Demonta Michael Chappell | Homicide Watch DC

Chappell Jury Foreman: "There was very little question in our minds as to his guilt on the obstruction charges."

Chris Amico — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:34:05 -0400

A jury convicted Demonta Chappell of the murder of Stevann Moorer Thursday, plus two firearm charges and obstruction of justice. But immediately after the verdict was read, Judge Rhonda Winston said there might not be enough evidence for the obstruction charge, and she ordered lawyers from both sides to submit briefs.

This was a surprise to the jury's foreman, Bill Schulz.

"As jury foreman for this trial, I am shocked at Judge Winston's actions regarding the obstruction of justice charges," he wrote in a comment on this site. "This was a unanimous verdict and we had no trouble convicting the defendant on these charges."

We asked if he would say more about Judge Winston's instructions before deliberations began, and how jurors reached their verdict. He sent this reply:

Judge Winston's instructions addressed what is needed to find obstruction of justice--that there was a willful act to impede the investigation, alter or stop testimony, and so on. She made it clear that the success or failure of the effort was of no import when deciding if the defendant endeavored to obstruct justice and thus broke the law.

In the jury room, we had excerpts of two letters written by Chappell and a recorded phone call. She allowed these materials into evidence. We found Chappell guilty on all three of the obstruction charges and we did so within hours of the case going to the jury.

There was very little question in our minds as to his guilt on the obstruction charges. It was clear to us that he both asked people to lie and introduce falsehoods, that he intended to plant a false alibi that would contradict the testimony of Doris Bronson, and that he instructed one potential witness to not talk to investigators at all.

What's more, in the end, we believed that the defendant's efforts to obstruct justice in good measure boosted the government's case beyond a reasonable doubt in relation to the first degree murder charge. This was largely a case won on circumstantial evidence and with witnesses who had many shortcomings and reasons to doubt their truthfulness.

In the end, however, the puzzle pieces fit and there was consistency across major portions of the testimony and evidence provided by the government. The medical examiner's testimony about the bullet wounds matched up with Bronson's description of the shooting, for example.

The defense team, we know, worked very hard on behalf of their client and we were all impressed with their effort and energy. We did not find their DNA testing to be relevant, however, because there was no indication that Chappell was grabbing or fighting with Moorer before or during the shooting.

The government built a powerful and convincing case, even if that was not so apparent during their presentation. We convicted Mr. Chappell unanimously after serious reflection and deliberation. We did so, ultimately, without second thoughts about the correctness of our findings which were based solely on the evidence presented in court.

Chappell had a fair trial--we all remarked upon that. But he also lost.

Best regards,

Bill Schulz, jury foreman, juror # 1

Chappell is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 27, 2015.

Demonta Chappell Found Guilty in the Murder of Stevann Moorer

Imari Williams — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 14:38:29 -0400

A jury found Demonta Chappell guilty of first-degree premeditated murder while armed in the 2012 shooting death of Stevann Moorer.

Jurors delivered the verdict Wednesday afternoon after less than two days of deliberations.

During trial, an eyewitness testified that she saw Chappell shoot Moorer multiple times.

"While I was walking back home, I cut through the park and noticed two males behind me," Doris Bronson testified. "As I continued to walk ahead, the two passed by me."

Shortly after, Bronson said, she heard a gunshot. She saw Chappell aim the gun at Moorer's head, then shoot him once and, after he fell, shoot him two more times.

In addition to murder, jurors found Chappell guilty of two firearm offenses and obstruction of justice. But, Judge Rhonda Reid Winston told attorneys that she wasn't sure if there was enough evidence proving the obstruction of justice charge. She ordered the attorneys to submit a debriefing on the matter.

D.C. jail flagged an outgoing letter on May 21, when the inmate's name on the return address didn't exist and obtained a second letter in Chappell's possession, Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez said. A handwriting analyst testified that two letters obtained by the D.C. jail were written by Chappell.

Sanchez argued at trial that Chappell was trying to ask someone to provide a false alibi for the night of the murder.

"Make sure you don’t write me back because they read my incoming mail," Chappell wrote.

Chappell is scheduled for a sentencing hearing Jan. 27, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Winston.

Jury Begins Deliberations in Demonta Chappell Murder Trial

Amelia Rufer — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 22:42:19 -0400

On Oct. 27, 2012, Demonta Chappell walked up to Stevann Moorer and shot him, prosecutors said in closing arguments Monday.

