Lamonte Perry | Homicide Watch DC

Family: "10 years is not enough" for the Murder of Andre Jackson

Imari Williams — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 13:37:00 -0500

Marquette Tibbs was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for the shooting death of Andre Jackson almost exactly two years ago.

Tibbs pleaded guilty in September to voluntary manslaughter while armed for Jackson's murder. He had originally been charged with first-degree murder.

Two weeks earlier, Tibbs' former co-defendant, Lamonte Perry, was acquitted of first-degree premeditated murder but convicted of obstruction of justice in the case. That trial ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked over the lesser-included charge of second-degree murder.

Jackson, 22, was found in the 300 block of Ridge Road Southeast behind an apartment building. He died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Kenerson said "no amount of time that the court could give would bring Jackson back or soothe the pain of his family, but Tibbs admission and evidence should be taken into account."

"It brings some amount of closure," the prosecutor said.

But Jackson's family believes Tibbs got away with murder.

"This man has escaped first-degree murder charges and admitted, out of his own mouth, that he killed my son," Jackson's father, Allen Jackson, said in a victim impact statement. "He shot him 17 times."

As they addressed the court, several members of the Jackson family just wanted to know why the shooting happened.

"We grew up together," Jackson's sister, Alanda Jackson, said. "It hurts me to know he killed my brother. What went wrong?"

Tibbs defense attorney, Dominique Winters, argued that there is no doubt that this was a tragedy, but Tibbs wasn't thinking clearly.

"We have to acknowledge this was a dangerous neighborhood," Winters said. "He is a product of his environment and his thinking was flawed, but he knows what he did was terrible."

Tibbs stood up and cleared his throat as he addressed the court: "I'm sorry and I understand, but the truth will reveal itself," he said, drawing an audible commotion from Jackson's family and friends. "I took the plea," he continued, "but soon you'll see."

Before delivering her sentence, Judge Rhonda Winston asked Tibbs, "What did you mean the truth will reveal itself?"

Tibbs relayed through his lawyers that Perry had called him that night, telling him that Jackson was "out to get him." Tibbs believed it was "kill or be killed."

"I don't know what Perry told you, but there was no excuse for shooting that man down like that," Judge Winston said. "Just a lack of human life."

On Eve of Trial, Marquette Tibbs Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter

Imari Williams — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 21:10:11 -0400

Marquette Tibbs pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed Thursday for the shooting death of Andre Jackson on Nov. 4, 2012. He was scheduled to begin trial on Monday.

Tibbs' guilty plea comes two weeks after jurors acquitted his former co-defendant, Lamonte Perry, of first-degree premeditated murder, but deadlocked over the lesser-included charge of second-degree murder. Perry was, however, convicted of obstruction of justice in connection with Jackson's death.

Tibbs was originally charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during crime of violence, and carrying a pistol.

In exchange for his plea Tuesday, prosecutor dropped his other charges.

Jackson, 22, was found behind an apartment building in the 300 block of Ridge Road Southeast. He died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Witnesses told police that on the night of the shooting, Tibbs and Byron Akeem Dunn were seen running towards an alley, one aiming a firearm at Jackson, according to charging documents. Charges against Dunn were later dropped.

At trial, prosecutors argued that Tibbs used Jackson's friendship with Perry to lure Jackson into the alley where he was shot.

Police believed that Tibbs wanted to kill Jackson because Jackson shot and destroyed property at Tibbs' grandmother's house in February 2010.

One witness said the two men's families had an ongoing feud with Jackson's family.

Tibbs is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 6 before Judge Rhonda Winston.

A copy of the plea documents are below:

Mistrial Declared on Murder 2 in Lamonte Perry Murder Case

Timothy Ryan — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 19:14:14 -0400

Judge Lynn Leibovitz declared a mistrial on a single murder charge against Lamonte Perry Monday, after a jury cleared him of some charges and convicted him of one but deadlocked on the final count.

