Aneka Nelson | Homicide Watch DC

Beating Death of Latisha Frazier was 'Like a Peer Pressure Thing,' Witness Testifies

Penny Ray — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:06:17 -0400

What can be described as the final chapter in the story of Latisha Frazier's death began Tuesday morning with the start of defendant Johnnie Sweet's murder trial.

Sweet, 19, is charged with taking part in Frazier's death- a killing that, as one teen described at trial Tuesday, was fueled by peer pressure. Six young people are belived to have taken part, but Sweet is the only one as yet to have his culpability weighed by a jury. Four young people have pleaded guilty to charges connected with the case, including murder and kidnapping. Charges for a fifth are listed in court records as "pending grand jury."

Prosecutors believe the trial will last longer than a week, and will include details of how Sweet and his accomplices beat, taped, gagged and choked eighteen-year-old Frazier until she died in a closet on Aug. 2, 2010. The trial will not include any evidence from medical examiners or the autopsy reports common to most murder trials; Frazier's body was never found.

It was Sweet's house, prosecutors argued Tuesday that Frazier disappeared from.

At that time, Sweet's mother was hospitalized and he used the house as a "party house," prosecutor Chris Kavanaugh told jurors in opening statements. He said Sweet's friends would often visit for "sex, drinking and video games."

Lanee Bell, who pleaded guilty to kidnapping in connection with the case, testified Tuesday that around 3 p.m. on the day of Frazier's beating Sweet knocked on her front door and told her to come over to his house where “everyone was chillin' and listening to music.”

On the stand, Bell said that she waited about 15 minutes before going over to Sweet's house, and when she got there the other co-defendants were all waiting in a back bedroom.

Bell said that after a few minutes in the bedroom Sweet told her that he wanted her to beat up a girl who had stolen a “stack” of money from him. Bell testified that she didn't take Sweet's request seriously at first, and he never told her the name of the alleged thief.

A few minutes later Sweet went to the front door and returned to the bedroom with his arm around Frazier's neck as if they were friends, Bell said. Still dressed in her McDonald's uniform, Frazier sat in a chair and then Sweet closed the bedroom door and said, “Ain't nobody about to leave.”

Aneka Nelson then threw the first punch, Bell told the court.

Bell said that Frazier looked surprised and asked, “What is going on?”

No one answered; Nelson just kept punching. Then, Proctor joined the beating.

Nelson and Proctor continued throwing punches, while Frazier stood in the corner covering her face with her arms, Bell said. Then Sweet urged Bell to join in.

“I didn't know this was going to happen,” Bell testified. “It was like a peer pressure thing.”

Bell said that after a few minutes of punching Frazier she pushed the other two women away and told them to stop because Frazier had done nothing to them and she was not defending herself. Bell testified that Sweet then hit Frazier “too many times to count.”

“He beat her to the floor and then started stomping on her as if he was crushing a soda can,” Bell testified.

A few minutes later Gaither said, “It's my turn,” and he too began stomping on Frazier, Bell said.

Bell said that Sweet then went to the bathroom and retrieved a set of brass knuckles with an extended knife and said, “I'ma kill this b—.”

As Bell was leaving the house, she heard Sweet say, “I need something to tie this b— up with," she said.

Later that evening, Bell briefly went back to Sweet's home but she didn't ask what happened to Frazier.

"I didn't want to know,” she told jurors.

Sweet is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, kidnapping and evidence tampering in connection with Frazier's death; he was arrested Feb. 1, 2011.

Sweet's defense attorney, James Rudasill Jr., argued that although the beating took place in Sweet's home, and it was Sweet's money that she allegedly stole, Sweet was not the ring-leader of the attack against Frazier.

The trial is scheduled to resume Wednesday morning in Judge Russell Canan's courtroom.

Only Two Defendants Remain in Latisha Frazier Murder Case

Laura Amico — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:36:55 -0400

Of the six people arrested on suspicion of killing D.C. teenager Latisha Frazier, the US Attorney's Office has only two open cases against those suspects remaining.

That news follows on the heels of a guilty plea made by one of those co-defendants Friday.

In a three week period last winter, Brian Gaither, Johnnie Sweet, Aneka Nelson, Cinthya Proctor, Laurence Hassan, and Lanee Bell were arrested in connection with Frazier's disappearance.

Only two defendants, Gaither and Sweet, remain, a source told Homicide Watch Saturday.

So what's happened to the other four defendants?

