Judge Stuart Nash found probable cause Wednesday that David Jamal Wilson participated in the stabbing death of 68-year-old Howard Venable Jr.
Wilson, 21, was arrested in connection with the case on February 3, one day after Venable’s body was found face down in a pool of blood on the floor of his apartment.
The Washington Post reports that during a preliminary hearing Wednesday a homicide detective testified that the two men were in a relationship in which Venable would pay Wilson for sex.
During that hearing Wilson’s defense attorney argued that the two men were involved in a long-term abusive sexual relationship and that the abuse prompted Wilson to stab Venable. As the Post reported:
Hours before Venable was killed, one witness told authorities, the two men were exchanging text messages about Wilson bringing over “ice cream.” That, Watts said, was code for sex.
A medical examiner determined that Venable suffered multiple slashing wounds to the neck, minor cuts to both hands consistent with defensive wounds, and two stab wounds to the upper torso. There were no signs of struggle inside his apartment, according to charging documents in the case.
Arrest documents say that over the course of Wilson’s interrogation by police officers he changed his account of what occurred on that Saturday evening. Eventually, Wilson told detectives that he and Venable had a verbal argument inside the apartment, but then Venable went to the kitchen and retrieved a knife. Wilson said that he and Venable wrestled for control of the knife and that Venable fell to the floor stabbing himself, according to the documents.
A felony status conference has been scheduled for May 10.
