Week Ahead

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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Week in Review

In Brief:

Two people were killed in DC this week

  • Rashard Raigns, 33, was fatally shot in the 1900 block of Fenwick Street Northeast early Wednesday morning. Police released surveillance camera footage from near the scene and are seeking to identify three men seen in the images.
  • Cortez Carter, 23, of Capitol Heights, Maryland was fatally shot in Southeast DC early Friday morning.

A man fatally shot Friday May 30 in the 1200 block of North Capitol Street Northwest was identified as Donta Thrower of Northwest DC.

After nearly two-and-a-half years of being suspected in the shooting death of Junon Snead, Andrew Williams was found innocent Thursday by jurors after less than one day of deliberations. The trial began earlier this week. In closing arguments, defense attorney Kevin Irving asked jurors whether they could trust the testimony of security guards who detained a man for loitering but failed to follow up on a murder in the same night. Prosecutors had argued Snead was killed for refusing to retaliate against the guards who detained their friend that night.

Arik Sims‘ trial on charges that he shot and killed his friend, Lamar Fonville, because he believed Fonville burglarized his mother’s house began this week. Another of Sims’ friends, Geoffrey Adams, testified this week. He said that days after Sims told him he killed Fonville, he still didn’t know what to do. As a military police officer, he knew he was obligated to tell authorities, but Sims was like a brother to him, Adams said Thursday. “I was between a rock and a hard place,” said Adams on the stand.

Stephanie Lawson was sentenced to 33 months in prison for the stabbing death of her friend, Karen Jordan.

Andre Burks pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed and assault with a deadly weapon for the shooting death of Antwan Boseman and wounding another man after Burks and Boseman got into an argument.

Antonio Shaw pleaded innocent to charges of second-degree murder while armed and carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or place of business in connection to the 2013 stabbing death of Ernest Heart.

Lillian Alvarado was found competent to stand trial for the death of her newborn son, according a May 29 report from the the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health.

Week Ahead

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.
Read more

SE DC Shooting Victim Identified as Cortez Carter, 23

A man fatally shot in Southeast DC early Friday morning has been identified as 23-year-old Cortez Carter of Capitol Heights, Maryland.

A press release from MPD is below.

June 7, 2014 Decedent Identified in Homicide:3100 Block of Buena Vista Terrace, Southeast

(Washington, DC) – Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are investigating a homicide which occurred in the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace, Southeast.
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Weekend Read: DC’s Current and Past Leadership on Crime

WTOP this week looked at DC’s murder rate this year and spoke with Police Chief Cathy Lanier, former police chief Charles Ramsey, former Mayor Anthony Williams and others about violent crime.

Writes WTOP:

Lately, homicides have been fluctuating once again — they are on an upswing.

Metropolitan Police Department figures indicate there have been far more murders in the city this year than at the same time last year.
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Antonio Shaw Pleads Innocent in Stabbing Death of Ernest Heart

Antonio Shaw pleaded innocent Friday to charges of second-degree murder while armed and carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or place of business in connection to the 2013 stabbing death of Ernest Heart.

Hart was found by police on June 19, 2013 at approximately 9:30 p.m. in the 4600 block of Hillside Road Southeast suffering from a stab wound to the neck; he later died at the hospital.

According to police, 17-year-old Hart and 25-year-old Shaw were friends, and the stabbing stemmed from an argument over some chicken at a cookout.
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Sims’ Childhood Friend Takes the Stand: “Arik told me that he did it.”

Days after his good friend Arik Sims told him he killed Lamar Fonville, Geoffrey Adams still didn’t know what to do. As a military police officer, he knew he was obligated to tell authorities, but Sims was like a brother to him, Adams said Thursday.

“I was between a rock and a hard place,” said Adams on the stand.

Sims is charged with first-degree murder and three related weapon charges in connection to the Sept. 2012 shooting death of 29-year-old Fonville.
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Police Release Video from Street Near Where Rashard Raigns Killed

MPD is hoping to identify three men seen in surveillance camera footage from cameras near where Rashard Raigns was shot and killed Wednesday in Northeast DC.

A press release from MPD is after the jump.
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Overnight Shooting Kills Man in Buena Vista Terrace SE

A man shot shortly after midnight Friday morning in the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace Southeast has died of his injuries, police say.

The man has not yet been identified.
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Andrew Williams Found Innocent for Shooting Death of Junon Snead

After nearly two-and-a-half years of being suspected in the shooting death of Junon Snead, Andrew Williams was found innocent Thursday by jurors after less than one day of deliberations.

Williams was acquitted of charges of first-degree murder while armed, and the lesser-included charge of second-degree murder while armed. He was found guilty of two weapons charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm, and Williams will remain held until his sentencing date in August for those charges.

What else could we ask for but the truth,” said Williams’ older brother, Ali Moore, after the verdict was read, “They have it on tape, he wasn’t the shooter.”
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