Hassan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Friday. Proctor entered a guilty plea in July. Both are awaiting sentencing and face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Bell, though MPD announced that she was arrested on suspicion of felony murder, has not been charged with murder. Court records indicate that she was charged with kidnapping in January and pleaded innocent. They also show that she is next due in court Nov. 18.

Nelson, according to public records, is in custody and awaiting an indictment from the Grand Jury. Court records show that a status hearing on Nov. 18 was set in July for her case. No further entries have been made on her docket.

Said US Attorney's Office Spokesman William Miller, "Only two pleas are public - Proctor and Hassan. We can't comment beyond that."

Authorities believe Frazier was the victim of a brutal attack by six people. According to court documents, the 18-year-old was beaten, stomped, bound, taped, gagged, prodded and choked. Her head was covered with a sheet. Tossed into a closet, she finally died. Her body was thrown into a dumpster and hasn't been found, though it's believed to be in a landfill. MPD Police Chief Cathy Lanier said a search of the landfill would be too costly and likely dangerous.

Plea documents in Proctor's and Hassan's cases state that the group of young people was upset because they believed Frazier had stolen $900 from one of them.

Guilty Plea to Second Degree Murder in Latisha Frazier Death

Laura Amico — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:50:27 -0400

Nineteen-year-old Cinthya Proctor pleaded guilty this morning to participating in the killing of Latisha Frazier last August.

According to the details of the plea agreement, Proctor could be sentenced to life in prison.

Proctor is, at this time, the only defendant to plead guilty to the crime. Anneka Nelson, Johnnie Sweet, Brian Gaither and Laurence Hassan have also been arrested in connection with the case. Their cases are pending indictment at this time.

Appearing in court Friday morning, Proctor pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to tamper with evidence in the case.

According to government prosecutors, Proctor proffered that she joined others in beating Frazier because they believed Frazier had stolen $900 from Sweet.

Frazier, an 18-year-old mother, was beaten, stomped, bound, taped, gagged, prodded and choked, according to the government's evidence. Her head was covered with a sheet. She was tossed into a closet. When she finally died, her body was moved from room to room while her killers discussed how to dispose of her. They decided to dismember her, but her killers could not bring themselves to complete the job because of the stench of her flesh, or, as prosecutors said Friday, their knife was not sharp enough.

Proctor answered each of Judge William Jackson's questions with "yes your honor" or "no your honor," and hung her head while prosecutors outlined the case they would have made against her if the case had gone to trial.

Judge Jackson said the maximum penalty for second-degree murder is life in prison.

According to the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed not to indict Proctor on any further charges relating to the case, to waive all enhancements, that the District of Columbia Sentencing Commission’s Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines will be used, and that the government will not oppose concurrent sentences for the three charges.

The maximum penalty for second-degree murder is life in prison, Judge Jackson said, adding that the maximum penalties for kidnapping and conspiracy were 30 years and 3 years, respectively.

Proctor was 18-years-old and had just started college when she was arrested. Her attorney added that she was six months pregnant when the crime occurred.

A press release from the USAO is below.

District Woman Pleads Guilty to Murder, Other Charges In Killing of 19-Year-Old Latisha Frazier- Defendant Later Joined in Plot to Dispose of the Victim’s Body -

WASHINGTON - Cinthya Proctor, 18, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to second degree murder and other charges in the killing of another teenager last year, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Proctor pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of second degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit evidence tampering. She is to be sentenced November 4, 2011 by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Proctor faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

According to a statement of facts signed by the defendant and submitted to the Court, Proctor was among a group of people who took part in the August 2010 murder of Latisha Frazier, 19.

On August 1, 2010, Proctor and others decided that they would invite Ms. Frazier to an apartment in the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE to “teach her a lesson” because they suspected she had stolen $900 from one of them. During a discussion, they developed a plan that called for Proctor to join in beating the victim in a back bedroom.

The next day, the group gathered at the residence to carry out the plan. Ms. Frazier, as planned, was invited to the residence and went to the back bedroom. There Proctor and two other women hit her with their fists. Ms. Frazier cried for them to stop, and they ultimately did. However, two men who were part of the group then stepped in and punched and kicked the victim. Afterward, the group decided to bind Ms. Frazier with tape and put her in a closet. At that time, Ms. Frazier was still alive, and crying. Later that day, however, someone checked on her and reported to the group that the victim was dead.

