Homicide Watch D.C.

The grief of Dominic Dwayne Kingsbury Jr.’s family was palpable Friday as, throughout the morning, Steven Cephas stood before them to be sentenced.

Their moans, sniffles, cries, and, once, angry words, permeated every corner of the courtroom, as they felt again the loss of their 20-month old son, grandson and nephew. He was brutally beaten to death while in Cephas’ care when his mother was at work.

Not even Cephas’ attorney, nor Judge William Jackson, were immune to the emotion.

“I’ve been on this bench nineteen years now,” said Jackson, his face appearing grim and gray above the judge’s robe. “Every time I’d thought I’d seen the worst case, I’d see another. This case is inexcusable. I tried my best to look for some mitigation here and I could find none.”
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From the US Attorney’s Office:

District Man Pleads Guilty to Murder In 2007 Slaying in Northeast Washington- Victim Was Slain Inside His Apartment -

WASHINGTON - Ronnell James, 39, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of second degree murder while armed, with aggravating circumstances, in a slaying that took place in 2007 in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
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A 19 year-old Northwest DC man died Thursday after being stabbed. MPD identified him Friday as Dalontray Williams.

According to a press release, authorities believe Williams was stabbed in the 1500 block of Seventh Street, NW. Police were called to the Kennedy Recreation Center, about a block away, where they found Williams in the lobby.
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Judge William Jackson found probable cause today in the case against a DC man accused of beating Juan Paredes to death with a barbell in a busy Columbia Heights commercial area.

Jeffrey Mills was arrested Jan. 14, the same day of the fatal attack, on suspicion of assault with intent to kill. Paredes died on Jan. 15. On Wednesday prosecutors changed the charge from assault to first degree premeditated murder while armed.
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Each Friday, Homicide Watch brings you a list of upcoming hearings in the cases we follow. All hearings are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. unless otherwise noted. To add an item to the listing, email homicidewatchdc [at] gmail.com. To see scheduled court hearings beyond next week, see our calendar.

The calendar is after the jump.
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We’ve touched on this before: Since the mid-1990s, violent crime across the United States has dropped dramatically. DC has gone from several hundred murders per year a decade ago to 108 last year.

And yet, experts struggle to explain the drop. Charles Murray, of the American Enterprise Institute, argues that the answer is actually simple: widespread policies of mass incarceration have taken thousands of criminals off the streets, which both removed violent people from neighborhoods and created a deterrent.
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MPD today released a video (posted above) of a car believed to have picked up people responsible for fatally shooting Mico Briscoe in Novemeber in Northeast DC.

Briscoe was one of two people shot at approximately 12:41 am near Mt. Olivet Road.
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The sixteen-year-old suspected of taking part in a gang melee in Petworth in October has pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault.

Christian Navarette-Rivas appeared in court Tuesday morning to enter the plea.

According to the government’s evidence, Navarette-Rivas was driving a red Jeep Liberty, which he used to intentionally strike Miguel Drullard on Oct. 16. Drullard was drug by the car as it moved forward. He suffered serious injuries, was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead. Drullard’s pitbull was also struck by Navarette-Rivas’ vehicle.
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Two of four people believed to have taken part in a fatal robbery in December are now in custody and detectives have been in contact with a third.

Harold Proctor was arrested Dec. 27 and Christopher Williams was arrested Jan. 20. Each are suspected of first-degree felony murder while armed in the stabbing death of Kevin Blackwell Jr.

Charging documents indicate that a third person involved in the robbery has been in touch with detectives and is a witness in the case.

They also indicate that a fourth person, Wayne Antwon Jackson, is wanted in connection with the murder. An affidavit in support of an arrest warrant for Williams includes Jackson’s name, stating that there is probable cause to arrest both Williams and Jackson.
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Andrew Williams, a Northeast DC man known as “Drew” and “Barbershop,” was ordered held today on probable cause in the shooting death of Junon Snead.

Snead, 30, was killed in May. In court Monday, Detective Robert Arrington said Snead was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head.

Williams is suspected of first-degree premeditated murder while armed in connection with the case.
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