Four Prince George’s County teens charged with murder in the Woodley Park Metro stop stabbing death of Olijawon Griffin pleaded innocent to the charges against them Thursday at D.C. Superior Court.
Prosecutors have already charged 17-year-old Chavez Myers with Griffin’s death, saying that he wielded the weapon that killed Griffin.
On Wednesday, prosecutors added Isaiah Gant, Gary Maye, Deon Jefferson and Immanuel Swann to the murder case, naming them as suspects in an 11-count indictment.
The indictment alleges that the group, including Myers, acted together even though Myers alone stabbed Griffin.
Myers, who was also arraigned Thursday, pleaded innocent.
A fifth teen, Muquan Cawthorne, is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning.
Two others who allegedly were part of the group that attacked Griffin and robbed him of his coat, hat and glasses outside an Adams Morgan Exxon station are being tried as juveniles.
According to court documents, investigators believe that the teens worked together to deceive Griffin, splitting into groups as they walked with Griffin to an Adams Morgan gas station, where he thought they planned to sell him marijuana.
Prosecutors allege Cawthorne, who has not been arraigned, was carrying a gun and handed it to Maye as they were walking; Maye took the gun, pointed it at Griffin and the teens took his coat and hat.
According to the indictment, the teens went to the Woodley Park Metro station later that evening, where they planned to return to the West Hyattsville station.
When Griffin and his friend approached the teens in an attempt to get Griffin’s property back, a fight began. Prosecutors say the teens punched, kicked and stomped Griffin’s friend as he laid on the station platform.
Prosecutors think Griffin attempted to lead the teens up to the station’s mezzanine level, in an attempt to draw them away from his injured friend. Swann, Myers and two others followed Griffin there, the indictment says. As Griffin began fistfighting with one, Myers, wearing a ski mask, snuck up behind the unarmed Griffin, taking “a small step to his left to ensure that he stayed behind Mr. Griffin and out of his line of sight,” the indictment states.
Myers then stabbed Griffin once in the heart, according to prosecutors. The knife fell out of Griffin’s chest and landed on the ground; it was later recovered on top of a pylon in the station.
In an interview with investigators, Myers said he stabbed Griffin to defend himself.
A copy of the indictment is below:
