Parties Continue to Pick Apart Instagram Report in Murder Trial

By Isabella Quink [former] - April 10, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

As a six co-defendant murder trial continues, the testimony focused on arguments about  months of Instagram messages and posts among the defendants.

Gregory Taylor, 26, Quentin Michals, 25, Qujuan Thomas, 24, Darrise Jeffers, 23, Isaiah Murchison, 22, and Marquell Cobbs, 21, are six of 10 defendants charged with first-degree murder, criminal street gang affiliation, conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill, and other charges regarding a fatal drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson. The shooting happened on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE on July 16, 2018.

On April 6, an Instagram expert delivered a lengthy report including all direct message communications and access to all defendants’ accounts. Both the prosecution and the defense have been working to deliver a final report that can be introduced to the jury.

The report is being reviewed page by page and word by word.

This debate began at the trial’s inception a month and a half ago and continues.

In this hearing the parties specifically looked at communications between the defendants in a group direct message after one of the defendants, Michals, had been shot. The messages show threats of alleged retaliation by the group.

Multiple defense attorneys argued to redact clients’ names due to their inactivity in the group chats. DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun denied the redaction.

The report also contains a photo of Cobbs holding a gun, which was sent during the alleged discussion about retaliation.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday April 10.