In court, the foreperson of the jury paused for a moment before telling Leibovitz that further deliberations could not help her fellow jurors decide whether Perry killed Andre Jackson.

Two jurors remained opposed a guilty verdict on the second-degree murder charge, the foreperson said.

Earlier Monday, jurors acquitted Perry of premeditated first-degree murder, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and carrying a pistol outside of the home or business. He was convicted of obstruction of justice.

"I think they will be more effective the second time around," Alan Smith, Jackson's father, said of prosecutors after the verdict. "They put up a good fight."

While the mistrial is a frustrating setback, Smith said he remains hopeful for the future trial.

Judge Leibovitz set a status hearing for Sept. 15, the same day the trial of Marquette Tibbs is scheduled to begin. Tibbs is also charged with first-degree murder in connection with Jackson's death.

Partial Verdict in Lamonte Perry Trial; Deliberations Continue

Timothy Ryan — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 17:09:02 -0400

In a partial verdict delivered Monday, jurors cleared Lamonte Perry of first-degree premeditated murder, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol outside of the home, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

However, the jury has not reached a consensus for Perry's remaining charges: second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, both in connection with the 2012 shooting of Andre Jackson.

"I can't see not guilty on all counts," Alan Smith, Jackson's father said after the partial verdict. "Maybe I'm being naive on this."

Jurors will continue deliberations on those charges. They have been considering the evidence since August 20.

Several witnesses testified they saw Perry with Jackson on the night of the murder, and one resident of the building behind which Jackson was shot said he saw a person with similar facial hair to Perry chasing Jackson just before the shots went off.

Lamonte Perry Murder Trial Goes to the Jury

Timothy Ryan — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 22:04:32 -0400

Jurors in the murder trial of Lamonte Perry have been told that Perry and Andre Jackson were very good friends.

But as jurors head into deliberations, they must determine if Perry's allegiance to his 37th street neighborhood outweighed his friendship, as prosecutors alleged, or if Perry was simply walking with his friends when Marquette Tibbs allegedly shot and killed Jackson to settle a score, as the defense claimed.

"Without Lamonte Perry's involvement, Andre Jackson would still be alive," Assistant U.S. Attorney Magdalena Acevedo said during closing arguments Tuesday.

Perry is charged with one count of first degree-murder, three weapons charges and one count of obstruction of justice for allegedly leading Jackson into an ambush that resulted in his death on Nov. 4, 2012.

Tibbs is set for trial on Sept. 15. Charges against a third man, Byron Dunn, were dropped in November 2013.

Defense Attorney Kevin Irving claimed the government's witnesses could not prove Perry had any knowledge of Tibbs and Dunns' intentions before they allegedly opened fire behind the 300 block of Ridge Road Southeast.

Jonathan Robinson, who grew up on 37th street, testified that both Tibbs and Perry told him on separate instances about the plans to kill Jackson in response to a shooting at Dunn's grandmother's house, which Tibbs thought Jackson committed.

Robinson said he knew Tibbs from when he was younger, but he hadn't seen him for years before the two met again in prison. There, Robinson said, Tibbs showed him documents that contained statements from witnesses concerning Jackson's death. Tibbs thought one of the witnesses was Perry, Robinson said.

Later, in a different unit of the prison, Robinson met Perry and told Perry he was disappointed in him for his role in Jackson's murder because he knew the two were close friends.

Robinson testified that Perry replied, "I know, I'm messed up with myself for this predicament."

But Irving, the defense attorney, doubted Perry would open up to Robinson so quickly, especially considering Perry robbed Robinson when they were teenagers.

According to Robinson, Perry eventually said that he talked to Tibbs on the phone just before the shooting, and that Tibbs told Perry to lead Jackson behind a building so Tibbs and Dunn could kill Jackson.

Phone records from the night of the murder showed conversations between Perry and Tibbs, as well as between Jackson and Perry and Jackson and Tibbs, according to Durand Odom, an investigator with the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In his grand jury testimony, Perry said he smoked PCP the night of the murder, which caused him to forget certain events.

