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Alleged drunk driver facing murder charge ordered held without bond

The man police say is responsible for killing 58-year-old Lionel Stacey Bruce was ordered held without bond Tuesday afternoon.

According to police, Michael Fenderson, 57, was driving down 1200 block of Eastern Ave., NE Saturday night when he struck Bruce, who was standing in the street behind a car. The impact created a chain reaction, where Fenderson’s car struck Bruce and the car he was standing behind, and a second parked car.

Bruce was brought to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead the following day.

Police arrested Fenderson on the scene and formally charged him Sunday with driving while under the influence. Later, Fenderson was also charged with second-degree murder and possession of an open container.

With his mother and father and other family in attendance, Fenderson stood before Judge Sean Staples Tuesday as his lawyer made the case for his release.

Defense attorney Jacqueline Cadman spoke of Fenderson’s limited criminal history, his ties to the community and his familial ties as a father of five and grandfather of seven.

Cadman called the upgraded charge second-degree murder “totally inappropriate” and suggested her client abstain from alcohol and undergo drug tests. Cadman said her client was not a flight risk as he did not leave the crime scene.

The prosecution said Fenderson’s presence at the crime scene was not sufficient evidence in that regard because police responded immediately to the scene. The prosecuting attorney also noted Fenderson had an open bottle of tequila in his car and upon police arrival threw a red solo cup out of the window.

Judge Staples ruled in favor of the prosecution and ordered Fenderson held without bond on the basis that “no conditions would guarantee the safety of the community.”

Fenderson is expected in court April 5 for a preliminary hearing.

31-year-old man killed in Southeast shooting

Police are investigating the ninth fatal shooting in Southeast this month.

Police arrived to the 2100 block of Alabama Ave., SE around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday to a car accident at the intersection of Stanton Road and Alabama Avenue, SE. Police found the driver of one of the cars, 34-year-old Antwan Jones, and his passenger, suffering from gunshot wounds.

Both victims were brought to a nearby hospital where Jones succumbed to his injuries and was then pronounced dead. The passenger sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Police have not identified a suspect at this time.

Government and defense begin closing arguments in Dujuan Garris’ trial

Defense Attorney Jeffrey Stein pointed at Dujuan Garris as he began his closing statements Tuesday.

“Long dreads, six inches, dark complexion, not that guy,” Stein said, motioning toward his client, charged with the fatal shooting of James Anderson.

Throughout the trial, the defense has argued Garris never shot Anderson, and he was wrongfully charged because of “unreliable sources.” Stein began by telling the jury that they had to abide by the three principles of law, which include presumption of innocence, burden of proof and level of proof.

Stein told the jurors that their start point is not to be “neutral” but start from the position that Garris is “not the shooter.”

In response to the government’s argument that Jaquan Coates was a key witness who identified Garris as the shooter, the defense argued that Coates was not a reliable witness. Stein said Coates was put under a lot of “pressure” both by the police and his mother to come up with an answer “regardless” of what he “saw.”

According to Stein, police offered Coates a reward of $25,000 to speak up and they also threatened to remove his family from their government housing if he did not talk.

Coates was shown an Instagram picture of Garris by the police, and he identified Garris as the person responsible for Anderson’s death.

Stein argued that Coates lies about “small things” and big “things” therefore the jury should not take his testimony into account when deliberating.

During closing arguments, the government argued that there was more than one witness who identified Garris as the shooter. Some of the witnesses never wanted to be labeled as the “snitch” in the neighborhood.

During grand jury testimony, a juror asked one of the witnesses, Darnell Gibson, if the situation were reversed, would he want Anderson to report it.

Gibson, who was one of the people in the house at the time of the shooting said he wouldn’t want him (Anderson), to say anything about it for his “protection and his daughter’s.”

During his final closing arguments, Stein told the jury that once again it is their job to look at the evidence and ask if the prosecution has showed any proof that Garris is guilty.

