Jeremy Risper | Homicide Watch DC

Jeremy Risper Sentenced to 35 Years for Jamal Wilson Murder

Rebecca Zisser — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:36:17 -0400

Jeremy Risper was sentenced to 35 years in prison Friday for the shooting death of Jamal Wilson.

It was a crime that Judge Thomas Motley said was a case of "loyalty gone too far."

Risper, 22, was found guilty of first degree murder while armed, plus two weapons charges, in a March trial. Jurors found that in Nov. 2010 Risper and his co-defendant, Kwan Kearney, chased 19-year-old Wilson through the Truxton Circle neighborhood then engaged in a shootout that left Wilson dead.

The chase was captured on street surveillance cameras. Jurors saw Wilson and his friends passing through the neighborhood and a pizza shop parking lot with Kearney and Risper following them. In the parking lot, Kearney dropped something and stopped to pick it up. Risper raised his right hand in a shrug-like gesture. Prosecutors offered that Kearney had dropped, and picked up, his gun and that Risper's shrug meant "come on, let's go."

Wilson was killed in a shootout just moments later. A .45-caliber bullet from Kearney's gun struck him in the side. Wilson is believed to have returned fire.

Motley said the evidence in the case had been "overwhelming."

"To be loyal is a good thing, but you have to draw the line," Motley told Risper Friday. "Helping someone kill another person is not a good thing. That's loyalty gone too far."

Risper intends to appeal his conviction.

At sentencing Friday, Prosecutor Michael Ortwein said that Risper did not actually pull the trigger that resulted in Wilson's death, but that he was criminally liable and guilty.

"Mr. Risper was prepared to assist and he knew he was assisting in a premeditated murder," Ortwein said.

Prosecutors and defense attorney's had recommended a 30-year sentence for the first-degree murder charge. That sentence would have been the minimum required by law.

Thomas Heslep asked Motley to take into consideration that Risper had testified in a DC murder case several years ago. That action would make his life in prison especially difficult, Heslep said, adding that because of that Risper was entitled to the lowest term possible.

"Your Honor," he said. "Serving 10 years with a label [of being a government witness] is worse than serving 30 years without."

Heslep said Risper intends to appeal his conviction and he told the court that he had advised Risper not to make a statement at sentencing.

When asked if he wished to speak, however, Risper addressed his family.

"I just want to let my mother know that I love her and my family, and that's it," he said, mouthing to them moments later, "I love you."

In addition to the 35-year murder sentence, Risper was ordered to pay the costs of a headstone for Wilson's grave.

Risper's sentence is ten years shorter than the one his co-defendant received; Kearney, who was also found guilty of a separate homicide the same week Wilson was killed, was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

A press release from the US Attorney's Office is below.

District Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison In Slaying of Teenager in Northwest Washington - He and Another Man Armed Themselves and Chased the Victim For Blocks -

WASHINGTON - Jeremy Risper, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 35 years in prison on charges stemming from the November 2010 slaying of a teenager in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Risper was found guilty by a jury in March 2012 after a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of charges of first-degree murder while armed and related weapons offenses. He was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas J. Motley.

A co-defendant, Kwan Kearney, 21, also of Washington, D.C., was convicted of the same charges by the jury. Kearney, who fired the fatal shot, was sentenced in June 2012 to a 45-year prison term in the case.

According to the government’s evidence, Kearney and Risper got into a dispute on the night of Nov. 13, 2010 with the victim, Jamal Wilson, 19, who was a good friend of theirs. Kearney and Mr. Wilson had a falling-out the night of the murder when Kearney got into a fight and Mr. Wilson and other friends of Kearney’s refused to help.

Risper, who had no hand in the dispute, chose to arm himself along with Kearney and joined Kearney in pursuing Mr. Wilson and some friends several blocks through alleys. The pursuit ended in a shoot-out at 12:30 a.m. Nov. 14, 2010, in the unit block of P Street NW, in which Kearney killed Mr. Wilson with a shot through the heart.

The murder of Mr. Wilson was the second committed by Kearney within six days.