"But that wasn't enough," Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez told the jury. "He shot him two more times. But that wasn't enough. As Stevann Moorer lay helpless on the ground, that man stood over him and shot him two more times."

On Tuesday, the jury will begin deliberating whether Chappell is guilty of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, plus two firearm offenses and obstruction of justice, in connection with the shooting death of 26-year-old Moorer.

Chappell's defense attorneys argued that when the government chose to ignore key witnesses, the wrong man was arrested for murder.

"These were people who were discarded, tossed aside by investigators and the prosecution," defense attorney Chris Roberts argued.

Prosecutors say Chappell took matters into his own hands because he thought Moorer had broken into a relative's home.

Doris Bronson, an eyewitness, testified that on the night of the murder, she heard a gunshot and turned to see Moorer fall to the ground. Chappell pointed the gun at his head and shot again.

Medical examiner Angellee Chen testified that the gunshot to Moorer's head would have caused "instant unconsciousness." She said the bullet was located in the right side of his brain.

According to AUSA Sanchez, "every time he pulled the trigger, he did it with the intent to kill and he had an opportunity to reflect on it."

Sanchez called on the jury to consider Chappell's obstruction charge as evidence towards his guilt in the homicide.

According to Sanchez, a handwriting analyst testified that two letters obtained by a D.C. jail were written by Chappell. "These are not the writings of an innocent man," she told the court.

On May 21, the D.C. jail flagged an outgoing letter when the inmate's name on the return address didn't exist, Sanchez said.

Chappell, the prosecutor argued, was trying to ask someone to provide a false alibi for the night of the murder.

"Make sure you don't write me back because they read my incoming mail," Chappell wrote.

In a cell search, the jail obtained a second letter in Chappell's possession. Chappell said that Doris Bronson was his only eyewitness and was asking the recipient to provide a false description that would contradict her testimony.

"We know Demonta Chappell killed Stevann Moorer because he confessed to it," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Kravis told the jury. Chappell told an associate that "he saw the first shots go into Moorer's body." According to Kravis, Chappell said he wasn't worried and that he was "cooling like a fan."

"When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail," defense attorney Roberts said in reference to the government's case. "It is often said by prosecutors that they don't get to choose their witnesses. I submit that in this case, they did."

"The evidence in this trial is like a jigsaw puzzle," AUSA Kravis concluded. "No one piece of that puzzle shows the whole picture, but the pieces do fit together." According to Kravis, the reason those pieces fit together is because "the person who killed Stevann Moorer is Demonta Chappell."

Additional reporting by Imari Williams

Defense: Demonta Chappell "had nothing to do with this murder"

Imari Williams — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 21:25:24 -0400

Prosecutors say Demonta Chappell followed Stevann Moorer, on the night of Oct. 27, 2012, and shot and killed him.

"Chappell and Moorer were walking so close that night that people may have thought they were together," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Kravis said in opening arguments Monday.

But defense attorney Emily Stirba has a different theory and argued that the wrong man is on trial.

"Demonta Chappell is innocent, and he had nothing to do with this murder," Stirba said. "You are going to hear a fabrication of a story, involving people serving in their own interest, where a man is blamed for someone else's crime."

Chappell, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, along with two firearm offenses, and obstruction of justice in connection with the shooting death of 26-year-old Moorer.

Police found Moorer in the 500 block of Parkland Place Southeast suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

According to prosecutors, an eyewitness saw Chappell holding a gun to Moorer's head, and then watched Chappell shoot him repeatedly.

On Monday, Doris Bronson testified that on the night of Moorer's death, she went to the store to buy medicine for her daughter. On her way back home, she saw Chappell and Moorer together; she didn't think anything was suspicious. "They seemed like two regular guys," Bronson said in court.

"While I was walking back home, I cut through the park and noticed two males behind me," Bronson said. "As I continued to walk ahead, the two passed by me."

Soon after, Bronson said, she heard a gunshot. She saw Chappell aim the gun at Moorer's head, then shoot him once and, after he fell, shoot him twice more.

"He was shaking and his eyes were rolling in the back of his head," Bronson said, in broken sobs. "I was screaming for people to call for help."

Stirba, the defense attorney, argued that the prosecution's witnesses can't be trusted. Bronson initially lied to police, Stirba said, but has a different story now that she has a pending case for stealing materials from the US Attorney's Office.

