From the US Attorney’s Office:
Jury Convicts Gang Members of Murder in April 2008 Rush Hour Murder
WASHINGTON - United States Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today that Deandre Rogers, 20, of the 300 block of S Street, Northeast, and Deon T. Jenkins, 26, of the 1100 block of K Street, Southeast, were convicted today of First Degree Murder While Armed for the April 14, 2008, murder of William Foster at the intersection of North Capitol and R Streets, Northeast, Washington, D.C. Foster was murdered as he sat in his van trapped in rush hour traffic. Foster’s murder resulted in a spate of gang shootings in Northeast D.C. in the Spring of 2008 between two rival crews, the T Street/Yellow Brick Road Crew and the Todd Place Crew.
The evidence at trial established that on April 14, 2008, William Foster, also known as “Boo,” the leader of the Todd Place Crew of Todd Place, Northeast, was driving through the unit block of R Street, Northeast, “mugging” on rival crew members. Deon Jenkins, the leader of the rival T Street/Yellow Brick Road Crew, saw Foster and dispatched a junior crew member, Deandre Rogers, to shoot and kill Foster as Foster sat trapped in rush hour traffic. Rogers then ran up to the van with a Glock .45 semi-automatic pistol and fired twelve times point blank into the driver’s side door. Foster was pronounced dead on the scene.The jury convicted Deandre Rogers on First Degree Murder While Armed, weapons charges, and obstruction of justice. The jury convicted Deon Jenkins of First Degree Murder While Armed and weapons charges associated with the Jenkins’ May 19 arrest with a Mac-11 pistol. A third defendant, Austin Hall, was alleged to be the driver during the homicide, and was acquitted by the jury.
“Gang violence continues to be a significant problem in this city,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Today’s convictions send the powerful message that gang violence will not be tolerated by the citizens of the District. ”
In announcing the verdict, United States Attorney Machen commended the dedicated and outstanding work of MPD Homicide Detectives Harbin “Dean” Combee (the lead detective), Alec Mac Bean, Kim Lawrence, Randy Parker, Kristal Boyd and Anthony Greene; Fifth District Officers Jonathan Jordan, Thomas Krmenec, Jose Freeman; Fifth District Detectives Carter Adams and Eric Fenton; MPD Mobile Crime Technicians Julius D. Smith, Ralph Nitz and Michael DePrince and Crime Scene Search Officer Moctema Stevens; First District Detective Stanley Greene and Vice Officer Sherrie Forester.
He further commended the outstanding efforts of United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarrity, Delissa Rivers and Lashone Samuels; USAO Litigation Technology Unit Specialists Leif Hickling and Josh Ellen; Victim Witness Specialists Marcey Rinker; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Saybolt and William Woodruff who prosecuted the case at trial.
