Plea Deal with Murder Defendant a “Bitter Pill” for Lonnie Whitted’s Family

In a soft voice, murder defendant Calvin Monroe, answered “guilty” this morning to Judge William Jackson’s question of how he wished to plea in the death of 27-year-old Lonnie Whitted.

With that one word Monroe agreed that he shot Whitted, his brother’s former friend, by shooting at him multiple times, even as Whitted fled. His likely sentence: 17 to 22 years incarceration.

For Whitted’s family, the plea was a “bitter pill” to swallow, said Prosecutor Jeff Pearlman. They would be satisfied with “nothing less” than a first-degree murder conviction.

According to charging documents in the case, Whitted was friends with Monroe’s brother “Pete,” but that the friendship broke up when Pete fired a gun into the air and Whitted took the gun from him. Pete, charging documents state, was detained in connection with the argument over the weapon, and was only released two days before Whitted was killed.

On July 7, Whitted and Pete were in a fist fight over the gun, when Monroe walked over to them and shot at Whitted, killing him.

Monroe’s plea Friday morning was to one count of second-degree murder while armed.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 18.

The US Attorney’s Office press release is below.

District Man Pleads Guilty to Murder In July 2011 Slaying in Southeast Washington - Victim Tried to Flee the Attack -

WASHINGTON - Calvin Monroe, 33, also known as “Dough,” pled guilty today to a charge of second degree murder while armed in a killing that took place in July 2011 in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Monroe, of Washington, D.C., entered the guilty plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea is conditional upon the Court’s approval of a sentence that is not less than 17 years but no more than 23 years of incarceration. The Honorable William M. Jackson scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2011.

According to the government’s proffer of facts, on July 7, 2011, at about 12:15 a.m., Monroe approached the victim, 27-year-old Lonnie Whitted, in the 1900 block of 18th Street SE. He shot the victim, who fled across the street. Monroe then shot Whitted additional times. Whitted collapsed on the street and subsequently died from his injuries.

In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crimes Branch, along with MPD Detectives King Watts and Charles Fultz. He also praised the work of paralegal Fern Rhedrick. Lastly, Mr. Machen thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Pearlman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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