"The witnesses in this case are not reliable, credible, or trustworthy," Stirba said. "Bronson told police she 'saw nothing' and then comes forward months later. This case involves stories out of necessity."

Stirba told jurors that Chappell is a "terrified young man charged with something he did not commit," and that the lack of evidence will show that he is not guilty.

Kravis, the prosecutor, told jurors that witnesses' testimony, physical evidence and a cell phone prove that Chappell is guilty. Kravis added that Bronson initially lied out of fear, but Chappell later embarked on a "campaign to get witnesses to lie."

The trial will resume Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Rhonda Reid Winston.

Gun Charge Dropped in Demonta Chappell Case

Imari Williams — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 17:31:14 -0400

Prosecutors dismissed a charge of carrying a pistol without a license Thursday in the case against Demonta Chappell, who is accused of fatally shooting Stevann Moorer.

Chappell's other charges remain the same, including first-degree premeditated murder, two firearm offenses, and obstruction of justice.

Moorer, 26, was found by police in the 500 Block of Parkland Place Southeast suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on October 27, 2012.

Several witnesses told police that they saw Chappell shoot Moorer in the head and then stand over his body and fire several more shots, according to charging documents.

Chappell's trial is expected to begin October 6 before Judge Rhonda Reid Winston.

Demonta Chappell Murder Trial Delayed Again

Amelia Rufer — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 22:27:18 -0400

The trial of Demonta Chappell was delayed Monday after his defense team failed to submit their DNA evidence before the start of trial. Judge Jennifer Anderson ruled that the case be carried for trial so the U.S. Attorney's office would have enough time to consult with the government's expert.

Nearly one year ago, a grand jury indicted Chappell on five criminal charges, including premeditated first-degree murder, in relation to the shooting death of 26-year-old Stevann Moorer.

Moorer was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in October 2012, in the 500 block of Parkland Place Southeast. Chappell was arrested in February 2013 in connection with his death.

At a status hearing on Aug. 22, Judge Anderson granted the defense motion to have DNA tested as long as defense attorneys found a lab who could ensure that the results would be submitted by the Sept. 8 trial date.

But on Sept. 3, the defense said DNA testing would not be completed in time to start trial. Judge Anderson rescheduled the jury trial for Sept. 15.

On Monday, Chappell's attorneys said that preliminary DNA findings from a shell casing at the scene show a partial profile of multiple DNA contributors, none of whom are Chappell. They requested an additional week to finalize their evidence.

Prosecutors said Monday that they needed to have the lab's findings in order to offer rebuttal testimony. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Kravis, the government had only heard an oral report of the expert's findings, but received "no report and no data."

Judge Anderson scheduled a hearing for Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. to hear expert testimony, and added that said she will have more information regarding a new trial date at that time.

Demonta Chappell Indicted in Murder Stevann Moorer

Ivan Natividad — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 11:30:54 -0400

Demonta Chappell was arraigned Friday on charges of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, obstruction of justice, and related weapons offenses in connection with the 2012 shooting death of 26-year-old Stevann Moorer. Chappell pleaded innocent to all charges and is held pending a status hearing November 22.

Police found Moorer October 27, 2012 at approximately 9:08 p.m. on the 500 Block of Parkland Place Southeast suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. More than three months later Chappell, 21, was arrested and held on suspicion of second-degree murder while armed in Moorer's death.

Charging documents state that one witness told detectives that he had stood within ten feet of the shooting when it happened, and knew without a doubt who the shooter was.

At a preliminary hearing in March Metropolitan Police Detective Ray Shields testified that the witness saw a picture of the shooter on a social media site. The witness saved the photograph in a cell phone and took it to police who identified the person as Chappell, Shields said.

The witness told detectives that around 9 p.m. the night of the shooting, Moorer and Chappell were walking westbound on Parkland Place Southeast, court documents state. The witness said they suddenly heard a gunshot and turned to see Chappell firing a gun at Moorer’s head. The witness said that after Moorer fell, Chappell stood over him and fired several more shots.

Chappell fled on foot south through an alley towards Raleigh Street Southeast. According to the witness said the shooter wore a hoodie, grey jacket, a cap with white on the head cover, documents state.

Judge Finds Probable Cause that Demonta Chappell Murdered Stevann Moorer

Penny Ray — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:26:24 -0500

Judge Russell Canan found probable cause Friday that Demonta Chappell was responsible for the October 2012 shooting death of 26-year-old Stevann Moorer. Canan also ordered him held while a grand jury investigates the case.

