Homicide Watch D.C.

Families of homicide victims are invited to a remembrance event on Dec. 3, MPD says. A flier with details is below.

The family of Neil Godleski has filed a $20 million lawsuit against DYRS, the Washington Times reports.

The family of a Catholic University student who was fatally shot while bicycling through Petworth last year has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the District’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, accusing the agency of failing to supervise the 16-year-old murder suspect committed to its custody.
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From the US Attorney’s Office:

District Man Convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter, Other Charges In 2010 Slaying in Southeast Washington - Shooting Followed a Confrontation in a Parking Lot

WASHINGTON - Katrell Henry, 37, of Washington, D.C., was convicted by a jury today of charges stemming from the slaying last year of a man in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Henry was convicted of voluntary manslaughter while armed and three related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a six-day trial. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for January 5, 2012. Henry faces a maximum prison sentence of 55 years.
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With December right around the corner, we’re mapping out what stories we want to revisit with our year-end coverage.

If you have an idea for a story you’d like to see on Homicide Watch, or if there’s something you’d like to write for Homicide Watch, let us know in the comments section of this post or by emailing editor Laura Amico at HomicideWatchDC [AT] gmail.com

This survey on your use of Homicide Watch DC is part of a large international research project investigating reader participation on news sites. The study will be used to develop a greater understanding of what motivates users to participate by joining discussions on online news sites.

This is important information for the journalism industry and will help form a clearer picture of the future of journalism. So please take the time to complete the survey about participation elements on Homicide Watch DC.
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WJLA had this report yesterday on DC’s recent homicide spike.
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Spend enough time in DC’s courtrooms and you’ll hear plenty about DNA evidence. From swabs of guns, knives, forks, caps, and more to the drawing of blood or swabbing of a defendant’s cheek, it came seem as if DNA plays a role in nearly every case.

The BBC this week tackled the issue of DNA evidence in a report on upcoming changes to the national DNA index system used by the FBI.
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You visit Homicide Watch DC obviously; you’re reading this right now. You may even leave a comment or join a conversation. But why? What motivates you to participate in online news sites and Homicide Watch DC in particular?

This survey on your use of Homicide Watch DC is part of a large international research project investigating reader participation on news sites. The study will be used to develop a greater understanding of what motivates users to participate by joining discussions on online news sites.

This is important information for the journalism industry and will help form a clearer picture of the future of journalism. So please take the time to complete the survey about participation elements on Homicide Watch DC.
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The Washington Post yesterday looked at how disclosures of evidence in criminal trials are affecting their outcomes.
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Deandre Rogers and Deon T. Jenkins were each sentenced today to 32 years incarceration in connection with a 2008 homicide that killed 28-year-old William Foster.
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