Kearney was released from jail on Monday morning, Nov. 8, 2010. That night, he killed another teenager in the District of Columbia. Kearney fatally shot that victim, Joseph Sharps, Jr., 17, in the 1300 block of Holbrook Street NE. The victim and an 18-year-old friend were walking to Joseph’s home when Kearney and another of his associates attacked them. The friend was hit in the leg. Kearney was convicted in December 2011 of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in that attack and later was sentenced to 60 years in prison in that case.

In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers and mobile crime technicians who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Intelligence Analyst Sharon Johnson, Litigation Support Specialist Kimberly Smith, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialists Delissa Rivers and Phillip Aronson.

Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David P. Saybolt and B. Michael Ortwein III, who tried and investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Saybolt also prosecuted the case involving the murder of Joseph Sharps, Jr.

Kwan Kearney to Serve 105 Years for Week of Deadly Shootings

Laura Amico — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 12:41:28 -0400

Biting his lip and appearing, for the first time over the course of his two murder trials, as young as his 21 years, Kwan Kearney was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for the shooting death of Jamal Wilson.

The sentence, Judge Thomas Motley said, was to be served in addition to the 60 year sentence Kearney was given just months ago for the shooting death of Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr.

"He'll die in jail," Kearney's attorney, Gene Johnson, warned the court, while Kearney chewed on his lower lip.

Kearney was found guilty in March of fatally shooting Jamal Demetrius Wilson in Nov. 2010. The charges included premeditated first-degree murder. Kearney pled innocent and Johnson argued that Kearney had no reason to kill Wilson; Kearney’s family testified at trial that the men were "best friends." Johnson argued that the government’s witnesses in the case were unreliable; at least two of them had plea agreements with the government in other cases and were awaiting sentencing when they testified against Kearney.

In December, Kearney was convicted of first-degree murder while armed in the shooting death of Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr. Sharps was fatally shot just six days before Wilson was killed and the same day Kearney was released from jail, prosecutors said.

He was sentenced to a total of 60 years in prison for that crime, a crime that he maintained, even at sentencing, that he didn't commit.

"My condolences to the family," Kearney said at his sentencing in February. "But you all got the wrong man. I ain't never killed a man in my life."

His words in court Friday were brief as well. Looking over his shoulder to address Wilson's mother he said, "I'd like to tell Miss Maxine I'm sorry about your loss."

"I don't know why someone thinks I killed my best friend," he said.

The two sentences added together equal 105 years in prison.

"The evidence of your guilt was overwhelming," Motley told Kearney. "That was you in the shootout there in the streets of the District of Columbia. It is a tragedy. Somebody has to think about the people who are killed. Each and every life has value. If you killed two people, you face two sentences."

Kearney's co-defendant in the Wilson case, Jeremy Risper, was also convicted of murder. His sentencing was postponed today because he requested a new attorney.

The Government's Sentencing Memorandum is below.

Kwan Kearney, Jeremy Risper Guilty on All Counts in Murder of Jamal Wilson

Laura Amico — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:37:23 -0400

Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper were both found guilty on all counts, including premeditated first-degree murder this afternoon in the Nov. 14, 2010 shooting death of Jamal Demetrius Wilson.

The jury of four men and eight women returned the verdict after less than three hours of deliberation.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 15. Kearney and Risper asked, through their attorneys, that they be sentenced at the same time on that day.

Prosecutors Michael Ortwein and David Sayboldt yesterday asked the jury to find the men guilty of killing Wilson, saying that Kearney and Risper were equal participants in a chase and shootout that left the 19-year-old dead.

In surveillance videos played into evidence, Wilson and his friends are seen passing through a neighborhood and parking lot. Kearney and Risper are seen following them. In the parking lot, Kearney drops something and stops to pick it up. Risper raises his right hand in a shrug-like gesture.

Prosecutors say the videos show Wilson and his friends running from Kearney and Risper. They say the item Kearney drops is a gun and that the gesture Risper makes is one of, “Come on, let’s go.”

Wilson was killed in a shootout just moments later. A .45-caliber bullet struck him in the side. Prosecutors said Kearney fired a .45-caliber weapon that night but that Risper was firing at Wilson at the same time. Wilson is believed to have returned fire.

Risper was convicted of first degree murder while armed and two weapons charges. Kearney was convicted of first degree murder while armed and three weapons charges.

