Case Acquitted: Prosecution Arrests One of its Witnesses in Murder Trial 

By Alesar Harfoush [former] - March 15, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Sutton was acquitted of murder and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence on March 23, 2023.

On March 14, one of the prosecution’s witnesses testified in front of the jury while handcuffed after he was detained for failing to show at court. 

Kaevon Sutton, 21, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license outside the home or place of business in connection to the shooting of Aujee Tyler, 22. The shooting occurred on March 19, 2018, on the 3500 block of Stanton Road, SE. 

The prosecution arrested one of their witnesses Tuesday morning and brought him to court to testify.

While testifying the witness stated that he was a close friend of Tyler. He was also not cooperative in answering any questions from both the prosecution and the defense, answering every question with “ I do not recall”. 

The prosecution and the defense had to read answers from his Grand Jury testimony back in 2018.

According to the prosecution, the witness was there when the shooting happened and he helped carry Tyler to the car that took him to the hospital. 

However, the defense showed a video of what went on after and during the shooting, saying the witness did not help carry Tyler to the car nor did he get in the car with others. 

The witness was not able to identify himself in the video or answer any questions, which led defense attorney Jessica Wills to suggest that the witness’s testimony was misleading. 

A US Marshal testified about the day he arrested Sutton in the state of Ohio. According to witnesses, Sutton ran up the stairs when the Marshals asked the homeowner about him. The witness then stated that he ran upstairs and arrested him while he was hiding in a bedroom closet. During the arrest, Sutton gave them a fake name, but the Marshals had already been able to identify him. 

DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan told the jury that they would begin their deliberation no later than March 21 after one juror raised concerns about the length of the trial. 

The trial is scheduled to resume on March 15.