A judge ordered Andre Dominique Hockaday held Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree murder while armed in connection with the shooting death of Ronald Deacon Smith in November 2011.
Last week, Dwayne Williams, 29, was also arrested and held for Smith’s murder.
Hockaday told police that prior to Smith’s murder, people from the neighborhood, including himself and Williams, believed that Smith was “snitching” about the death of Ervin Lamont Griffin.
Five days after David Warren was held in connection with Griffin’s death, police found Smith dead in the 1100 block of 21st Street Northeast, documents say. Warren was ultimately convicted of killing Griffin.
Documents say Smith and another man tried to buy PCP from Hockaday, who is identified as a friend of Williams, on the day of Smith’s death. The second man was shot in the same incident, but survived.
The surviving witness told police that Hockaday walked them to the area of 21st and M street, and told them to wait while the drugs were being delivered. During this time, Hockday approached two other men by himself.
Documents say that the two men Hockaday met were Williams and Stanley Isaac Moghalu, later tied to the area with cell phone data.
The surviving witness told police he began to walk away, but Hockaday called out, “They got it now,” or words to that effect. Smith walked directly towards the three men while the surviving victim stood in the street near a vehicle, the surviving witness told police.
According to documents, the surviving witness was looking elsewhere when he heard a gunshot and saw Smith lying on the ground. Then a shooter, who the surviving victim described as having dreads, pointed a handgun at him and fired multiple times.
It remains unclear if Moghalu is the same man acquitted in the murder of Steven Curtis Moore. Both men are referred to with the nickname of “Smoke” in documents. Prosecutors argued Moore was also killed because of his ability to help police.
Documents allege that Hockaday is “complicit” in Smith’s death and “minimizing his involvement” in statements to police. According to documents, cell phone records show Hockaday had communication with Williams minutes before and after Smith’s death.
Hockaday is scheduled for a preliminary hearing October 8 before Judge Rhonda Reid Winston at 9:30 a.m.
