Michael Davis | Homicide Watch DC

Defense Seeks to Reestablish Michael Davis As Incompetent for Trial

Megan Arellano — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 17:36:04 -0500

In the nine months since Michael Davis was found competent to stand trial, letters from Saint Elizabeths hospital show Davis continuing to confuse legal concepts with each other.

Now his attorneys are attempting to convince the court to halt trial proceedings, arguing that Davis can not participate fully in his defense and should perhaps be again ruled mentally incompetent.

"Virtually all of the Hospital letters indicate that Mr. Davis required 'education' on one or more areas," a motion presented to the court by Davis' attorneys Friday alleges.

Davis is charged with two counts of assault and one count of first-degree murder in connection with five hammer assaults that occurred in Petworth during April 2012. Prosecutors allege that one of those assaults killed 66-year-old Denver nurse Gary Dederichs.

Dederichs was found dead by police in the 800 block of Emerson Street, Northwest on April 24, 2012 with blunt force head trauma.

Davis was arrested two weeks later and initially found incompetent by the Department of Mental Health. In that first report, people close to Davis reported that he had been treated for mental health disorders, including schizophrenia.

Attorney Dana Page said on Friday that Davis is "unable [to] rationally work with us as it relates to him." Page requested Friday that Davis be screened again to determine whether he has the ability to apply legal concepts he has learned to the specifics of his own case.

Because additional competency screening would require Davis to talk about the specifics of his case with government employees, Judge Robert Morin characterized the motion as "a big-time move."

"In essence, you're waiving your client's Fifth Amendment rights not to have inquiry on these matters," Judge Morin said.

Page responded that Davis's defense is aware of the impact of their decision could have on the future of the case, including its impact on a potential insanity defense for Davis.

Judge Robert Morin deferred making a decision Friday whether to order additional competency exams for Davis. A status hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on March 28.

Michael Davis Found Competent to Stand Trial in Gary Dederichs' Death, Pleads Innocent

Megan Arellano — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:52:59 -0400

Judge Robert Morin ruled Tuesday that after nearly a year of mental health treatment Michael Davis is competent to stand trial for a series of hammer attacks that took place over three days last year, one of which resulted in the death of 66-year-old Gary Dederichs.

Dederichs was found by police in the 800 block of Emerson Street, Northwest on April 24, 2012. He had suffered a blunt force head trauma and died on the scene.

Davis, brother of NFL stars Vernon and Vontae Davis, was arrested two weeks later and initially found incompetent by the Department of Mental Health.

In that initial report, the department said that people close to Davis said he had been treated for mental health disorders, including schizophrenia. Davis said he attended a special education school.

Mental competency, most often characterized as the ability of a defendant to understand the charges against them, must be found before a defendant can be tried.

In the year since Davis was arrested, his mental health has improved through a combination of medication and intensive training. Mental health evaluators now believe that Davis is fit to continue with criminal proceedings.

"At this point, the weight of evidence is that the defendant is competent to stand trial, almost in a technical sense," Judge Morin said Tuesday.

Morin noted, though, that Davis' competency could change and that "extra and extraordinary" measures may be needed to maintain his health. With that in mind, Morin requested regular competency reports at 60 day intervals, and Davis will remain held at St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

"The court's intent is to take this step by step; I won't proceed if Mr. Davis doesn't understand," Morin said.

After delivering his ruling, Morin arraigned Davis on first-degree murder and several assault charges; Davis pled innocent to all charges.

A status hearing is scheduled for August 30.

Michael Davis Still Mentally Incompetent to Proceed with Court Proceedings

Rebecca Zisser — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:54:02 -0400

Michael Davis, the 19-year-old brother of NFL stars Vernon and Vontae Davis, remains mentally unfit to participate in the murder proceedings against him.

That determination, the second in the case, was made by the Department of Mental Health and announced at a hearing Friday at DC Superior Court. Davis was first found mentally incompetent in May.

Davis is suspected of two counts of assault with the intent to kill and one count of first-degree murder.

The assaults involve five hammer assaults in Petworth, including one that killed 66-year-old Denver nurse Gary Dederichs.

The report states that Davis does not seem to have a full understanding of court proceedings. "He remains confused about several key components essential to attaining competency to proceed," the report states.

Judge Robert Morin ordered that Davis continue receiving treatment at St. Elizabeths. Davis is scheduled for another mental health observation hearing on Sept. 21.