Stein reminded the jury that he would not get a chance to offer a rebuttal, but the government would. And just because they get to speak last doesn’t mean they have the last words: “you do,” he said.

Garris is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of firearm during violation of law, carrying a pistol without a license and attempted robbery while armed.  He is still being without bond, and his trial resumes with the government’s rebuttals Wednesday.

Man arrested for Corrina Mehiel murder ordered held without bond

A week after police say El Hadji Alpha Madiou Toure killed a visiting artist, Toure was ordered held without bond after his presentment in court Tuesday afternoon.

Police first announced the death of 34-year-old Corrina Mehiel’s death at a press conference last week, in which Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham urged the community to come forward with any information relating to two recent murders involving young women.

Monday, days after the conference Toure, 28, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed and theft for his alleged involvement in Mehiel’s death.

According to police, they responded to an apartment on the 600 block of 14th St., NE on March 21 at around 4:20 p.m. Upon their arrival they found Mehiel’s lifeless body bound and stabbed.

Toure is expected in court April 11 for a preliminary hearing.

Men sentenced for the 2015 murder of James Neal

James Neal’s murder case came to a close Friday, after Raymond Harper and Daniel Scott were sentenced for their involvement in the murder plot that took the life of a 54-year-old man.

Scott, 34, stood before Judge Michael Ryan and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed as a part of plea deal that suggested a 15 year sentence. Judge Ryan accepted the terms of the agreement and sentenced Scott to 15 years, a portion of the maximum life sentence penalty associated with a second-degree murder while armed count.

Harper, 54, stood before the judge and was sentenced to a year in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of carrying a dangerous weapon, per the parameters of his plea deal. Judge Ryan accepted the terms of the plea agreement and sentenced Harper to a one year sentence as suggested by the prosecution, four years less than the maximum penalty associated with a carrying a dangerous weapon charge.

According to documents detailing the murder, Neal’s death was the result of an argument over money that quickly escalated into a stabbing. On November 21, 2015 Harper was outside of a 7-Eleven store at 1109 South Capitol St., SW carrying a concealed butcher knife.

Outside of the same 7-Eleven, Scott was having an argument with a witness over money he received from a customer outside of the store. With Neal standing in attendance, Harper obtained a knife during the argument and stabbed the witness.

Neal and the witness fled and traveled toward M Street SE. Scott eventually found the pair and lunged at Neal and stabbed him once in the face and then proceeded to flee the scene.

Police were called to the scene and Neal was transported to the hospital, where he suffered from hemorrhaging throughout his brain and skull. The coroner ruled Neal’s cause of death a stab wound to the face and noted the stab wound penetrated Neal’s nasal cavity.

Back at the crime scene, officers recovered the blade of the butcher’s knife and broken pieces of the handle, which the witness was able to identify as the knife used in the stabbing.

Police located Scott at a nearby McDonald’s on I Street SE where they arrested and charged him with second-degree murder, which was eventually upgraded to second-degree murder while armed.

Harper was arrested and charged the following year after witnesses identified him and his involvement in the murder.

Upon his release Scott is expected to serve two years probation. Harper is expected to serve five years probation following his 15 year sentence.

Defense lawyer in Nuru Frenche murder may recuse himself due to conflict of interest

The two men police say killed 23-year-old Nuru Frenche appeared in court Tuesday as their lawyers discussed the nature of evidence in their case.

According to charging documents, in April 2016 Nathaniel Taylor, 23, and 21-year-old Anthony Blackmone intended to rob a person, and during the botched robbery fatally shot Frenche.

Police were called to 4900 block of Just St., NE, the scene of the crime, and found Frenche suffering from gunshot wounds. Frenche succumbed to his injures at a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Blackmone and Taylor’s defense team made a motion to retain evidence from the prosecution relating to the car in which Frenche and the intended target of the robbery arrived on the scene.