Jury Deliberations Begin Thursday in Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper Trial

Laura Amico — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:33:24 -0400

Jurors in the cases against Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper are expected to begin deliberating on the charges Thursday morning.

Prosecutors Michael Ortwein and David Sayboldt asked the jury to find the men guilty of killing Jamal Wilson, saying that Kearney and Risper were equal participants in a chase and shootout that left the 19-year-old dead.

But Kearney's and Risper's defense attorneys argued that that description of events--a chase and a shootout--was not entirely accurate and urged the jury to find the men "not guilty."

All four of the attorneys called the jury's attention back to surveillance video evidence of what prosecutors called a "chase."

In the videos, Wilson and his friends are seen passing through a neighborhood and parking lot. Kearney and Risper are seen following them. In the parking lot, Kearney drops something and stops to pick it up. Risper raises his right hand in a shrug-like gesture.

Prosecutors say the videos show Wilson and his friends running from Kearney and Risper. They say the item Kearney drops is a gun and that the gesture Risper makes is one of, "Come on, let's go."

"This is not a who-dun-it mystery," Ortwein said.

But defense attorneys disagreed.

Dana Page said the movement can hardly be characterized as running.

"These guys aren't running for their lives," she said. "They're walking, or what I would say, skipping. They aren't acting like someone who threatened to kill them is chasing them."

Of Risper's gesture, he could easily have been trying to right himself when stepping on a curb, she said.

Kearney's attorney, Gene Johnson, disagreed that Kearney dropped--and picked up--a gun.

"It could have been a can of sardines," he said.

What happened next was a playground shootout. When it was over, Wilson lay dying on a nearby doorstep, felled by a .45-caliber bullet to his side.

Said Ortwein, "Kwan Kearney felt like he had been betrayed. He'd had his butt beaten [in a fight at a party earlier] and because of that embarrassment, rather than letting that betrayal and rage stay [at the party], it escalated. Kwan Kearney pulled the trigger and Jeremy Risper is guilty as an aider and abetter. When you boil the case down you have these two guns, those two defendants, these three blocks, and Jamal Wilson's death."

Page told jurors a different part of the story. She said Wilson and his friends had laid in wait for Kearney and Risper with ski masks covering their faces so that they wouldn't be recognized on any video surveillance.

"If [Wilson and his friends] were so afraid that they were running for their lives trying to get away from these guys coming at them guns blazing, why did they stop to see if these guys [crossed the street] why did they stop to put masks on," she asked the jury. "Are those the actions of young men that are scared? Are those the actions of young men that are fleeing? Are those the actions of young men that are defending themselves? Absolutely not."

"Jeremy Risper pulled a gun out to protect himself from getting shot," she said.

Johnson argued that Kearney had no reason to kill Wilson; Kearney's family testified earlier in the week that the men were "best friends." He also called into question the government's witnesses, at least two of whom have plea arguments with the government in other cases and are awaiting sentencing.

Referencing Shakespeare's Hamlet, Johnson told the jury, "There's something rotten in the US versus Kwan Kearney."

The jury is expected to begin deliberating on the case at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Closing Arguments Wednesday in "First and O" Murder Trial

Laura Amico — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:51:32 -0400

Closing statements are expected Wednesday morning in the murder case against Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper, on trial for first-degree murder while armed in the shooting death of Jamal Wilson.

Prosecutors have argued that Kearney, Risper, and Wilson, were all friends, but that arguments about testifying in a trial had broken up their group.

The group split, Prosecutor David Saybolt said, after Risper and Kearney's brother Eric testified in court against another friend.

Wilson was fatally shot Nov. 14, 2010.

"Years of friendship were forgotten in a moment when Kwan Kearney shot the gun and put a bullet through his friend's heart," Saybolt said in opening statements.

The government's case was presented over the course of four days and concluded early Tuesday afternoon with the testimony of a firearms expert, a forensic scientist, and a medical examiner.

The medical examiner displayed a photo of the bullet that was extracted from Wilson's chest during an autopsy; the firearms expert identified the bullet as a .45-caliber and said it had been fired from the Colt .45 that detectives recovered during their investigation of the crime. A total of three guns were recovered. The forensic scientist said DNA evidence had not been recovered from two of the weapons, but that Wilson's DNA could be present on one of them, a .40-caliber Beretta.