Mental Health Report: Michael Davis Alert, Pleasant, Cooperative, Incompetant

Laura Amico — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:32:42 -0400

A psychologist who examined Petworth teen Michael Davis in advance of his preliminary hearing on charges that he struck at least three people with a hammer, killing one of them, described the teen as alert, pleasant, and cooperative, but noted that he showed cognitive deficits and would require intense therapy in order to be able to proceed with his case.

The psychologist's report was made public Friday after Judge Robert Morin ruled earlier in the week that the document must be unsealed.

Davis, 19, is suspected of murder in the death of 66-year-old retired Denver nurse Gary Dederichs as well as two counts of assault with intent to kill in two other attacks.

The mental health examination was ordered prior to the preliminary hearing. In the examination, Davis reported that he attended a special education school. Others reported that he had been treated for mental health disorders, including schizophrenia, in the past. In one incident his mother and teacher both reported being "afraid of him."

Based, in part, on these reports, the psychologist concluded that Davis was incompetent to proceed to trial. The examining psychologist suggested that Davis receive "intensive group and individual competency classes with an emphasis on visual clues along with mock trial scenarios."

Substantial Probablity Found in Petworth Hammer Attacks Case

Rebecca Zisser — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:55:27 -0400

A DC Superior Court Judge found substantial probability today that five attacks over the course of three days in Petworth last month were linked to the same person and that that person was 19-year-old Michael Davis, brother of NFL stars Vernon and Vontae Davis.

That ruling was made today at Davis's preliminary hearing on two assault charges and one murder charge. The hearing was held even though Judge Robert Morin found Davis mentally incompetent to stand trial earlier this morning. Earlier reports have indicated that Davis may suffer from schizophrenia and have a history of PCP use.

Davis sat unmoving through the approximately three hours of the preliminary hearing; his eyes partially closed and his mouth slightly open.

Davis was arrested the evening of April 16, following a non-fatal attack on a woman in the 5000 block of 8th Street Northwest. A total of four other attacks, including the fatal assault on 66-year-old Denver man Gary Dederichs, have been linked to the April 16 attack.

At the preliminary hearing Friday, Detective Gabriel Truby testified that the night of his arrest, Davis appeared to be "mentally slow."

On the night Davis was arrested, he told police repeatedly, "I just want you to know, I'm a really good person. I'm a good person," Truby said.

Morin said his finding that the five attacks were related came as a result of the fact that all five crimes were committed within a small time frame and location and because all of the victims experienced blunt force trauma to the back of their heads.

Gary Dederichs was found in an alley alongside 813 Emerson Street in Northwest DC just after 6 p.m. on April 24. He was unconscious and unresponsive; a "large quantity" of blood was pooled near his head. Dederichs did not appear to have been robbed; a wallet with money was found on him. An autopsy found that Dederichs died of blunt force trauma to the head. A medical examiner said the injury could have come from a "claw style weapon, possibly a hammer."

Early the following morning, at about 2:40 a.m., a 53-year-old man was found near 4812 Georgia Avenue Northwest with traumatic head injuries. He was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery for multiple facial fractures and a large fracture to the back of his head. Medical authorities said a hammer or baseball bat could have caused the injuries.

That night, a 19-year-old woman was attacked in the 5600 block of 9th Street Northwest. She appears to have also been struck on the back of the head, fracturing her skull and causing bleeding in her brain.

The next day, at 3:30 pm, a man was attacked in the 200 block of Ingraham Street Northwest. The man was knocked from behind to the ground, and his injuries include cuts to his head and face. A rubberized hammer handle was found near the scene of the crime.

Later that day, just before 9 p.m., a woman was attacked in the 5000 block of 8th Street Northwest. The attack fractured her skull and fractured her skull. A man detained shortly after the attack had a claw-tooth hammer in his backpack. Hair was present on the clawed end, court documents state.

Davis' defense attorney, Dana Page, argued that there was little evidence that Davis committed these crimes. Page said witnesses in the case could not be trusted, in one case because the witness did not come forward until Davis' arrest was reported in the media. She added that there was no evidence connecting Davis to Dederichs' slaying.

Morin ordered Davis held; he is due back in court Wednesday for a status hearing.

