MPD has identified a homeless man who died after an altercation on Bladensburg Road Northeast last weekend as 57-year-old Benjamin Jennings.
Police found Jennings lying unconscious and unresponsive in the roadway, according to a statement. He died a day later at a local hospital.
Frank Lee Blanding, 20, was arrested on July 10 on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in Jennings’ death. Read more
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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David Jamal Wilson was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison for the 2013 stabbing death of Howard Venable Jr.
Wilson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in May.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Schick said that Wilson had planned the robbery and sent an earlier text to Venable discussing his financial troubles.
“This robbery was premeditated,” Schick said. “Mr. Wilson knew when Mr. Venable received his check. There were text messages of Wilson stating he needed money.” Read more
Update: The victim in this case has been identified as 57-year-old Benjamin Jennings. This post has been updated with his name.
Frank Lee Branding was released into high-intensity supervision Friday after his arrest Thursday. He is suspected of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the July 6 death of Benjamin Jennings.
Police found Jennings at around 10:06 p.m. unconscious and unresponsive, lying in the road of the 1200 block of Bladensburg Road Northeast. Jennings, identified in court documents as “John Doe,” died a day later at a local hospital, and police believe his death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head.
Charging documents say Blanding punched Jennings twice and drove away after Jennings asked him for money, called him selfish and threatened him with a butter knife.
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Joseph Chandler will not move forward with an insanity defense, his attorney told a judge in a mental observation hearing Friday.
Chandler is charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with the shooting death of Shirley Tucker. Read more
David Allen Shepherd has been found guilty of first-degree murder while armed in the 2012 shooting death of Henry Charles Miller.
Jurors delivered the guilty verdict late Friday afternoon after less than two days of deliberations.
During the five-day trial, three witnesses testified they saw 50-year-old Shepherd shoot Miller after an argument. Read more
Rasdavid Lagarde formally pleaded innocent to eight criminal charges Friday, including first-degree murder while armed, after being indicted for the shooting death of Omar Sykes. A trial is scheduled for November 10.
Sykes was shot and killed around 11:30 p.m. on July 4, 2013. He was a 22-year-old student at Howard University. Read more
Andre Burks was sentenced to 15 years Thursday for fatally shooting Antwan Boseman, and for wounding another man after Burks and Boseman got into an argument.
Burks pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed and assault with a deadly weapon on June 2.
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Jurors began deliberating Thursday in the case charging David Shepherd with the June 2012 shooting death of 32-year-old Henry Miller.
During the five-day trial, prosecutors argued that eyewitness testimony and forensic evidence showed that Shepherd “formed a plan” and had intentions to shoot Miller after an argument that started when Miller passed him to grab a cigarette.
“Three witnesses have told you they saw him walk up to Miller, put the gun to his mouth, and pull the trigger,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Worm said.
But Shepherd’s defense argued that he never meant to shoot Miller.
“Two days ago, you witnessed a 50-year-old man break down and beg you to understand what happened that night was not his fault,” Defense Attorney William Roberts told the jury. “He did not have any intentions of killing Henry Miller. What he did was necessary.”
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On the witness stand, David Shepherd sobbed and shouted, insisting he was an innocent man. That he didn’t kill 32 year-old Henry Miller. That Miller followed him and confronted him and that when Miller began to pull a gun out of his pants, he tried to stop him.
“Man, I didn’t shoot that man,” Shepherd yelled, visibly upset. “I didn’t shoot nobody.”
But prosecutors have argued for the past week that he did. They say Shepherd put a revolver into Miller’s mouth and pulled the trigger.
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