Defense attorneys for Kearney and Risper closed their cases quickly Tuesday afternoon: Risper's attorney, Dana Page, did not present any evidence on behalf of Risper. Kearney's attorney, Gene Johnson, called Kearney's mother and his girlfriend to the stand.

The women both testified that Kearney and Wilson were "best friends."

In opening statements, Page told the jury that Risper did not shoot Wilson. At that time she argued that the prosecution's witnesses were untrustworthy.

Closing arguments are scheduled for 10:15 Wednesday morning.

Note: Earlier Homicide Watch reports about this case misidentified the crew Kearney, Risper and Wilson were said to have belonged to. It is "First and O," not "First and Oak." The previous stories have been corrected.

“We just shot your man. It ain’t had to go like this."

Lindsey Anderson — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:49:37 -0400

A former neighborhood friend of Jamal Wilson, Kwan Kearney, and Jeremy Risper testified for nearly three hours this afternoon against Kearney and Risper who are on trial for first-degree murder while armed.

The friend, 20-year-old Joshua Geter, agreed to testify under a plea bargain. Geter was arrested for first-degree burglary on Nov. 22, 2010, eight days after Wilson was killed in a shooting.

Geter said Kearney’s brother, Eric Kearney, and Joshua Risper were considered “hot” or “snitches” after they testified against another friend in 2009. The Kearneys and Risper stopped coming around the First Street and O Street neighborhood soon after, Geter said.

He said he was with Wilson and a group of their friends when Kearney and Risper came looking for Wilson late at night on Nov. 13, 2010. Most of the group walked up the street, Geter said, but he stayed behind.

Later, shots went off down the street and Geter rejoined the group. Soon after the shots, he said Kearney told him: “We just shot your man. It ain’t had to go like this.”

Both defense attorneys primarily questioned Geter about his plea deal with the government and about whether he had spoken about the shooting before he was arrested for burglary, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

Kearney’s attorney, Gene Johnson, asked Geter if he was being a "snitch" just like Risper and Eric Kearney. Geter, with a faint smile, said yes.

Geter said police never asked him about the murder and that the government approached him about the plea deal, not the other way around.

The trial will continue at 9:40 a.m. Monday with Judge Thomas Motley.

"Betrayal" Led to Jamal Wilson's Death, Prosecutors Allege

Lindsey Anderson — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:42:15 -0400

After three days of motions hearings and jury selection the first-degree murder trial of Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper got underway Thursday morning,

Prosecutor David Sayboldt told jurors in opening statements that Kearney, Risper, and the victim, Jamal Wilson, were all friends, but that arguments about testifying in a trial had broken their group up.

The group split, Saybolt said, after Risper and Kearney's brother Eric testified against another friend, Levon Williams.

Wilson was killed in a shooting in November 2010.

"Years of friendship were forgotten in a moment when Kwan Kearney shot the gun and put a bullet through his friend's heart," Saybolt said.

He said Kearney felt betrayed by Wilson.

The disagreement led to several exchanges of gunfire: Kearney shot at Wilson and two of Wilson's friends, then Wilson later shot at Kearney, Sayboldt said. Eventually, Sayboldt said, Kearney and Risper armed themselves and "ran [Wilson] down." Saybolt said Kearney fired the fatal shot but that Risper was just as guilty since he also armed himself and chased Wilson.

Risper's defense attorney, Dana Page, argued that the prosecution's witnesses were untrustworthy and disputed Saybolt's claim that Risper "aided and abetted."

"Jeremy Risper did not shoot Jamal Wilson," she said.

The trial will resume at 1 p.m. tomorrow with Judge Thomas Motley.

Jury Selected in "First and O" Case

Lindsey Anderson — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:21:59 -0400

Twelve jurors and two alternates were selected today to hear the case against Kwan Kearney and Jermey Risper, charged with killing Jamal Wilson.

Judge Thomas Motley is expected to hear opening arguments tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.

Prosecutors say the three men were members of the "First and ~~Oak~~ O" crew. An overview of the case can be found here.

3-20-12: A correction has been made to this story. The crew associated with the case is known as "First and O," not "First and Oak" as initially reported.

