The muder trial for defendant Vanessa Bonaparte, 34, was delayed on July 27, after DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz signed an arrest warrant for an eyewitness that prosecuting attorneys have been unable to contact.
Bonaparte is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed and destruction of property valued at $1,000 or more, in connection to her alleged involvement in the murder of 31-year-old Dwayne Boyd on the 3500 block of East Capitol Street, SE. Boyd sustained two stab wounds to his chest on June 22, 2024, and was pronounced dead when police arrived at the scene.
Parties completed jury selection and were expected to begin opening arguments, however prosecuting attorneys said they tried and failed multiple times to make contact with a key witness who was set to testify.
According to court documents, the witness was Boyd’s romantic partner and present when he was stabbed.
Judge Kravitz signed a material witness arrest warrant, meaning US Marshals attempt to locate the witness, bring them into court, and hold them until they testify.
Bonaparte’s attorney, Kevann Gardner, indicated if the witness is not located by the following morning, he will file a motion to dismiss the case. Gardner said if the dismissal motion is not granted, he will file a motion to release Bonaparte.
According to court documents, Bonaparte was on release multiple times awaiting trial, most recently on May 5, 2025. However, her release has been revoked multiple times, most recently on May 30, 2025 for alleged failure to comply with drug testing, mental health screenings, GPS tracking, and court appearances.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene on July 28.
