Three Witnesses Testify During Murder Trial, Including Victim’s Brother

By Larissa Atkins [former] - November 18, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Editors Note: The defendant in this case has since been acquitted on all counts. 

The trial for the fatal shooting of Daniel Parker continued with a forensic scientist and a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer both testifying.

Dewayne Shorter is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 38-year-old Parker on July 26, 2017, on the 2000 block of Fairlawn Avenue, SE. Shorter, 33, is also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm while armed during a crime of violence.

The first witness called during the Nov. 17 proceedings was a forensic scientist from the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS). The prosecutor asked about the photos she took of the crime scene and the placards she placed around the scene. She said she gathered plastic bags as evidence because she wanted to check if they had drug residue on them.

The scientist said she found shell cases from different guns at the crime scene. She showed the jury a few of the shell casings.

She also showed the jury the firearm recovered from Parker’s waistband, along with its magazine. The scientist explained how she obtained Parker’s fingerprints from the firearm. When the prosecution asked why she had fingerprinted a deceased person, she said it was DFS policy at the time to fingerprint everyone involved in a crime.

Defense attorney Jon Norris asked the scientist if she had arrived at the crime scene after the shooting, which she had. 

The next witness called was an MPD officer. The officer participated in executing a search warrant of a house located nearby the scene of the shooting in October of 2018. The officer was shown a photo of the house to confirm it was the one he searched.

The officer said he had retrieved an assault rifle from the house, and showed the rifle to the jury. The officer also showed another firearm that was recovered from the search. These are illegal in DC.

The officer said he also found drug paraphernalia, drug packaging, scales and money in the house. The officer was shown photos of the objects and he confirmed they were what he recovered from the house.

Norris asked the officer how many firearms he had recovered. He said he recovered three firearms: two handguns, both of which had extended magazines, and the assault rifle. Extended magazines are illegal in DC. The officer did not know who lived in the house at the time of the search but Norris said the people living in the house were affiliated with Parker.

Norris then asked the officer about a box of baking soda that was seen in a photo of bags of cocaine in the house. The officer explained that baking soda is used to increase the amount of cocaine, and is also used to turn cocaine into crack.

The last witness called was Parker’s oldest brother. The prosecution asked about their relationship. Parker’s brother said they were very close and he loves his brother.

The prosecutor asked Parker’s brother if he used to be involved in the sale of marijuana, and he said yes. Parker’s brother was then asked about his actions the day of the shooting. He said he worked all day, ran some errands and went home to sleep. He said his mother came to his house and said somebody told her somebody was shooting at his brother. Parker’s brother said he immediately went to the scene.

Parker’s brother said when he arrived at the scene of the crime, he saw his brother covered by a white sheet. He said a friend had told him Shorter shot his brother. The prosecution asked why he did not say this in his grand jury testimony, and he said this is because his friend was “high” at the time and he didn’t want to get Shorter in trouble.

Parker’s brother said he saw Shorter at the scene of the crime. He said Shorter told him he shot Parker by saying “you got bodies, I got bodies”. Parker’s brother said “having bodies” means to kill someone. The prosecution asked him if he had ever killed someone, and he said no.

The prosecutor continued, asking about a shooting Parker was involved in. Parker’s brother said his brother had told him he shot up a car, but the wrong person was inside. This happened around April 2017. He said his brother was mad about the shooting because he shot the wrong person and he wanted to “finish it off”.

Parker’s brother said he told Parker not to go after the person because their families were friends. When asked who Parker intended to kill, he said Shorter. Parker’s brother said a neighbor had told Shorter that Parker intended to kill him.

The prosecution asked Parker’s brother if their youngest brother had killed him, and he said no. Parker’s brother was asked about the relationship between Parker and their youngest brother, and he said they were very close.

Parker’s brother was then asked if his brothers used MDMA, and he said yes. He was asked if his brothers were “homicidal” about their drug use, and he said no.

The prosecution finished his examination by asking Parker’s brother if he had intimidated Parker’s ex-girlfriend, who previously testified. He denied this. He was then asked if he was covering up for the fact that his youngest brother really killed Parker. He responded, saying it was an offensive question and not true.

Norris asked Parker’s brother if his information about the shooting comes from other people, and he said yes. Norris asked him if he had told the grand jury that his friend told him Shorter had shot his brother, and he said yes. Norris showed him the grand jury statement, where he said his friend had heard the shots and ran off.

Norris asked about Parker’s drug use and how he was known to go on four to five day binges. Parker’s brother said that is not true because he saw Parker nearly every day. Norris then asked if he taught his brothers how to sell drugs and obtain weapons and he said no.

DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled the trial to continue on Nov. 22.