Probable Cause Pending in Homicide Case

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DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan delayed a probable cause ruling in a homicide case after the lead detective testified about surveillance video on Oct. 16.

James Rice, 26, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Thomas Carlos Felder, 32. The incident took place on May 1 on the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.

According to court documents, the shooting was captured on surveillance footage from surrounding buildings.

Prosecution called the lead detective on the case who provided an in-court identification of Rice as the suspect.

The prosecution also presented a video taken by construction workers on site nearby, showing Felder laying in the grass in the median of the road and the suspect running away.

The MPD detective didn’t know of other footage from the scene, leaving doubt about what happened before or after the shooting.

A witness was able to identify Rice as a suspect based on his build and clothing that he was wearing which prompted a search of his home.

The prosecution introduced body camera footage that of the search at the address that Rice provided to officers, where they found shoes that likely matched those of the suspect, as well as an ID and mail with Rice’s name and address on it.

Under cross, Rice’s defense attorney, Joseph Yarbough, noted that there were no guns, bullets or firearm paraphernalia located in Rice’s possession during his arrest, or uncovered after the search warrant was executed.

Yarbough also stated that no witnesses identified the suspect with face or neck tattoos like Rice’s He also stated that there was no clear view of the suspect’s face in the video provided by the construction workers or the surveillance footage, to which the detective agreed.

However, the prosecution noted that since the crime happened in a street median and there were multiple lanes on either side, no one would be able to see face and neck tattoos from that distance.

Another witness’s credibility was challenged based on possibility that identified the suspect to get a reward and that his description of the suspect was inconsistent.

They will reconvene on Oct. 22 to resume the preliminary hearing.