Mental Health Expert: Michael Davis Currently Incompetent to Participate in Court Proceedings

Rebecca Zisser — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:54:53 -0400

Michael Davis, the 19-year-old Petworth brother of NFL stars Vernon and Vontae Davis, has been found mentally unfit to participate in the murder proceedings against him.

That determination was made by the Department of Mental Health and announced at a hearing Friday at DC Superior Court.

Davis is suspected of two counts of assault with the intent to kill and one count of first-degree murder.

The assaults involve five hammer assaults in Petworth, including one that killed 66-year-old Denver nurse Gary Dederichs.

Mental health experts requested that Davis receive treatment at in an in-patient treatment facility. They said that Davis would be reevaluated in 60 days. He could regain competency and be able to proceed to trial.

Davis will remain at St. Elizabeth’s hospital until his reevaluation. He is scheduled for another mental health observation hearing on July 13 at 11:00 a.m.

The competency finding did not delay a preliminary hearing on the assault and murder charges. That hearing, which began shortly after 1 p.m. Friday is scheduled to continue this afternoon.

Witness Says Michael Davis Tried to Acquire Gun in Days Before Petworth Hammer Attacks

Laura Amico — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:57:20 -0400

The DC teen suspected in five hammer assaults in Petworth, including one that killed 66-year-old Denver nurse Gary Dederichs, had been intent on obtaining a gun in the week leading up to the assaults but appears not to have been able to acquire one.

That's according to charging documents presented to the nineteen year old, Michael Davis, today at DC Superior Court. He's suspected of one count of first-degree premeditated murder as well as two counts of assault with intent to kill.

Davis appeared today at DC Superior Court in connection with the murder case. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning in the murder case; separate preliminary hearings are scheduled for the assault cases.

The charging documents rely, in part, on the account of one witness who said that in the days before Dederichs was killed Davis had asked on at least five different occasions how he could acquire a gun.

The witness told police that they told Davis of someone who had guns and promised to tell Davis when that person came by the neighborhood.

The witness also told police that Davis had a history of PCP use as well as mental illness. The Washington Post reported Saturday that Davis "suffered from 'auditory and visual hallucinations.' Schizophrenia and 'borderline intellectual functioning' were diagnosed preliminarily." A mental health observation has been ordered in connection with the assaults, and a mental health hearing is scheduled for tomorrow.

According to court records, Davis has been charged, but not indicted, in three assaults. Two additional assaults have been linked to him, but no charges have been filed in those cases at this time.

Dederichs was found in an alley alongside 813 Emerson Street in Northwest DC just after 6 p.m. on April 24. He was unconscious and unresponsive; a “large quantity” of blood was pooled near his head. Dederichs did not appear to have been robbed; a wallet with money was found on him. An autopsy found that Dederichs died of blunt force trauma to the head. A medical examiner said the injury could have come from a “claw style weapon, possibly a hammer.”

Early the following morning, at about 2:40 a.m., a 53-year-old male was found near 4812 Georgia Avenue Northwest with traumatic head injuries. He was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery for multiple facial fractures and a large fracture to the back of his head. Medical authorities said the injuries could have been caused by a hammer or baseball bat.

Charging documents in the case are below.

Michael Davis Arrested on Murder Charge in Death of Denver Nurse

Laura Amico — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:38:09 -0400

The brother of football stars Vernon and Vontae Davis has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of 66-year-old Denver man Gary Dederichs.

The teen, Michael Davis, was already in custody on suspicion of assaulting two other people with a hammer.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled in those cases for Friday morning.

A press release from MPD is below.

May 10, 2012

Arrest Made: Homicide in the 800 block of Emerson Street, NW

(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch have announced that an arrest has been made in the homicide which occurred in the 800 block of Emerson Street, Northwest.

On Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at approximately 6:02 pm, units from the Fourth District responded to the 800 block of Emerson Street, Northwest, for the report of an unconscious person. Upon their arrival, they located an adult male victim, suffering from apparent head trauma. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to the scene and determined that the victim had no signs consistent with life. The victim was later pronounced dead by a member of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner.

The decedent has been identified as 66 year-old Gary Dederichs of Denver, Colorado.

On Wednesday, May 9, 2012, members of the Homicide Branch arrested 19 year-old Michael Davis pursuant to a DC Superior Court Warrant charging him with First Degree Murder while Armed in the death of Gary Dederichs. Mr. Davis was previously arrested in connection with two assault cases and was being held in DC Jail at the time of his arrest.