Was Decedent’s Death Part of a Neighborhood Rivalry?

By D.C. Witness Staff - October 22, 2018
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

During opening arguments in a murder trial, the prosecution said the decedent was not the intended target and instead got caught up in a shooting that stemmed from a neighborhood rivalry.

Kenneth Adams is charged with first-degree murder while armed, among other charges, for allegedly shooting 21-year-old Dante Kinard on the 1800 block of Benning Road, NE in 2016.

On Oct. 22, the prosecution told the jury that Adams, 20, walked toward a group of people, on Benning Road, NE and pulled out a revolver. 

Apparently, Adams robbed the sister of an unnamed individual who was in the group. According to the prosecution, the individual was from the Langston neighborhood which rivals with the 21st and I Street, NE neighborhood. Adams, who is from the 21st and I Street neighborhood, allegedly said the individual was “next.”

The prosecutor said there were multiple eyewitnesses who identified Adams as the shooter. However, the prosecutor also said the witnesses were hesitant to come forward because they didn’t want to be labeled as a “snitch.” The prosecution said witnesses took months to come forward and corroborate that Adams was the shooter.

Adams’ defense attorney, Nikki Lotze, said the eyewitnesses couldn’t have been able to identify the shooter because it was dark and the shooting was “extremely fast.”

Lotze also argued that the investigation went from days to weeks to months without witnesses and as a result detectives became angry. According to Lotze, detectives coerced witnesses to identify Adams.

Lotze told the jury that one of two eyewitnesses initially said, during the investigation, that the shooter couldn’t be identified because it was too dark. However, the same witness, who was later arrested on unrelated charges, was questioned about the murder, again. Apparently, an officer questioned if Adams was the shooter and the witness said they were “80 percent sure” but didn’t want to testify.

Lotze said the witness’s pending charges were dropped after the witness agreed to testify in the murder case.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Oct. 23.