Reco Pernell Coates III was sentenced to eight years in prison today for the 2007 murder of 39-year-old Anthony Collins. Coates pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with the case in November. The eight year sentence was agreed upon by both attorneys and approved by Judge William Jackson Friday.
According to plea documents in the case, on November 12, 2007, Coates, along with accomplices, knocked on Collins’ front door, pretending to want drugs.
“This was a gang of robbers teamed up to steal drugs from Mr. Collins,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton.
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Metropolitan Police are investigating the undetermined death of 37-year-old Joey Edward Belcher.
Around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, police discovered Belcher’s body on the floor inside an apartment in the 200 block of I Street Northeast. He was unconscious and not breathing.
Belcher’s remains were transported to the medical examiner’s office pending an autopsy.
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Eric Foreman was sentenced today to 42 years in prison for the shooting death of Catholic University graduate student Neil Godleski.
The sentence means Foreman, now 18, could be 60 years old before he is released. Prosecutors had asked Judge Robert Morin to consider a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, or failing that, 60 years in prison. Morin declined, saying that such a sentence would be too harsh given Foreman’s young age and bipolar disorder.
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The Metropolitan Police Department announced Wednesday the arrest of two men on charges of first-degree murder while armed for the 2007 shooting death of 27-year-old Michael Antonio Pearson.
Pearson was shot on Oct. 29, 2007, in the 2100 block of I Street Northeast. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
On Tuesday, police arrested Charles Mason and Jekwan Smith, both 21 years old, in connection with the case.
The press release from MPD follows the jump. Read more
Reco Pernell Coates III and his attorney, Thomas Dybdahl, greeted each other with smiles yesterday just before Judge William Jackson accepted Coates’ plea of guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the 2007 murder of 39-year-old Anthony Collins.
Coates, 22, was arrested in 2009 and originally pled innocent to two counts of first-degree murder, burglary while armed, robbery while armed and several weapons charges. These charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
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Police have identified the man shot and killed by a police officer today as 28-year-old Justin Lionel Turner.
According to MPD, officers were called to a home on 17th Street Northeast between Newton and Monroe Streets by Turner’s grandfather. After they arrived, Turner allegedly tried to stab an officer from behind, and the officer turned and shot him.
In an interview with WTOP, MPD Chief Cathy Lanier said the officer suffered “multiple lacerations to his head, neck and hand.” She described the injuries “not life-threatening, but pretty serious.”
The full statement from MPD is below: Read more
A Metropolitan Police Department officer shot and killed 28-year-old Justin Lionel Turner Friday morning after being stabbed, according to news reports.
Officers were reportedly called to the house on 17th Street Northeast between Newton and Monroe Streets at about 6:45 a.m. to break up a fight between Turner and his grandfather. When they arrived, Turner attacked one officer from behind and stabbed him, according to police. Read more
Antonio Fortson, Lamonte Henson, Marcellus McCray and Timothy Parker were sentenced last week to prison terms ranging from three to 19 years after being convicted in July for their involvement in multiple gang-related shootings, which took the lives of Melvin White and Antwan Buckner.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 10, 2010, Kurtis Faison shot and killed White, whom Faison believed was assisting a rival gang. Read more
After being closed Monday and only partially open Tuesday, DC Superior Court is scheduled to reopen Wednesday, according to a notice to journalists from courthouse spokeswoman Leah Gurowitz.
According to a notice posted on the courts’ website, criminal cases that were scheduled for Monday are expected to be heard Wednesday at 10 a.m. Criminal cases that were scheduled for Tuesday will be heard Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Jurors who were assigned to cases before the storm (sitting jurors) are expected to report to their assignments at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Details for other jurors are here.
The DC Superior Court will stay closed on Tuesday.
The court planned to suspend all services Monday except for arraignments, but the entire courthouse was closed instead in the face of incoming Hurricane Sandy.
The storm was predicted to make landfall Monday evening.
The ongoing weather-related closure will bump back cases that were scheduled to be heard this week.
Online filing services continue to be available, and an emergency judge is on-call, according to the court’s website.
