Trial date pushed in 2012 homicide

By D.C. Witness Staff - January 11, 2018
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

The trial date for the 2012 homicide of Yolanda Stone will be pushed back to May 21, so the defense will have more time to prepare.

After a mental observation hearing where Reynaud Cook was found competent to stand trial, Judge Judith Bartnoff talked with the defendant about how he wished to proceed.

Cook,33-years-old at the time, was found guilty by a jury trial in July 2017 and wanted defense attorney Kevin Mosley to appeal the verdict. Cook, who was 29 at the time of conviction, said he wished to have a new lawyer appointed to him due to Mosley not appealing the verdict.

However, an appeal cannot happen until after sentencing, which hasn’t happened yet.

In addition, Cook said Mosley was “trading with the enemy,” and wasn’t doing his job as his defense attorney.

This will be second time that Cook has requested to be appointed a new lawyer, after Mosley was appointed to replace Cook’s previous defense attorney, Daniel Quillin.

Judge Bartnoff pushed back the sentencing date under the condition that Cook and Mosley agreed to work together.Cook is currently being held without bond.

The defendant was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed for fatally shooting Stone, who was 30-years-old at the time of death. Officers arrived on the 3300 block of Alden Place, NE on Feb. 15. 2012, and found Stone with apparent gunshot wounds. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment where she later died from her injuries on May 20, 2012. Cook was also found guilty of second-degree murder while armed, along with Don Hancock, for the July 2007 homicide of Nacarto Gladden.