Jury Selection Expected Tomorrow for Two Murder Cases

Laura Amico — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:25:31 -0400

Judges Thomas Motley and Russell Canan ruled today on final motions in two murder cases set for trial this week, ultimately deciding that both cases are ready to move forward with jury selection.

Judge Thomas Motley is hearing the case against Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper, accused of killing Jamal Wilson. An overview of the case is here.

Judge Russel Canan is hearing the case against Raymond Roseboro, accused of killing Prince Okorie. An overview of the case is here.

Jury selection is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in both cases.

Stephanie Czekalinski contributed to this report.

"First and O" Murder Trial Expected to Start Today

Laura Amico — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 07:14:29 -0400

Just one month after being sentenced to a 60-year prison term for shooting and killing Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr, Kwan Kearney is due to stand trial again.

Kearney, who turned 21 on Wednesday, is suspected in the shooting death of Jamal Wilson. He and his co-defendant, Jeremy Risper, are expected to stand trial in that case today.

Wilson was shot through the chest early in the morning of Nov. 14 after being pursued by two men in the Truxton Circle neighborhood. MPD Homicide Detective Hosam Nasr, who testified in a preliminary hearing in the case, said police believe Wilson was shot on a playground in the unit block of P Street where bullet casings were found. Emergency responders found Wilson further down the block. Wilson fell on the playground after being shot, got up, ran from the scene, fell again, stood up with assistance from a friend, and ran again before collapsing, Nasr said.

Wilson was 19 years old and, Prosecutor David Sayboldt said at the preliminary hearing, part of the "First and ~~Oak~~ O" crew. Kearney and Risper were part of that crew, too, Sayboldt said. And the three of them were "beefing" about a man nicknamed "Phsycho."

Kearney's brother and Risper and testified in a murder trial against "Psycho" and "Psycho" had been convicted, Sayboldt said. Some members of “First and ~~Oak~~ O” were upset that the men had worked with prosecutors.

Wilson’s death is linked to the killing of Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr.—which took place just six days prior—by a gun. Prosecutors allege that Kearney shot at Wilson using a gun that Larnell Allen had used to shoot Sharps. Prosecutors believe Kearney and Risper stole the gun from Allen sometime after Sharps was killed. Allen pleaded guilty in the death of Sharps; Kearney was convicted of first-degree murder while armed.

Judge Thomas Motley is expected to hear the case beginning at 9:30 a.m.

3-20-12: A correction has been made to this story. The crew associated with the case is known as "First and O," not "First and Oak" as initially reported.

Larnell Allen will not Stand Trial in October for Death of Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr.

Laura Amico — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:55:29 -0400

One of the two men charged in the shooting death of teen Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr is not standing trial in the case as scheduled in October.

AUSA David Saybolt today said that Kwan Kearney's trial date of Oct. 31 remains, but that Larnell Allen will not go to trial on that date.

"Can't comment on why," he said.

Kearney and Allen were arraigned each on a charge of first-degree murder while armed, as well as various weapons charges, in May. They both pleaded innocent.

Saybolt added that Kearney and Jeremy Risper, charged in the death of Jamal Wilson, will be tried in that case on March 12. In that case both men have rejected plea offers, Saybolt said.

"Not guilty" Pleas in Death of Jamal Wilson

Laura Amico — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:47:54 -0400

Appearing lighthearted and occasionally smiling, Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper each entered a plea of "not guilty" today to charges related to the November slaying of Jamal Wilson in Northwest D.C.

Kearney and Risper are both charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed as well as various firearms offenses.

Wilson, a 19-year-old known as "Mally," was shot through the chest after being pursued by two men in the Truxton Circle neighborhood, MPD Homicide Detective Hosam Nasr testified at a preliminary hearing for the case.

Six days before Wilson was shot, 17-year-old Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr. was shot and killed in Northeast DC. Nasr said at the preliminary hearing that a .45 caliber gun recovered from the scene of Wilson's murder is believed to be the same gun that was used in Sharps' murder. Kearney is charged in both cases and the government has extended a plea deal that offers a 45-year sentence in exchange for pleading guilty in both cases.

On Tueday Judge Thomas Motley set a status hearing date for Sept. 22, by which time Kearney and Risper will have had to decide whether or not they wish to plead guilty or proceed to trial. Motley set a trial date of March 12 in the case.

