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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- March 7, 2019
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Suspects
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A medical examiner told a jury March 6 that a murder victim’s cause of death was multifaceted. Apparently, the victim was high, drunk, had a genetic heart condition and suffered from trauma-related injuries.
Nathaniel Bryant is charged with voluntary and involuntary manslaughter for his alleged role in the death of Victor Drummings inside a Quality Inn parking garage on the 1600 block of New York Avenue, NE in 2015.
The examiner said Drummings suffered from severely narrow arteries, which compromised his heart’s function. The examiner said Drummings had a heart attack but that the drugs and trauma were also factors. The examiner said he couldn’t determine the direct cause of Drummings’ death.
During the hearing, Bryant’s girlfriend said she and her sister were leaving the Inn when they bumped into Drummings. The girlfriends’ sister, who also testified, described Drummings as the “perfect gentleman.” The sister said she ended up exchanging numbers with Drummings, but said she wasn’t interested in him.
Apparently, Drummings and Bryant began to argue after Bryant met the ladies at their car. The sisters said they left to get help and when they returned they found Drummings lying on the ground gasping for air. The women said that’s when they got in the car with Bryant and drove away.
According to the prosecution’s theory, Drummings was innocently flirting with Bryant’s girlfriend and her sister. They say Bryant got annoyed and “beat (Drummings) until his heart gave out.” The prosecution says Drummings’ trauma-related injuries caused his death.
The defense claims that Drummings died from his pre-existing heart condition. D.C. Witness previously reported that one of the arteries in Drummings’ heart had a 75 percent blockage.
The trial is scheduled to continue on March 7.