On July 20, 2013, Kevin Walker shot siblings Jamie Jenkins and Jamal Jenkins over an argument between his girlfriend and Jamie, “a fight he wasn’t even part of,” Assitant U.S. Attorney Demian Ahn argued as Walker’s trial opened Tuesday.
“The last thing [Jamie] ever did on this earth was to take a bullet for Jamal,” Ahn said.
Then “without any warning to his family, no prospects for a job, without even his ID,” the prosecutor continued, Walker fled to North Carolina.
“He gave up on the life he had,” Ahn told the jury.
The defense tells a different story. According to the Galit Lipa, Walker’s attorney, the police investigation was “sloppy and ineffective.”
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A judge found Joshua Mebane competent to stand trial Monday in a mental observation hearing.
Mebane, who announced plans pursue an insanity defense in February, will continue with that defense.
The 17-year-old is charged with first-degree murder while armed for killing a D.C. taxi driver. Read more
An argument over girlfriends and shared living space led Andre Miles to shoot Sandy Green III in April 2012, a prosecutor argued as Miles’ murder trial opened.
Green, who was known as Buddy, had a son with his girlfriend, April Porter. The two were living together when Green died. A few weeks before the shooting, Miles started to get involved with Porter’s younger sister, Hellena Best, according to the prosecution.
“Green found out about it and was getting tired of [Miles] hanging out at April’s place,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Leibman said in opening statements Monday. The two argued over the issue prior to the murder.
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Judge Lynn Leibovitz found probable cause Monday to hold 17-year-old Ahmal McGainey on second-degree murder while armed for the October 1 murder of Johnie Lee Resper.
Police found Resper, 18, suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest and a head injury in the 200 block of Adams Street Northeast.
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Judge Lynn Leibovitz ordered Gregory Smithwick‘s release to high intensity supervision on Monday while he awaits an indictment.
Smithwick and co-defendant Dominique Holmes were arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and armed carjacking for the murder of 29-year-old Ricky Kelly.
At Smithwick’s presentment, the judge did not find probable cause for the second-degree murder charge and ordered him held solely on armed carjacking.
Smithwick is scheduled for a felony status conference on December 12 before Judge Lynn Leibovitz. The mens’ trial is expected to begin early January.
In brief:
One homicide was reported this week:
A judge ordered Burnis Cole released on high intensity supervision Tuesday after a bond review hearing. Cole is charged with first-degree murder while armed and related weapons offenses for the January 2013 death of Raasheem Jamal Rich. Cole’s trial is expected to begin January 2015.
Jarod Yorkshire, 21, was arrested for the 2011 murder of Derrick Ragland.
Kevin Charles was sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday for the death of Steven Curtis Moore on December 3, 2011.
Kevin McDarin Johnson pleaded innocent Thursday to first-degree premeditated murder while armed in the choking death of Detra Martin on February 20.
Vernon Hendrick, 25, was arrested Friday for the September 11 shooting that killed Titus Jackson.
A judge found enough circumstantial evidence to hold Tyrron Sweeney for the murders of Ervin Ingraham and Ronnetta Hurley-Brown. “This web of circumstantial evidence more than supports probable cause that Mr. Sweeney committed the murder of two victims,” Judge Johnson said in court. “Nothing standing alone would compel that finding: it’s all of it together.”
Francis Lyles is competent to stand trial following a 24-hour forensic examination, but Judge Jennifer Anderson ordered Lyles to undergo additional treatment at a D.C. jail. “I can’t send you to St. Elizabeths Hospital because the jail found you competent, but you should seek follow up treatment,” Judge Anderson said in court Friday.
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 chris@homicidewatch.org. To see scheduled court hearings beyond next week, see our calendar.
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Francis Lyles is competent to stand trial following a 24-hour forensic examination, but Judge Jennifer Anderson ordered Lyles to undergo additional treatment at a D.C. jail.
“I can’t send you to St. Elizabeths Hospital because the jail found you competent, but you should seek follow up treatment,” Judge Anderson said in court Friday.
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A judge found probable cause in the case against Tyrron Sweeney for the murders of Ervin Ingraham and Ronnetta Hurley-Brown Friday.
A caretaker discovered the bodies of Ingraham and Hurley-Brown in their apartment in the 1600 block of 17th Street, Southeast on January 30. Their 1-year-old and 2-year-old children were also in the apartment, safe and unharmed. Police estimate time of death more than 12 hours earlier, according to charging documents.
“There is a lot of information provided by a lot of witnesses, but none of it is enough,” argued Dana Page, Sweeney’s defense attorney. Read more
A 25 year-old D.C. man was arrested Friday for the September 11 shooting that killed Titus Jackson, MPD announced Friday.
Police say Vernon Hedrick is suspected of first-degree murder while armed.
Jackson, 26, was discovered by police after officers responded to a call for the sounds of gunshots in the 5200 block of Clay Street Northeast.
A copy of the police press release is after the jump:
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