However, Perry did remember an argument, and the fact that he walked with Tibbs, Dunn and Jackson down the alley. He said he walked behind the group to avoid getting PCP smoke on his friends because they needed to pass drug tests.

When Perry saw Tibbs and Dunn pull out guns, he said, he started running in the opposite direction.

Jurors will receive instructions and begin deliberations on Wednesday morning.

Trial Opens: Did Lamonte Perry Lead Andre Jackson To His Death?

Timothy Ryan — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 20:22:58 -0400

Prosecutors say Lamonte Perry was loyal to his close friend Andre Jackson, but he was also loyal to his 37th street neighborhood.

So on Nov. 4, 2012, Perry led Jackson behind an apartment complex and into an ambush set up by Marquette Tibbs, Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Kenerson said Monday. And though Perry never fired a shot, he helped ensure Jackson died that night, Kenerson said.

Perry faces one count of first-degree murder, three related weapons charges and one count of obstruction of justice in connection with Jackson's death. Tibbs, Perry's former co-defendant, is charged with first-degree murder and two related weapons charges; he is scheduled to begin trial on September 15.

Perry's defense attorney, Kevin Irving, insisted his client did not know what was going to happen behind that building on the 300 block of Ridge Road Southeast.

In fact, Irving said prosecutors cannot prove Perry and Tibbs communicated or conspired before the murder.

"Speculation," Irving said to the jury. "That's what the government is going to ask you to do in this trial."

Kenerson, the prosecutor, said that a fight earlier in the night convinced Tibbs to put his plan to get even with Jackson into action, a plan that involved Jackson's good friend. Prosecutors have said Tibbs wanted to kill Jackson because Jackson shot and destroyed property at Tibbs' grandmother's house in February 2010.

While in jail, Perry all but confessed to another inmate that he played a role in the murder, Kenerson told jurors. Additionally, on the night of the murder, a woman saw Perry pulling Jackson towards the alley where Jackson was shot, Kenerson said Monday.

Irving suggested two of the prosecution's witnesses were only testifying to receive lesser sentences in criminal cases against them. According to Irving, Perry had no motive to help kill the man who both sides agreed was his close friend.

"One does not necessarily have to pull a trigger to be guilty of murder," Kenerson told jurors.

The trial is set to resume at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday before Judge Rhonda Reid Winston.

Lamonte Perry Arrested in Connection with Nov. 2012 Andre Jackson Shooting

Laura Amico — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 08:21:18 -0500

A 22-year-old Southeast DC man has been arrested in connection with the November 2012 shooting death of Andre Jackson.

The suspect, identified by police as Lamonte Perry, is expected to be charged with felony murder while armed.

Perry is the third person to be arrested in connection with the case. In court last week, Marquette Tibbs pleaded innocent to charges including first-degree murder related to Jackson's death. Another man was arrested and held for more than seven months before charges against him were dropped early last week.

A press release from MPD is below.

November 25, 2013

Additional Arrest Made in Homicide: 300 Block of Ridge Road, SE

(Washington, DC)- The Metropolitan Police Department has announced an additional arrest has been made in the homicide which occurred in the 300 block of Ridge Road, SE.

On Sunday, November 4, 2012, at approximately 2:14 am, units from the Sixth District responded to the 300 block of Ridge Road, SE for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival they located an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived and determined that the victim had no signs consistent with life. The victim remained on the scene and was later transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia, pending an autopsy.

The decedent is identified as 22-year-old Andre Jackson of Southeast, Washington, DC.

On Tuesday, February 26, 2013 members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested two adult males charging them both with First Degree Murder While Armed, pursuant to a District of Columbia Superior Court Arrest Warrant, in the shooting death of Andre Jackson.

On Monday, November 25, 2013, members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested 22-year-old Lamonte Perry of Southeast, Washington, DC, charging him with Felony Murder while Armed in connection with the death of Andre Jackson.