Homicide Watch D.C.

Instead of beginning their scheduled trial Monday, Anthony Hatton, Johnnie Harris and Jekwan Smith each pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with the 2011 shooting deaths of Tyrell Fogle and Isaiah Sheffield.

• Hatton pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed in connection with the murder of Fogle, for a 15-year prison sentence.
• Harris pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in connection with the murder of Sheffield, carrying a sentence of 10 years.
• Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter while armed; one count for Sheffield’s murder and another for the 2007 murder of Michael Pearson. He’ll likely be sentenced to 17 and a half years.

Read more

An overnight shooting in Northeast D.C. killed 22-year-old Anthony Miller Jr, MPD reported Sunday.

Police found Miller in the 3100 block of Newton Street Northeast, near the Maryland border, at midnight Sunday after responding to a report of a shooting.

MPD’s full press release is below: Read more

In brief:

One homicide was reported this week in D.C.:

• Willard Carlos Shelton was found Sunday with gunshot wounds in the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road Southeast. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Charles Young was indicted Tuesday for second-degree murder while armed and four related weapons charges in connection to the shooting death of 21-year-old Rokeida Spriggs. Spriggs was found suffering from a gunshot in the 4900 Block of G Street Southeast in November 2013.

James Cornelius Robinson pleaded innocent Wednesday to premeditated first-degree murder while armed and three related weapons in connection with August 2013 shooting death of 30-year-old Jason Alexander Murphy.

A judge delayed the sentencing of Kevin Charles after the judge expressed doubt that Charles believed he was guilty. In June 2013, Charles pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed and conspiracy to commit a crime of violence in connection with the death of Steven Curtis Moore.

James Young, 21, and Tyrone Height, 22, were arrested and held in connection with the August 31 shooting death of Willard Carlos Shelton. Charging documents say that on the night of the shooting, a witness saw Height and Young standing with handguns, “shooting multiple times” at Shelton in a parking lot at the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road Southeast.

Judge Russell Canan sentenced Michael Poth, a former Marine, to 11 years and three months in prison for the fatal stabbing of Philip Bushong, a fellow Marine. Poth was convicted of voluntary manslaughter while armed in December 2013.

A judge sentenced Leon Smith to 24 years in prison for the stabbing death of Stephen Manuel Pool. In May, Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in connection with the stabbing death of 45-year-old Pool.

James Walter Yates III was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the shooting death of Andre Pierce Joyner. Yates pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed in connection with his death.

A judge found probable cause Friday to continue holding Jeffrey Neal in connection with the beating death of Leon Young. At the hearing, a detective testified that a medical examiner in the case said Young was struck 28 times, including several times after a plastic bag was tied over Young’s head.

Each week, Homicide Watch brings you a list of upcoming hearings in the cases we follow. All hearings are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. unless otherwise noted. To add an item to the listing, email homicidewatchdc@gmail.com. To see scheduled court hearings beyond next week, see our calendar.
Read more

Judge John Ramsey Johnson found “ample” probable cause Friday against Jeffrey Neal in connection with the beating death of Leon Young.

Police found Young on June 12, five days after Neal said that he hit Young twice on the head with a hammer and killed him. Read more

“Five days earlier you were the victim,” Judge Russell Canan told James Walter Yates III before his sentencing. “But you provoked all of this.”

Yates, 29, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed in June for the April shooting death of Andre Pierce Joyner. On Friday, Judge Canan sentenced Yates 15 years in prison for the charge.

History between the two men could not hide the “cold facts” that Yates sought out revenge against Joyner, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Kravis argued Friday.
Read more

Before Leon Smith was sentenced in the fatal stabbing of Stephan Pool, Pool’s youngest sister Julissa Valdez addressed him.

“My brother served you to protect you,” Valdez said, referencing his military service. “How could you get anything other than life in prison?”

In May, Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in connection with the stabbing death of 45-year-old Pool. On Friday, Judge John Ramsey Johnson sentenced him to 20 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge and four years for the obstruction of justice charge, a total of 24 years.

Read more

A judge sentenced former Marine Michael Poth to 11 years and three months in prison for the fatal stabbing of Philip Bushong, a fellow Marine.

“The defendant threatened Mr. Bushong minutes before the incident and evidence showed he went back to provoke him,” Judge Russell Canan said before delivering the sentence.

Poth was convicted of voluntary manslaughter while armed in December 2013. Read more

Judge William Nooter ordered Tyrone Height and James Young held Thursday on suspicion of first-degree felony murder while armed for the shooting death of Willard Carlos Shelton.

Police found Shelton with gunshot wounds after responding to a report of a shooting in the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road Southeast early on August 31. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Three days later, Height and Young were arrested on suspicion of felony murder while armed.

Charging documents say that on the night of the shooting, a witness saw Height and Young standing with handguns, “shooting multiple times” at Shelton in a parking lot at the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road Southeast. Read more

UPDATE 8:30 p.m.
Court documents identify one of the suspects as Tyrone Height. MPD originally reported his name as Michael Hight, an alias.

***

James Young, 21, and Tyrone Height, 22, have been arrested in connection with the August 31 shooting death of Willard Carlos Shelton, MPD announced Thursday.

The men are both expected to be charged with felony murder while armed, police said.

Shelton was found shot in the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road Southeast at approximately 7:04 a.m. Sunday, according to MPD. He was pronounced dead a local hospital.

A press release from MPD is after the jump.
Read more