Kearney and Larnell Allen, charged in Sharps' death, are scheduled for a status hearing on Friday and a jury trial on Oct. 31.

Gang Beef Over Testifying at Trial Led to Jamal Wilson's Death, Prosecutor Says

Laura Amico — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:34:40 -0400

By the prosecutor's telling of it, an early morning pursuit through Truxton Circle and the ensuing shoot-out that left 19-year-old Jamal Wilson dead started over a beef about a man nicknamed "Psycho."

Wilson, Assistant US Attorney David Saybolt said Tuesday, was part of the "First and ~~Oak~~ O" crew. A crew that also included Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper, the two men suspected in Wilson's death.

As Saybolt tells the story, "First and ~~Oak~~ O" was having a disagreement. Kearney's brother and Risper had testified in a murder trial against "Psycho," and "Psycho" had just been convicted. Some members of "First and ~~Oak~~ O" were upset that the men had worked with prosecutors.

Wilson was shot through the chest early in the morning of Nov. 14 after being pursued by two men in the Truxton Circle neighborhood. Metro PD Homicide Detective Hosam Nasr, who testified in a preliminary hearing in the case, said police believe Wilson was shot on a playground in the unit block of P Street where bullet casings were found. Emergency responders found Wilson further down the block. Wilson fell on the playground after being shot, got up, ran from the scene, fell again, stood up with assistance from a friend, and ran again before collapsing, Nasr said.

Nasr said surveillance video of Kearney and Risper was recorded around the time of the shooting. According to Nasr, the video showed Kearney carrying a "dark object" that was being carried in a way that was "consistent" with how a gun would be held.

Prosecutors believe that Kearney is the one who fired the fatal shots at Wilson. Saybolt said Tuesday that they don't believe Risper fired at Wilson, but that they are pursuing a charge of first degree murder while armed with the belief that Risper "aided and abetted" Kearney in shooting Wilson by participating in the pursuit.

Kearney and Risper have not been indicted by a Grand Jury, which has until Aug 19 to indict the case.

Wilson's death is linked to the killing of Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr.--just six days earlier--by a gun. Saybolt said Tuesday that the gun prosecutors believe Kearney fired at Wilson was used by Larnell Allen to shoot Sharps. Kearney is suspected in both cases. Saybolt said prosecutors believe Kearney and Risper stole the gun from Allen sometime after Sharps was killed.

Status hearings are set in the case for July 22 and Aug. 23.

3-20-12: A correction has been made to this story. The crew associated with the case is known as "First and O," not "First and Oak" as initially reported.

Cases Against Kwan Kearney Likely to Remain Seperate

Laura Amico — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:12:02 -0400

Two open murder cases against Kwan Kearney will likely be indicted separately, despite overlapping evidence in the cases, a government prosecutor told Judge Thomas Motley Friday morning.

Kearney, along with codefendant Larnell Allen, is suspected in the killing of Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr on November 8, 2010. He is also suspected in the killing of Jamal Wilson less than a week after Sharps' death. His codefendant in that case is Jeremy Risper.

All three men appeared before the court at the same time Friday.

Motley acknowledged that Kearney's presence interlocks the cases and that a recovered gun believed to be used in both cases could yield DNA evidence pertinent to both cases.

But Motley said other than these details there does not appear to be a connection between the cases.

No Indictments Yet in Six Murder Cases

Laura Amico — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:37:11 -0500

Six murder cases were before Judge Thomas Motley Friday morning for felony status conferences and each of them resulted in new status conference dates.

Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper are scheduled to reappear on April 1 in the case accusing them of killing Jamal Wilson on Nov. 14, 2010. The two men have not yet been indicted by the grand jury. The government has approximately six more months to file charges against them; by law a person must be indicted within nine months of being presented with a murder charge.

Kearney will appear again on April 1 with co-defendant Larnell Allen in the case accusing them of killing Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr. on Nov. 8, 2010. No indictments have been handed up yet in that case, either.

Rickey Pharr is due back in Judge Motley's courtroom on June 10. The victim in that case, Angelo Jones, was shot to death Oct. 2, 2010. The case has not yet been indicted; the government has until mid-August to formally charge Pharr.

Robert Carter will appear again on May 6; his case has not yet been indicted. Homicide Watch reported it earlier here.