In turn, the prosecution said they would resolve the issue outside of court and proceeded to enter DNA evidence into discovery.

The possibility of defense lawyer Kevin Mosley stepping down as Taylor’s lawyer was also a topic of discussion.

After stating that he may have a conflict of interest, Mosely and the prosecution team approached the bench and addressed Judge Lynn Leibovitz directly.

Upon his return to the defense table, Mosley said he would come to a decision about his stance in this case and notify the judge before Taylor’s detention hearing.

Taylor and Blackmone are both being held without bond as they face a charge of first-degree murder, and an additional nine other charges.

Taylor is expected in court April 21 for a detention hearing.

Blackmone will be presented in court January 8, 2018 for the start of his trial.

Police make an arrest in the murder of 34-year-old Corrina Mehiel

Police have arrested El Hadji Alpha Madiou Toure, 28, for the alleged murder of 34-year-old Corrina Mehiel.

According to police, Mehiel was found unconscious and suffering from multiple stab wounds in an apartment in the 600 block of 14th St., NE on March 21.

Mehiel was pronounced dead on the scene and later transported the chief medical examiner’s office.

Police arrested Toure Monday and charged him with first-degree murder while armed and theft.

Toure will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon.

Defense confronts lead detective Dujuan Garris case

As Dujuan Garris’ trial continued Monday, defense attorney’s pressed the lead detective.

The defense argues that the lead detective Paris White had important information that he chose not to disclose.

White received an email from an officer that there were additional people of interest involved in the shooting of James Anderson, and White chose not to share the information until January 2017.

When asked why he waited so long by the defense attorneys he said he simply “made a mistake.”

White said he tried to email the prosecutors the information and the email “bounced back.”

Defense attorney Eugene Uhm said that he wasn’t “buying” the response, and suggested White could have “printed out” the email and gave it to the government.

Uhm accused White of violating Garris’ “constitutional rights” by choosing not to turn over the information.

White responded by saying if he was trying to “violate” someone’s constitutional rights he wouldn’t have “turned it in” at all.

The government brought forth Lashawn Coates to testify in court regarding the case. Coates is the older sister of Jaquan Coates who was friends with Anderson, and was with him when the shooting occurred.

When asked by the government to describe what happened that night, Coates said she heard gunfire when she approached her house. She said she also noticed that someone was moving “fast” out of the alley from her house.

Coates said that her brother told her to walk around the house because there was a dead body in their front door.

During cross examination, White said Jaquan Coates confirmed with the police that Garris was the one who shot Anderson.

Garris is still being held without bond, and the trial resumes on Tuesday.

Man killed in Fairlawn shooting

Police are investigating a fatal shooting that took the life of 32-year-old Maurice Nathaniel Jackson.

Police were called to the 1900 block of Fairlawn Ave., SE around 12:30 a.m. Friday morning for reports of gunfire. Upon their arrival, police found Jackson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Jackson was brought to a nearby hospital where all life-saving efforts failed and he was pronounced dead.

Police have not released any suspect information at this time.

Second man killed in Southeast in the span of two days

Police are investigating a second fatal shooting in Southeast D.C., a day after police reported to a scene on Fairlawn Avenue for a fatal shooting that took the life of a 32-year-old man.

Police were called to the 2400 block of Minnesota Ave., SE Saturday evening around 9 p.m. Upon their arrival police found 24-year-old Nathaniel Davis, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Davis was brought to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Police have not yet released any suspect information.

Man shot in head in Anacostia

Police are investigating after a 38-year-old man was found suffering from a head injury early Thursday morning.

Daquan Hooks was found in the 1900 block of 13th St., SE and taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. According to the medical examiner, Daquan was killed by a gunshot wound to the base of his head.

Police have not yet released any suspect information.

This post has been updated to correct the neighborhood.

Documents: Bernard Coleman reward flier

Bernard Coleman was killed March 17, 2017.

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