In brief:
Two homicides were reported this week in D.C.:
- Dondre Keenen Dyer, 23, died in a shooting near the 3600 block of Warder Street Northwest, close to Park View Elementary School.
- Former Press Secretary James Brady, 73, who was wounded in the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981, died Monday. A medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, caused by the wound sustained in that shooting 33 years ago.
A judge found probable cause Monday that Malik Bilal stabbed Alonzo Beasley to death on July 6 after Beasley got too close to Bilal’s truck.
Floyd Neal and Lafeyette Robinson pleaded guilty to armed robbery Tuesday, in a case stemming from the shooting death of Akinwole Olu Williams. Both had been charged first-degree murder and were scheduled for trial next week. Those murder charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, a prosecutor argued that Allen Thomas “willingly” returned to a confrontation that left Elike Rahmon Richardson dead, contesting his attorney’s claim that the stabbing was an act of self-defense.
Johnathan Dawkins was sentenced to nine years in prison and five years supervised release Friday for the stabbing death of Dwayne Brisbon. A jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter while armed in May.
A judge found substantial probability Friday that Zerrick Brown and Earl Patrick committed a robbery that led to the death of 60-year-old Carlton Coltrane. The men are each suspected of first-degree felony murder.
Jurors began deliberating the case of Raymond Faunteroy, charged with charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting death of Derrick Ragland. Prosecutors argued that the testimony of multiple eyewitnesses proves that Faunteroy killed Ragland, but defense attorneys say those accounts lack credibility.
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 [at] gmail.com. To see scheduled court hearings beyond next week, see our calendar.
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A shooting in the 3600 Block of Warder Street Northwest killed 23-year-old Dondre Keenen Dyer late Friday night, according to MPD.
Police officers responding to the sound of gunshots at approximately 10:52 p.m. found Dyer suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at the intersection of Warder Street and Quebec Place Northwest. Jacobs was then transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A press release from MPD is after the jump.
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As the trial of Raymond Faunteroy came to a close Friday, prosecutors argued that the testimony of multiple eyewitnesses proves that Faunteroy shot and killed Derrick Ragland in an alley on Dec. 19, 2011. Even if some of those witnesses’ statements seem questionable.
“I didn’t choose the witnesses,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirshner said during closing arguments, “but Faunteroy did when he shot Ragland.”
Faunteroy is charged with first-degree murder while armed and two weapons charges in connection with Ragland’s death. Prosecutors say that Faunteroy wanted revenge for being robbed by Ragland, so he waited with a pistol for Ragland and his friends, then shot Ragland seven times.
But Billy Ponds, Faunteroy’s defense attorney, said many of the witnesses who implicate his client lack credibility, and jurors should disregard each of their testimonies.
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James Brady, 73, died Monday as a result of a gunshot wound sustained during the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan,
MPD announced Friday.
An autopsy determined the cause of death to be “a gunshot wound and consequences thereof,” and the manner of death was ruled a homicide, according to the press release.
After his injuries in 1981, Brady became an advocate for handgun control. In 1993, The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was passed, instituting new federal regulations on firearm purchasers. Read more
A judge found substantial probability Friday that Zerrick Brown and Earl Patrick committed a robbery that led to the death of 60-year-old Carlton Coltrane. The men are each suspected of first-degree felony murder.
Coltrane died on May 9, three days after he was dragged out of a 7-Eleven on 8th Street Southeast and beaten after buying groceries.
One witness inside the 7-Eleven at the time later told police that a man with a white kufi grabbed Coltrane’s wallet and “wrestled” Coltrane out of the store while a second man was “standing and watching as if being a lookout or protector,” according to Brown’s charging documents. Read more
A judge sentenced Johnathan Dawkins to nine years in prison and five years supervised release Friday for the stabbing death of Dwayne Brisbon.
Three members of Brisbon’s family told the court how Brisbon’s death impacted them, especially the effect it had on his son.
“Sure judge, he can get another man in his life,” Brisbon’s mother told Judge Russell Canan, “but it won’t be his daddy.” Read more
This Comment of the Day comes from cherise, who wrote about Akinwole Olu Williams, who died after being shot on his way home from a job fair on March 14, 2013.
He’s my cousin and im beyond disappointed this is not fair. No olu wasnt perfect but he was someone to look up too. Him being taken away from us like that was crazy it hurts to know that these little boy will one day walk the streets again. God dont like ugly and i hope they was taught that. I have 2 boys myself and i dont want the street life for them. Rip cousin never forgotten love u…….
A prosecutor argued Wednesday that Allen Thomas “willingly” returned to a confrontation that left Elike Rahmon Richardson dead, contesting his attorney’s claim that the stabbing was an act of self-defense.
Judge Milton C. Lee found probable cause Wednesday to continue holding Thomas in connection with Richardson’s death. Read more
Floyd Neal and Lafeyette Robinson pleaded guilty to armed robbery Tuesday, in a case stemming from the shooting death of Akinwole Olu Williams.
Both had been charged first-degree murder and were scheduled for trial next week. Those murder charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
Ten days earlier, Neal and Robinson both rejected a similar plea, though Neal told a judge that he had not had enough time to consider the deal at the time.
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