Anthony Speight pled innocent to eight charges included first-degree murder while armed on Thursday for the shooting death of Bill Mitchell.
A Grand Jury indicted Speight on the charges, including first-degree and felony murder, assault, threats, and weapons violations, in June.
Speight was also scheduled for a status hearing today in an armed carjacking that took place same day Mitchell was killed.
Holly Schick, the prosecuting attorney in the murder case, said she believes the gun used in the carjacking may have been the same weapon used to commit the murder.
According to charging documents in the homicide case, Mitchell was walking home from the theater on Jan. 19 when he was shot and killed. Mitchell’s family and friends, and D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr., said Mitchell was killed while coming to the aid of a woman. Homicide detectives now say it may be the opposite.
According to charging documents in the case, a man on a bicycle approached a woman near a small park in Truxton Circle and propositioned her for sex. She refused. The man then rode over to Mitchell, who was at a nearby bus stop, and asked for $20. When Mitchell refused, the man argued with him. The woman then came over to assist Mitchell, told the man man to leave Mitchell alone, and tried to call 911. The man knocked her cell phone out of her hand, Mitchell jumped on the man’s back, and he and the man fell to the ground.
During the struggle the man produced a handgun, said “This is what I have been waiting for,” shot Mitchell, and biked away.
Speight is scheduled for a status hearing on Aug. 24 at 11:00 a.m at which point the government said they will have a post-indictment plea offer ready.
A trial date has been set for Dec. 3.
A copy of the indictment will be added to this post later this afternoon.
