Officers testify on third day of triple homicide trial

By D.C. Witness Staff - January 26, 2018
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

During the third day of a trial on a 1991 triple homicide, the prosecution — in an effort to make its case before the jury — called two Metropolitan Police Department officers to the witness stand.

Lt. Zenobia McBride, who is now nearing the end of her career, was a new recruit to the MPD with just six months of experience when she arrived on the scene, located on the 1800 block of Franklin Street, NE, where Benito Valdez allegedly shot and killed Curtis Pixley, 29; Keith Simmons, 24; and Samantha Gillard, 23. The three were found by officers on the morning of April 23, 1991. All three were pronounced dead on the scene.

McBride said she remembers walking in to Langdon park, located in Northeast D.C., and seeing the bodies of Pixley, Simmons and Gillard laying on the grass. She said she recalls one of their faces was turned toward her and a fly flew around and landed on their nose. She said she also remembers a lot of dried blood.

Officer Patrick J. Curtis testified to reporting the recovery of a hair from Pixley’s right hand, as well as hairs and fibers in Gillard’s left hand to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Merikas previously told the jury, in court, that Valdez, 45, allegedly shot Pixley, Simmons and Gillard “execution-style” after they were ordered to lay face down with their hands on their heads.

Valdez was arrested on Feb. 16, 2016, and charged with first-degree murder while armed.

The trial is expected to continue on Jan. 29.