on April 23, 1991. Valdez was charged on February 16, 2016, and has been held without bail ever since.
Michael A. Green, the only eyewitness to the homicides, who is currently being held for second-degree murder in another homicide from 1999 and three counts of voluntary manslaughter for the homicides of Pixley, 29, Simmons, 24, and Gillard, 23, continued his testimony on Jan. 30. He told the jury that Valdez, who he teamed up with to sell drugs, was the only one who fired any shots. Green said Valdez used two separate guns in the shooting.
The prosecution called a firearms expert to the stand to corroborate Green’s statement. The expert told the jury that the bullets recovered from the crime scene were from two separate guns.
In addition, the prosecution called Chief Medical Examiner Roger Mitchell to testify about the photographs taken during the autopsies of the bodies. Mitchell showed the jury where the bullet wounds were found on the bodies of the decedents.
The trial is expected to continue on Jan. 31.