"Inconsistencies aside, there's reason to believe that the defendant committed these crimes,” Canan told the court.

Chappell, 21, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with Moorer's death.

According to charging documents, several witnesses told police that they saw Chappell shoot Moorer in the head and then stand over his body and fire several more shots; one of those witnesses flagged down police shortly after the incident.

The shooting occurred in the 500 block of Parkland Place Southeast, near Malcolm X Park, on Oct. 27, 2012.

Metropolitan Police Detective Ray Shields testified at the preliminary hearing Friday and said that the witnesses reported that there were a lot of people in the park that Saturday evening, and some of the witnesses had been drinking alcohol.

The description of the shooter, as provided by the witnesses, varied slightly, Shields testified.

One witness said the shooter was wearing a hat; another witness described the shooter as wearing a hoodie over his head. A third witness said the shooter was wearing a white cap and sweatshirt; and yet another witness described the shooter as wearing a light-colored shirt and jacket.

Between Oct. and Dec. 2012, five witnesses spoke with police about Moorer's death, and none of them positively identified Chappell as the shooter. But during the first week of the new year, a sixth witness told detectives that he had stood within ten feet of the shooting when it happened, and knew without a doubt who the shooter was.

Detective Shields testified Friday that the witness was browsing a social media site sometime in December when it came across a picture of the shooter. The witness then saved the photograph in a cell phone and took it to police who identified the person as Chappell, Shields said.

Chappell's appointed defense attorney, Chris Roberts, questioned Shields on why the witness waited two months before speaking with police.

“The witness has to live in the area and is scared for its life,” Shields testified.

The witness told detectives that around 9 p.m. on the night of the shooting, Moorer and Chappell were walking westbound on Parkland Place SE. According to Shields, the witness said they suddenly heard a gunshot and turned to see Chappell firing a gun at Moorer's head. The witness said that after Moorer fell, Chappell stood over him and fired several more shots.

Moorer died at the hospital shortly before midnight.

According to the witness, Chappell then ran south through an alley towards Raleigh Street SE. The witness described the shooter as wearing a hoodie, grey jacket, a cap with white on the head cover, blue jeans and Michael Jordan sneakers, Shields testified.

A search warrant was later issued for the residence that Chappell listed as his home; no weapons nor ammunition of any kind were recovered. The sneakers, hoodie, and hat that the shooter was supposedly wearing were never recovered either.

"No male clothing of any kind was found," Shields told the court.

A status hearing is scheduled for April 26.

Demonta Chappell Ordered Held for Murder of Stevann Moorer

Sam Pearson — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:07:37 -0500

Demonta Michael Chappell, 21, appeared in court Saturday, where Judge Neal Kravitz ordered him held on suspicion of second-degree murder while armed in the Oct. 2012 shooting death of Stevann Moorer.

Moorer was found dead Oct. 27, 2012 at 9:08 p.m. at the 500 block of Parkland Place Southeast.

Chappell is scheduled to return to court March 1 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Herbert Dixon for a preliminary hearing.

Charging documents are below:

Demonta Chappel charging documents (PDF)Demonta Chappel charging documents (Text)

Demonte Michael Chappelle Arrested in Shooting Death of Stevann Moorer

Laura Amico — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:41:37 -0500

A 21-year-old Southwest DC man was arrested Saturday in connection with the October 2012 shooting death of Stevann Moorer.

MPD identified the suspect as Demonte Michael Chappelle and said he was suspected of second-degree murder while armed.

MPD's press release is below.

February 9, 2013

Arrest in the Homicide: 500 Block of Parkland Place, SE

(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch have announced that an arrest has been made in the fatal shooting which occurred in the 500 Block of Parkland Place, SE.

On Saturday, October 27, 2012, at approximately 9:08 pm, a unit from the Seventh District was advised by a citizen of a shooting in the 500 Block of Parkland Place, SE. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel transported the victim to a local hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

The decedent is identified as 26 year-old Stevann Moorer of Southeast, Washington, DC.

On Saturday, February 9, 2013, at approximately 2:45 am, 21-year old Demonte Michael Chappelle, of Southwest, Washington, DC, was arrested subsequent to a traffic stop by members of the First District Patrol Division and charged with Murder Two while Armed in connection with the fatal shooting of Stevann Moorer.