Prosecution Uses Detectives Testimony to Establish Criminal Gang Activity in 10 Year Old’s Murder

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The prosecution in a homicide case continues to convince a jury that the drive-by shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl was related to criminal gang activity.

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.

The prosecution called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective, who was assigned the murder case of Carl Hardy, which occurred in the Potomac Gardens neighborhood. Hardy was allegedly a member of a rival gang.

This incident is being considered in regards to the conspiracy charge brought against Quincy Garvin and Saquan Williams. The defendants, who are also charged with the murder of Makiyah, were convicted for Hardy’s murder in July of 2022.

The detective testified on the incident itself, the search warrants that led to Willams and Garvin’s arrest, and several Instagram reports on accounts associated with Williams and Garvin. The prosecution played videos posted by the individuals depicting them with multiple firearms, one of which police believe was the murder weapon in the Hardy case.

The detective also said an Instagram report from an account that is associated with Garvin contained group chat messages where the recipients, including some of the six defendants in the trial, refer to Hardy’s murder as well as Garvin’s arrest.

During cross-examination, the defendants’ attorneys established through the detective that none of their clients were persons of interest in the Hardy murder.

All parties are scheduled to return to continue trial on March 15.

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