In brief:
Two homicides were reported this week in D.C.:
- Delonta Lavale Martin, 22, was killed late Sunday evening in a shooting in the 4700 block of Minnesota Avenue Northeast. Police are looking for a black male with medium complexion, weighing 180-190 pounds, in connection with Martin’s death.
- A shooting in the 200 block of Savannah Street Southeast killed 25-year-old Anthony Williams early Saturday morning.
Police arrested Michael Gayle in Charlotte, North Carolina, in connection with the stabbing death of 31-year-old Eboni Domally. On July 2, MPD announced Gayle was considered a suspect in Domally’s death and asked for the public’s help to find him.
MPD has released a footage of a person of interest in the investigation of shooting death of Gold Corner Market owner James Oh. Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a man seen by the store’s surveillance camera approximately two hours before the shooting.
Jurors began deliberating the case against Bernard Fleming and Joseph Peoples for the shooting death of Michael Jones. Before deliberations began, prosecutors dropped first-degree murder charges against the men.
Prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges against DeAndre Shaheed in exchange for his guilty plea to second-degree murder while armed in connection with the shooting death of Akinwole Olu Williams. Under the agreement, Shaheed is expected to be sentenced to 12 to 24 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge.
Shaheed’s former codefendants Floyd Neal and Lafeyette Robinson rejected plea offers Friday in connection with the shooting death of Akinwole Olu Williams. Prosecutors would have dropped Neal’s eleven charges and Robinson’s eight charges in exchange for Robinson’s guilty plea to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and Neal’s guilty plea to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of a rifle.
Lillian Alvarado was again found competent to stand trial in connection with the death of her infant son. She will remain held at St. Elizabeths hospital until her next hearing on September 26.
The case against Robert Crowder was dismissed Friday when Judge Rhonda Winston granted prosecutors’ request to dismiss his charge. He had been held for more than nine months on suspicion of first-degree felony murder in connection with the stabbing death of 19-year-old Kelvin Jamal Willis.
Judge John Ramsey Johnson found probable cause Friday in the case against Lawrence Wilkerson in connection with the shooting death of Rhett Gelb. Police arrested Wilkerson after a witness who has since pleaded guilty in connection with Gelb’s death identified Wilkerson as the shooter.
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 200 block of Savannah Street Southeast killed 25-year-old Anthony Williams early Saturday morning, according to MPD.
Police officers responding to a call for a shooting at approximately 12:14 a.m. found Williams suffering from multiple gunshot wounds with no signs consistent with life.
A press release from MPD is after the jump.
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A judge found probable cause Friday in the case against Lawrence Wilkerson in connection with the shooting death of Rhett Gelb.
On May 27, 2013, Gelb was found at the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and Hamilton Street Northwest next to a Cadillac Escalade. He died later at a local hospital.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Nielsen argued that Wilkerson’s actions were premeditated and he intentionally sold fake drugs to Gelb before killing him.
“Wilkerson concocted this ruse of a drug deal, brought a gun, and created a way to get into Gelb’s vehicle to pull the trigger,” Nielsen said.
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Floyd Neal and Lafeyette Robinson both rejected plea offers Friday in connection with the shooting death of 31-year-old Akinwole Olu Williams, continuing to progress to their August trial date.
Prosecutors offered to drop all other charges in exchange for Robinson’s guilty plea to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and Neal’s guilty plea to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of a rifle, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Bradford said Friday.
The deal required that both men plead guilty or neither would receive the deal. Read more
Robert Crowder was released from jail Friday when Judge Rhonda Winston granted prosecutors’ request to dismiss his case without prejudice. He had been held for more than nine months on suspicion of first-degree felony murder in connection with the stabbing death of 19-year-old Kelvin Jamal Willis.
In April, Crowder’s two codefendants were released after prosecutors dismissed charges against them.
Spokesperson William Miller explained via email that the U.S. Attorney’s Office decided not to go forward with the case, pending further investigation.
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For a second time, Lillian Alvarado was found competent to stand trial in connection with the death of her infant son.
Alvarado, 21, is suspected of first-degree murder and one count of cruelty to children for the death of her son, who was never named. On November 28, 2013, police found the newborn floating in a bathroom tub filled with water in a Northwest D.C. apartment. Read more
During a six-day trial, prosecutors argued that Bernard Fleming and Joseph Peoples killed Michael Jones in an “ambush” that also wounded Jones’ brother Maurice. But defense attorneys say there was no an ambush, and Fleming’s attorney argued that there was no evidence to show a gun in Fleming’s hand.
Now it’s up to jurors to decide which version to believe.
Jones was killed two years ago on July 7, 2012, in the 1700 block of 7th Street Northwest. Fleming and Peoples are each charged with second-degree murder while armed, as well as tampering with physical evidence and eight related weapons charges in connection with his death.
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A man suspected of killing 31-year-old Eboni Domally was arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to WCNC, a local NBC station.
Michael Gayle was arrested by U.S. marshals and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police at his home in Charlotte. He was booked into Mecklenburg County Jail, the station reported.
Domally was found stabbed to death in the 5200 block of Queens Stroll Place Southeast on June 29. Police announced they were looking for Gayle and named him as a suspect on July 2.
DeAndre Shaheed pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder while armed for his role in the shooting death of Akinwole Williams.
In exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss the more serious charge of first-degree murder, conspiracy, attempted armed robbery and five other related charges. As part of the plea agreement, Shaheed will likely be sentenced to 12 to 24 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge.
The plea comes almost three weeks before Shaheed and his co-defendants Floyd Neal and Lafeyette Robinson were scheduled to stand trial in the case. In court Tuesday, prosecutors did not indicate whether Shaheed will be required to testify against the other men.
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