Upon learning that Ms. Frazier had died, Proctor took part in a discussion about what to do with her body. The initial plan to was dismember the body, put it in a container and dispose of it in a park. The next day, Proctor joined in an attempt to dismember the body in a bathtub. But she became physically ill and went to a hospital before the body was removed from the apartment.

Ms. Frazier’s body has yet to be found. Proctor is among a number of people arrested in this case and has been in custody since February.

In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including Detectives Jeff Owens, Oliver Garvey, Darryl Richmond, Mitch Credle, Anthony Brigidini, Kenneth Williams, Susan Blue and Jeff Mayberry of the Major Case/Cold Case Squad. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Larry Grasso of the Criminal Intelligence Unit, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Kwasi Fields. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, who is prosecuting the case.

Grand Jury Could Take Full 9 Months to Indict Latisha Frazier Case

Laura Amico — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:50:53 -0400

Signaling that the Grand Jury could take the full nine months allotted by law to indict the Latisha Frazier murder case, Judge William Jackson set the next hearing date for the case for Oct. 21.

The date is one day before the nine-month deadline to indict the case against Brian Gaither, the first of six suspects arrested in connection with Frazier's death.

Assistant US Attorney Chris Kavanaugh, who is prosecuting the case, said that the status hearing date could be moved up if the Grand Jury is able to indict the case earlier.

Available Charging Documents in the Latisha Frazier Murder Case

Laura Amico — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:11:37 -0500

To make access to these documents easier, we've decided to post them all again in a single entry.

Attorney Wants Search for Latisha Frazier's Body

Laura Amico — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:47:02 -0500

An attorney for Brian Gaither, suspected of first-degree murder in the death of Latisha Frazier, is seeking to compel authorities to search for Frazier's body, believed to be in a Richmond landfill.

Eugene Ohm, representing Gaither at a felony status conference Friday morning, said physical evidence contained on Frazier's remains could determine whether his client be charged with first degree murder or manslaughter.

Gaither is one of six people accused in the brutal and deadly assault of 18-year-old Latisha Frazier in August 2010. Frazier, a young mother, was reported missing and she has not been found. Five of the six defendants have admitted to police that they participated in the attack on Frazier.

Prosecutors allege that Frazier was at defendant Johnnie Sweets’ apartment in Southeast D.C. on Aug. 1, 2010 when she was last seen alive. After being invited into a back bedroom in the apartment, Frazier was beaten, stomped on and choked, bound by her legs, her mouth taped shut, and her head covered before she was eventually “thrown” into a closet, prosecutors allege.

At issue specifically is the type of hold allegedly used to restrain Frazier, according to the defendant's accounts to police, Ohm said. If the hold is determined to be a "sleeper hold," also called a "blood choke," that would be grounds for a manslaughter charge; if it is a "choke hold," also called an "air choke," that could be a first degree murder charge, Ohm said.

"The best piece of evidence to determine that is the decedent's body," Ohm told Judge William Jackson. He urged the court to move quickly to secure Frazier's remains, citing the warming weather's quickening effects on decomposition.

"Timing is of the essence here," Ohm said.

In a Washington Post article today, MPD Police Chief Cathy Lanier said that Frazier's remains were likely buried "at a minimum of 70 feet" deep in the landfill. The search would take at least six months and cost more than $1 million, according to Lanier and the report.

Government prosecutors asked Ohm to put his request in writing, but attorney Chris Kavanaugh, on behalf of the government, said he wasn't sure what the government's "legal obligation" to a search is.

Defendants Johnnie Sweets, 17; Cinthya Proctor, 18; Anneka Nelson, 16; Laurence Hassan, 23; and Brian Gaither, 23 have all waived their rights to a preliminary hearing. A sixth defendant, Lanee Bell, 17, has been arrested on suspicion of Felony Murder (Kidnapping) in the case.

Kavanaugh said the U.S. Attorney's Office anticipates entering plea discussions with the defendant's "shortly."

Suspects in brutal murder of Latisha Frazier waive right to preliminary hearing

Heather Somerville — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:11:16 -0500

Family and friends of Latisha Frazier filled a D.C. court room on Feb. 11, many wearing T-shirts with photos of the victim and her daughter. Although they were prepared for an emotional preliminary hearing for the five people charged with Frazier’s slaying, they were spared another long day in court and a rehashing of the gory details of Frazier’s final hours.

Three of the five defendants waived their rights to a preliminary hearing and are expected in court again on March 4 for a status hearing. Defendants Brian Gaither, 23; Johnnie Sweets, 17; and Anneka Nelson, 16, have chosen to skip the preliminary hearing, a legal maneuver that indicates there is enough evidence against them to proceed to trial.

