Parties in Co-Defendant Murder Trial Deliver Closing Arguments 

By Lauren Tepper [former] - July 8, 2022
Court | Homicides | Shooting |

A co-defendant murder trial concludes with parties delivering their closing arguments before the case was handed to the jury.

Co-defendants Saquan Williams, 20, and Quincy Garvin, 22, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm, criminal street gang affiliation and conspiracy in connection to the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Carl Hardy on the 1200 block of I Street, SE, on Sept. 10, 2017.

During closing arguments on July 8, a prosecutor told jurors that the the motive behind the murder of Hardy was established. 

“30 for 30. 30 rounds on behalf of 30 Glizzy,” the prosecution said. 

The prosecution stated that Instagram group chat messages, Instagram live videos, music videos, and a key witnesses’ testimony all point to Williams and Garvin as the shooters. One of the witnesses, who sent in anonymous messages during the course of the investigation, identified the defendants and helped provide context to the murder.  

“The time has now come to hold them responsible,” the prosecutor said. “The time has now come to hold them responsible for participating in a street gang. The time has now come to hold them responsible for shooting and murdering Carl Hardy.” 

The prosecutor further asserted that Hardy was a part of the Glizzy Murder Gang with “Ant Glizzy” and the defendants, emphasizing that the gang was “thinning out their roster.” 

“When you go in the back, look at the evidence,” the prosecutor said. “Don’t speculate. You will see they are guilty. No one is asking you to convict them because you don’t like them. . . Hold them accountable for killing Carl Hardy.”

Garvin’s defense attorney Steven Kirsch said that one of the prosecution’s witnesses committed perjury and that the witness was not credible. Kirsch said the witness was only trying to help the detectives because of the $25,000 reward.

Kirsch also said there is “absolutely no DNA that can be attributed to Quincy Garvin.”

“Ballistics is subjective,” he said. “There are a lot of factors. Someone else could have done the exam and come up with other results.”

Kirsch implored the jury to “use your sense of justice. Use your obligations to the U.S. Constitution. As tough as this case was and as tough as some of the evidence was; Quincy Garvin is innocent.” 

Willimas’ defense attorney, Kevin Robertson, also said a key witness lied to the police and has major credibility issues. A crucial point to the closing was that there were “a lot of people holding the gun that was recovered from Mr. William’s room.” 

He played a music video depicting many people holding the same type of gun that was connected to the case. He also pointed out that the guns could be props. 

“Just because there was DNA on it doesn’t mean he used it,” Robertson said. “In the end there is only one decision to make, and that is not guilty.”

The prosecution argued that  there was no firearms recovered from Garvin’s home, the prosecutor argued that this was “not because he didn’t have one, not because he didn’t have access. They moved the guns. That’s why they didn’t find the guns.”  

After the parties completed their closing arguments, D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun gave the jury their instructions before sending them to begin deliberating.

The jury is set to begin deliberations on July 11.