Case Dismissed: Once Praised for Fighting the Odds, A DC Native Now Fights A Murder Charge

By D.C. Witness Staff - July 9, 2018
Court | Featured | Homicides | Suspects |

Editor’s note: The case against Kenneil Cole was dismissed on Feb. 1, 2023.

On June 26, in the basement of the DC Superior Court House, Kenneil Cole appeared before DC Superior Court Magistrate Judge Errol Arthur for his arraignment. The court clerk announced that Cole was charged with second-degree murder while armed.

Cole’s defense attorney, James King, told the court, “My client pleads not guilty. This act was in self-defense.”

According to court documents, on the evening of June 25, Cole and his roommate, 24-year-old Keon Wallace, argued about Wallace leaving the apartment located on the 2400 block of Skyland Place, SE. Cole told police Wallace pulled out a semi-automatic .40mm pistol during the argument. Apparently, Cole tried to get the gun away from Wallace and ultimately shot him 12 times.

Cole is being held without bond. He is scheduled for a felony status conference on Sept. 21. 

Who is Kenneil Cole?

Cole was born in Ward 8 in 1994. When Cole was 14 his mother died and he was separated from his family.

“This led to me being in foster care and eventually, being homeless,” Cole said during a speech at the See Forever Foundation Gala in 2016. The foundation supports educational institutions in DC under the Maya Angelou moniker. “As my life seemed to spiral out of control, I made some poor decisions and ended up incarcerated as a juvenile.”

Cole completed high school at the Maya Angelou Academy at New Beginnings Youth Detention Center, located in Laurel, Md., where he eventually graduated. He went on to enroll at Delaware State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Government Activities in 2016.

Cole began an internship with the same district attorney’s office that prosecuted him as a juvenile.  In his time working with Attorney General Karl A. Racine, Cole designed an award called “Right Direction,” which celebrates wayward youths that have defied their circumstances and persevered through hardships.  Racine’s office formally nominated Cole for the same award when he graduated from Delaware State University. Cole won the award. 

Apparently, Cole went on to lead youth programs and work in DC politics despite the adversity he faced as a juvenile. 

Trish Nelson contributed to this article.