Cinthya Proctor, 18, and Laurence Hassan, 23, also charged with Frazier’s murder, did not request waivers and their preliminary hearings will be continued. Proctor was unable to appear in court because of health problems, and officials need more time to investigate Hassan’s role in the crime, according to defense lawyers.

Latoya Frazier, 23, was grateful the court hearing was brief. Being in the same room as the suspects charged with her sister’s murder is painful, she said.

“Just to see them, it kind of brought up the hurt all over again,” she said in an interview outside the courtroom.

Latoya helped organize an extensive search with family and friends when 18-year-old Latisha went missing on Aug. 2, the same day police believe she was killed. Frazier, known to family and friends as “Tish,” was kidnapped, beaten, gagged, covered with a sheet and choked to death before her body was thrown into a closet and partially dismembered, according to charging documents in the case.

The defendants had accused Frazier of stealing money from them and planned to “teach her a lesson,” according to charging documents.

“I hope [the defendants] never get out,” Latoya said. “I just hope that they pay for what they did.”

Gaither is charged with second degree murder. The other four suspects are charged with first degree murder and kidnapping. Authorities are still searching for Latisha’s remains.

A Crossland High School graduate and a fulltime employee at McDonald’s, Latisha was a dedicated mother to three-year-old daughter Diamond, according to relatives. Diamond is now in the care of Latisha’s and Latoya’s mother, Caroline Frazier, Latoya said.

Heather Somerville is a freelance reporter in Washington, DC. She holds a Master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and recently completed a three-month investigation into national security and climate change, called Global Warning. Her email address is somerville.heather [at] gmail.com

Latisha Frazier

Laura Amico — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:53:23 -0500

By all accounts so far, Latisha Frazier’s last hours were brutal. Accused of stealing from a neighborhood friend, the 18-year-old mother was beaten, stomped, bound, taped, gagged, prodded and choked. Her head was covered with a sheet. She was tossed into a closet. When she finally died, her body was moved from room to room while her killers discussed how to dispose of her. They decided to dismember her, but her killers could not bring themselves to complete the job because of the stench of her flesh.

In her press photo, the same one used on the missing persons fliers that were distributed in the weeks after her August disappearance, Frazier is a beaming teen in a royal blue dress. In a Washington Post report, her family said there was no indication that she had any trouble in her life. Frazier, a Crossland High School grad, was working fulltime at McDonalds, thinking of going back to school, and was a dedicated mother to three-year-old daughter Diamond.

Said her sister, Latoya Frazier,

I keep wondering to myself: Was there something I missed? Was she in danger? Was she unhappy? It just doesn't make any sense, because she would never leave her daughter. They were attached at the hip.

Over the past two weeks, Metro Police have arrested five people and charged them in Frazier's death. Though her body has not been found, police believe she was killed on Aug. 2, the day she disappeared. Criminal complaints against four of the defendants include confessions to the killing.

Frazier's friends and family, who only weeks ago were spending their evenings passing out fliers and begging for information, now spend their time in courtrooms; four of the five defendants were arraigned just this week.

Accused in case are three teens and two adults: Johnnie Sweets, 17; Cinthya Proctor, 18; Anneka Nelson, 16; Laurence Hassan, 23; and Brian Gaither, 23.

Prosecutors allege that Frazier was at Sweets' apartment when she was last seen alive.

On August 1, 2010, "Tish" arrived at 1787 Trenton Place, S.E. However, because [Frazier] was not alone and had arrived with a friend, [Nelson] told her to leave and return the next day... On August 2, 2010, the day of the murder, [Frazier] arrived at 1787 Trenton Place, S.E. and was invited into the residence.

What followed was an increasingly violent beating, prosecutors allege, with the defendants at times striking, stomping on and choking Frazier. According to charging documents in the case, Frazier was ultimately bound by her legs, her mouth taped over with a shirt and a sheet taped around her head before being "thrown" into a closet.

[Sweets] stated that he had not planned for [Frazier] to be killed, but rather just for the girls to beat her up "to teach [Frazier] a lesson: 'Don't take my money.'"

All five of the defendants are expected in court Friday, Feb. 11 at 9:30 a.m. for a preliminary hearing.

View more videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com.

