A fatal stabbing defendant was sentenced to 21 years of imprisonment by DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson on March 6.
Stephen Herring, 26, accepted a plea deal on Nov. 7, 2025 for second-degree murder while armed for his involvement in the fatal stabbing of 30-year-old Marcus Thurman on the 100 block of M Street, NE, on Aug. 22, 2023. Thurman sustained injuries to the upper chest and succumbed to his injuries on Sept. 4, 2023.
According to court documents, Thurman was defending a woman and her baby from Herring when he was stabbed.
As part of the plea deal, parties agreed to a sentence of 18-to-22 years in prison, subject to Judge Dayson’s approval at sentencing.
Before requesting Herring’s sentence, the prosecutor called upon members of Thuman’s family to give victim impact statements.
“I stand before this court as a mother who lost her son,” Thurman’s mom said. She told Judge Dayson that Thurman “was loved deeply by everyone who knew him” because “he had a gentle spirit and a kind heart.”
“The loss is not temporary, it’s permanent,” Thurman’s mother said to Judge Dayson. “The damage is not momentary, it is generational.”
The prosecutor read a letter on behalf of Thurman’s sister, who was unable to give her statement in court. “The grief is constant,” she wrote. “It does not come and go, it lies within me.”
Thurman’s sister wrote to Judge Dayson that “no sentence will bring [Thuman] back,” but she asked the judge to consider the impact of the loss on the family when deciding the length.
The prosecutor asked for Herring to receive 22 years of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
After playing a video of the stabbing before the court, the prosecutor explained how Herring hunted Thurman down. He explained that Herring stabbed Thurman “so hard the blade [got] stuck in” his chest. There was premeditation and a lack of remorse, he said.
The prosecutor said that Herring’s situation is not extraordinary. Many people have bad upbringings and mental health issues, and that doesn’t excuse his actions, he said.
Herring is capable of facing consequences, asserted the prosecutor.
Herring’s attorney, Hannah Claudio, asked for 18 years of imprisonment. According to Claudio, Herring showed remorse and was absolutely devastated by this incident.
Claudio contended that Herring wasn’t capable of making the cold, calculated decisions the prosecutor said he did. When he stabbed Thurman, she claimed, he was operating on “stress, irritability, and chaos.”
She respectfully disagreed with the prosecutor and said that Herring’s situation was not ordinary or run of the mill. Claudio told Judge Dayson that he has had mental health issues since the age of six.
“Where [Herring] was at the time of this incident was decades in the making,” Claudio insisted.
According to Claudio, Herring’s time at the DC Jail for almost three years since this incident occurred marked the longest housing stability Herring had since he was 15-years-old. Claudio said the treatment he received at Saint Elizabeths Hospital marked the most comprehensive mental health help he had received.
“I’m proud of Herring,” Claudio stated, because he is proof of the improvement people can make with the proper support.
Claudio also requested for Herring to stay at the DC Jail for around 90 more days to complete his GED. She explained how the completion of his GED was vital to his future success and would open many doors for other programs within the prison.
A representative from the Public Defender Service (PDS) Office of Rehabilitation and Development told the judge that Herring has “shown awareness and understanding of his mental health.” Another representative said he is “way more than the worst thing he’s ever done” and “has grown” since the incident.
In a statement from Herring, he apologized to his family and Thurman’s family. “My family lost a son too. I’m going to be gone for most of my life,” he said to Thurman’s family.
“It is clear that both families are very dedicated and that this represents a huge and permanent loss for [Thurman’s] family,” Judge Dayson said.
The judge noted that she disagrees with the prosecutor that Herring’s mental health challenges are run of the mill. Judge Dayson maintained that Herring’s problems “weren’t appropriately or consistently treated.”
Judge Dayson sentenced Herring to 21 years of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.
While on supervised release, Judge Dayson said Herring should continue mental health counseling and substance abuse programs. Additionally, he should earn his GED, stable employment, and any other Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) recommended mental health evaluations.
Despite objections from the prosecutor, Judge Dayson granted Claudio’s request to delay the imposition of the sentence until after Herring completes his GED. Herring will remain held at the DC Jail until then.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene on June 18.
