Prosecution Files Motion for Murder Defendant’s DNA

Thank you for reading D.C. Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.

Donate Now

The prosecution in a homicide case filed a motion June 12 requesting that a DC Superior Court judge order the defendant to submit a DNA swab for testing.

Matthew Moore pled not guilty to allegedly shooting Ronnell Reaves on the 600 block of 14th Place, NE in 2017. According to court documents, Reaves, 22, was killed on the scene, while another person sustained critical injuries but survived.

Judge Danya Dayson said she would decide on a date for defense counsel to respond to the prosecution’s request for DNA testing.

Moore, 33, initially claimed that he shot the men in self-defense after they attempted to coerce him into robbing a restaurant. But, surveillance footage of the incident contradicts Moore’s version of the events. The Metropolitan Police Department did not collect Moore’s DNA on the scene.

Another status hearing is scheduled for June 26 because Moore’s defense attorney is in trial for an unrelated case.