Taunts on Facebook Help Police Solve Murder of Latisha Frazier : MyFoxDC.com

Three teens charged in slaying of District woman

washingtonpost.com | Feb 3, 2011

A District teenager orchestrated the slaying of Latisha M. Frazier by luring her to his apartment and ordering his friends to beat and choke the woman before trying to dismember her in the bathtub, according to charging documents filed Thursday in D.C. Superior Court.

Man arraigned in D.C. slaying

washingtonpost.com | Jan 25, 2011

A District man allegedly told homicide detectives that he choked a woman and threw her body into a dumpster behind a Southeast Washington apartment building last summer, according to documents filed in D.C. Superior Court. It was the first time that family members of Latisha Frazier, 19, heard details of what happened to the young mother, whose body has not been found. Family members reported Frazier missing Aug. 4 and have been posting fliers throughout the city with her picture in hopes of finding out what happened to her.

Charging Documents in Cases against Anneka Nelson and Cinthya Proctor

Laura Amico — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:37:25 -0500

Anneka Nelson and Cinthya Proctor were charged yesterday in the brutal beating death of missing D.C. woman Latisha Frazier. Charging documents in their cases follow the jump.

Brian Gaither and Johnnie Sweet have also been charged in the case. Charging documents in Gaither's case are here and in Sweet's case here.

A fifth defendant, Laurence Kamal Hassan, was arrested yesterday and is due to be arraigned today.

A note of warning: the details in these criminal complaints are graphic.

Charging Documents Detail Death of Missing D.C. Woman Latisha Frazier

Laura Amico — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:51:05 -0500

Three teens were charged today in the death of missing D.C. woman Latisha Frazier and ABC7 is reporting that another, and final, arrest was made in the case this afternoon.

Johnnie Sweet, Anneka Nelson and Cinthya Proctor appeared in D.C. Superior Court this afternoon. A fourth defendant, Brian Gaither, was charged Jan. 24. The name of a fifth suspect, who according to ABC7 was arrested today, has not been released.

Gaither is due in court for a preliminary hearing Friday, Feb. 11. Dates for the remaining defendants have not been posted.

Homicide Watch D.C. is posting charging documents against all of the defendants in the case as we get them. Today charges against Sweet were available. We warn you that the details in this case are graphic.

Total of four arrests now in Latisha Frazier Homicide Case

Laura Amico — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:01:54 -0500

As reported last night, Metro PD has arrested two more teens in the death of Latisha Frazier, bringing the total number of people arrested so far to four.

The defendants in the case are: Anneka Nelson, 16, Cinthya Proctor, 18, Johnnie Sweet, 17, and Brian Gaither, 18. Sweet and Nelson are being charged as adults.

In court documents charging Gaither, the first to be arrested, Gaither is alleged to have confessed to killing Frazier, telling police that six people, three males and three females, beat Frazier before he "finished her off." Police believe she was killed Aug. 2, 2010. Her body has not been found.

Gaither is charged with second-degree murder. The others have been charged with Felony Murder (Kidnapping). Gaither is expected in court Friday, Feb. 11 for a preliminary hearing. Court dates for the other three defendants are not yet available.

Two Teens Arrested in Latisha Frazier's death

Laura Amico — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:56:08 -0500

Metro PD has announced the arrests of two teens suspected in the killing of Latisha Frazier. Anneka Nelson, 16, and Cinthya Proctor, 18, were arrested Wednesday.

Nelson is charged as an adult in the case, Metro PD said in their news release.

February 2, 2011

Additional Arrests Made in the Homicide of Missing Person Latisha Frazier

( Washington, DC) — Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch announced today that two additional suspects have been arrested in the homicide of Latisha Frazier.

On August 4, 2010, 18-year-old Latisha Frazier of the 4200 block of South Capitol Street, SE, was reported as a Missing Person case. The case was assigned to a detective in the Seventh District who investigated. On January 21, 2011, information was developed that Latisha Frazier may have been murdered. The case was then assigned to the Homicide Branch-Major Case Squad.

On January 22, 2010, sufficient information and probable cause was established that on August 2, 2010, Latisha Frazier was at the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE, where she was assaulted during a dispute and was ultimately murdered. At this time, her remains have not been located. On January 23, 2011 a suspect was arrested and charged with Murder Two. On February 1, 2011 a second suspect was arrested and charged with Felony Murder (Kidnapping).

On Wednesday, February 2, 2011 members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 16-year-old Anneka Nelson, charging her as an adult, and 18-year-old Cinthya Proctor. Both have been charged pursuant to an arrest warrant with Felony Murder (Kidnapping) in the August 2, 2010 kidnapping and murder of Latisha Frazier.