Homicide Watch D.C.

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 26-year-old D.C. man was arrested Friday in connection with the shooting death of Andre McIntyre earlier this month.

The man, identified by police as Antonio Williams, is suspected of second-degree murder.

McIntyre was found unconscious on March 1, suffering from apparent head trauma in the 300 block of Ridge Road, Southeast. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

A press release from MPD is below.
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Judge Rhonda Winston ruled Friday that there is probable cause in the case against Andre Burks, held in connection with the shooting death of Antwan Boseman; Burks is suspected of second-degree murder in the case.

Boseman was one of two men found by police shot at the 800 block of Barnaby Street Southeast at around 2 A.M. on August 4, 2012. Both were transported to the hospital. Boseman died and the other man survived.

At a preliminary hearing Friday, MPD Detective Gabriel Truby testified that the shooting stemmed from two fights earlier on August 3, each becoming more violent than the last.
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During a preliminary hearing Thursday, Judge Jennifer Anderson found probable cause to hold David Washington on suspicion of first-degree murder while armed in connection to the shooting death of 18-year-old Deangelo Gatling.

On Jan. 12, 2014 Gatling was found by police at the 2300 block of 24th Street Southeast suffering from a gunshot wound to the back that perforated his left lung. He was transported to Howard University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:35 p.m. that day.

Washington was arrested four weeks later. Charging documents say that six witnesses, video evidence, and a blue Grand Marquis, which belongs to Washington’s brother, connect him to the shooting.
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The search for missing DC eight-year-old Relisha Rudd continues Friday, with more than 100 experts searching the more than 700-acre park Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

Rudd hasn’t been seen since on March 1.

On Friday Lanier said experts will continue to search the park through the weekend. MPD may ask community groups to help with searching the park early next week.

Lanier said investigators continue to pursue other leads in the case, too.
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Deon Thomas was released from jail Monday after prosecutors dismissed a charge of second-degree murder while armed in connection to the Dec. 8, 2013 stabbing death of John Thomas Tillman.

“The case was dismissed without prejudice because there was insufficient evidence to go forward at this time. The investigation is continuing,” explained spokesperson William Miller via email on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

On Dec. 8, 2013, police found 63-year-old Tillman with a stab wound to his right neck at the intersection of North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue Northwest. Tillman was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Thomas, 37, was arrested less than 24 hours after Tillman’s death and held without bond. He is believed to be homeless and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
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When 22-year-old Daren Vaughn stabbed his best friend and neighbor Tyrell Swann on Sept. 27 2012 in the chest, piercing his heart, it was self-defense and not in cold blood, his defense attorneys say.

Whether or not that’s true will soon be up to jurors; the trial began Thursday with opening statements from both sides. Prosecutors asked the jury to find Vaughn guilty of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, felony murder and other related weapon and assault charges, stating that the evidence in the trial will prove these charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
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MPD Chief Cathy Lanier spoke with reporters outside the Kennilworth Aquatic Gardens Thursday afternoon, where police were searching for signs of missing eight-year-old Relisha Tenau Rudd.

Lanier was fearful that the child may be dead.

“While this current operation in the Aquatic Gardens is best described as a recovery mission, we have not given up that we may still find Relisha alive,” she said.

Lanier said Rudd was last seen on March 1. She was with Kahlil Tatum with her mother’s permission. Tatum was seen several times after March 1, but has not been seen since March 20, when his wife was found killed in Prince George’s County. A warrant for first-degree murder has been issued for Tatum in connection with his wife’s death.

Lanier said police are pursuing many leads, among them the search of the Kennilworth Aquatic Park. Lanier said Tatum was seen in the area of the park on March 2, the same day he bought black 42-gallon contractors’ trash bags.

Earlier this week, the FBI released a video of Tatum with Rudd and asked the public’s help in locating the two.

Reports WJLA:

At D.C. General Wednesday, teams of police cadets searched the grounds and eventually inside the homeless shelter where Relisha Rudd lived with her family. Rudd was last seen on Feb. 26 and is believed to be with Khalil Tatum.

“They’re doing a door-to-door canvas to try to see if they can locate any witnesses that we have not yet interviewed,” says Cmrd. Danny Hickson of the Metropolitan Police Department Youth Investigation Division.

Reports Fox5:

On Wednesday, D.C. officials announced that Tatum had posed as Relisha’s doctor, taking calls from her elementary school teacher and telling them the little girl was sick. Officials familiar with the investigation say Rudd’s mother, grandmother and Tatum were all working together in an effort to fool teachers and administrators at Payne Elementary School into believing the 8-year-old was not coming to school because she was sick.

“He basically assured the school the child had been ill and gave some detailed information around that,” said Bebe Otero, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services.

On Wednesday, a little more than a year after 22-year-old Tyrone Joyner was shot and killed near Nationals Park, his accused assailant stood for the first time before a jury.

The suspect, Donte Graves is accused of second-degree murder. Prosecutors say they will present jurors with eyewitness testimony of the shooting. But Grave’s defense attorney warns those accounts are biased and can’t be trusted.

Joyner was found around 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24 in the 1400 block of Canal Street Southwest suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach; he later died at Howard University Hospital.

Graves was arraigned in August of last year on a charge of second-degree murder. He pleaded innocent.
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Jibril Abdul-Muwwakil, a 24-year-old DC man with a history of mental illness, was ordered held on suspicion of second-degree murder Wednesday.

He is suspected in connection with the stabbing death of 17-year-old Jonathon Adams.

At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Judge Jennifer Anderson ruled Abdul-Muwwakil was a danger to the community based on his criminal history and mental health status. Prosecutors told the judge that at the time of the murder, Abdul-Muwwakil was on release for a simple assault charge and was supposed to be seeking mental health treatment. Prosecutors said Abdul-Muwwakil was found using K2, a synthetic form of cannabis, and failed several drug tests.

Arrest documents indicate that witnesses told police that Abdul-Muwwakil is schizophrenic and bipolar, but also allege that Adams may have gone after Abdul-Muwwakil. Detectives say Adams told a witness that he didn’t care if Muwwakil was “retarded,” he was going to “get him” again.
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