In brief:
Curtis McKnight and Robert Pumphrey Jr. were found guilty in the 2007 northeast DC shooting death of the Raynard Jennings.
A review of this year’s reported homicides compared to last year’s showed fewer homicides (year-to-date) this year. The review also showed that this year’s victims have been younger. In 2011 the deadliest ages were 20 and 22; so far in 2012, the deadliest ages have been 19 and 21. Two children, Keyontae Osbia Moore, aged 20 months, and Kuron Rashad Hunt, who died after delivery, are also among this year’s victims. In 2011 the youngest homicide victim was 15 years old.
Later in the week, the death of an infant girl found abandoned on a doorstep in Northeast DC in January was ruled a homicide. The medical examiner said the cause of death was hypothermia.
Mark Pray and Alonzo Marlow were found guilty today of the killing of two people: Crystal Washington in April 2009 and Jheryl Hodge in January 2010. Washington was killed a day before she was scheduled to testify for the government in a murder case. Pray and Kenneth Benbow were also found guilty of the 2008 murder of Van Johnson Jr.
The preliminary hearing for Raymond Faunteroy was postponed at the request of his attorney; she said Faunteroy, suspected in the death of Derrick Ragland, wished to hire a private attorney.
The Office of Unified Communications faced tough questions from Councilman Phil Mendelson, chair of the committee on the judiciary, about a 911 call that came in more than five minutes before Angelo Jones was shot to death in Clay Terrace in 2010. Jennifer Greene, director of the OUC said the operator heard on the call has been retrained and that system upgrades should make problems like the one recorded on the call less common. But Mendelson remained concerned that the 911 system is not operating effectively.
Later in the week, the Washington Post, in an editorial, called on the City Council to conduct its own review of the District’s 911 system.
Brandon Andrews pled innocent in the shooting death of Leonard Bigelow. Andrews is charged with first-degree murder and threats as well as two counts of assault and three weapons charges.
Timothy Shade and Deshaun Johnson, accused of killing Bernard Lewis as he stumbled drunk and high down a Southeast DC street, were sentenced to four- and five-year prison terms after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The two men told the court that Lewis’ death was an accident.
