Robert Carter | Homicide Watch DC

“May God Forgive Me for My Sins and Have Mercy on My Soul," Robert Carter Says at Sentencing for Murder of Angel Morse

Penny Ray — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:21:38 -0500

Robert Merrill Carter was sentenced Friday to 70 years in prison in connection with the October 2010 shooting death of his 13-year-old daughter, Angel Morse.

Carter, 41, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and two related assault charges in connection with the case a week before his trial was scheduled to begin in Oct. 2012.

Carter wept in court Friday as he asked his family to forgive him.

“May God forgive me for my sins and have mercy on my soul,” he said. “Words can't express how sorry I am. I hurt every day.”

Carter's defense attorney, Steven Kiersh, had filed notice in July 2011 that he would be using an insanity defense at trial. But at sentencing Friday, Kiersh told the court that it was Carter who chose to accept the plea agreement because “he did not want his family to endure the pain of a month-long trial.”

Kiersh added that a prominent psychiatrist had evaluated Carter, and he had determined that Carter's actions were “a crime of insanity.” Carter told mental health experts in February 2012 that “there was something evil in the house” the day he killed Morse.

Prosecutors believe, though, that Carter was in complete control of his actions on that Friday afternoon.

“Robert Carter crossed the line of decency,” Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gorman told the court. “The court cannot conclude that he did not have control over himself.”

According to the government's evidence, Carter was alone for several hours in the home of his estranged girlfriend on the morning of October 29, 2010; and prosecutors believe that during that time he ingested cocaine. Morse, his daughter, arrived at the home around noon. Soon after she arrived, Carter went to a nearby CVS store on Georgia Avenue and purchased a Halloween mask and work gloves.

Carter then returned to the home, retrieved a gun, forced Morse into the basement, and fired a single shot through Morse's left ear. The bullet exited the right side of her head, and she died on the basement floor, according to documents in the case.

The Halloween mask was found next to her body; the work gloves were found in an upstairs bedroom and had Morse's blood on them.

Later that afternoon, several of Morse's family members and friends returned to the home, and Carter held them against their will and forced them to remain on the couch. When his then-girlfriend returned home, Carter opened the door and pointed a gun at her.

Carter's ten-year-old son lunged at him, hitting Carter in the arm just as the gun fired. Carter then fired the gun several times, striking his girlfriend in the abdomen and his son in the leg, the documents say.

Carter fled the scene, carjacking a MetroAccess vehicle which was being used to transport an 84-year-old woman. Carter eventually forced that woman out of the vehicle. He then led the police on a high-speed chase through Prince George's County, before crashing the vehicle into a building in Capitol Heights.

Before sentencing, Judge Thomas Motley asked prosecutors what they believed the Halloween mask was used for. Gorman said they believed Carter either wore the mask when he shot Morse, or perhaps he was going to leave the mask and claim that someone else had shot her.

When Motley asked Carter what he used the mask for, Carter said that he purchased the mask because it was Halloween and he was going to “watch the game and hand out candy.”

A member of Morse's family read letters to the court written by Carter's remaining children. The letters described the financial hardship and mental issues the family has endured since that fatal Friday.

“This person was supposed to protect us from harm, not inflict pain and suffering,” one of the letters read.

Another letter expressed relief that Carter was behind bars.

“Thank you for catching him and keeping us safe,” the letter said.

A press release from the US Attorney's Office is below. Sentencing documents have been added to this post.

District Man Sentenced to 70 Years in Prison For Murder of 13-Year-Old Daughter, Shooting of Two Others-Defendant Wounded Ex-Girlfriend and Another Child in the Attack-

WASHINGTON - Robert Carter, 41, was sentenced today to70 years in prison on charges stemming from the killing of his 13-year-old daughter and the wounding of his ex-girlfriend and a 10-year-old boy, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Carter, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in October 2012 to one count of first-degree murder while armed and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. He was sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by the Honorable Thomas J. Motley. Judge Motley sentenced Carter to 45 years in prison for the murder and 25 years for the other charges.

According to the government’s evidence, Carter and his then-girlfriend, Moria Morse, were estranged and he was no longer living with her and the family at the time of the murder. On Oct. 29, 2010, he was at their home in the 500 block of Madison Street NW, alone there for several hours. That afternoon, he went to a store and purchased a Halloween mask and a pair of work gloves. When he returned, he took his daughter, Angel Morse, 13, to the basement. He shot the teenager once in the head. The Halloween mask was later found on the floor, next to the girl, and the gloves were found elsewhere in the house, with her blood on them.

Within an hour, several family members and acquaintances began returning to the home. Carter held them against their will, including Moria Morse’s two sons, 6 and 10, and the defendant’s and Moria Morse’s 16-year-old daughter, who he forced to sit on a couch.

At one point, Carter told the 16-year-old that Angel was in the basement and that he had killed her. When his then-girlfriend returned home, Carter went to the front door, opened it, and pointed a gun at her. The 10-year-old boy jumped up from a couch and lunged at Carter, striking his arm as he began to fire the gun. Carter fired the gun several times, hitting his then-girlfriend once in the abdomen and the 10-year-old once in the leg.

After shooting the gun several more times, Carter stole a friend’s car and fled. He abandoned the vehicle in order to carjack a MetroAccess sedan, taking control of that car with an 84-year-old passenger inside. As Carter kept driving, the woman screamed, “You’re passing my house! This is my block? I’m sick and I’m crippled! Please get me to my house” She was eventually released unharmed. But Carter continued to flee, leading local police officers on a chase into Prince George’s County, where he crashed the MetroAccess car into a building in Capitol Heights. He has been in custody since his arrest after the crash.

“Robert Carter committed one violent act after another in a terrifying afternoon, killing his own 13-year-old daughter, shooting two other innocent victims, and then trying to make his escape by carjacking a MetroAccess car with an elderly passenger inside,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His complete lack of compassion was astounding and the community will be safer with this sentence that should put him in prison for the rest of his life.”

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers and crime scene technicians who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegals Phaylyn Hunt, Sandra Lane, and Alesha Matthews Yette, Victim Advocate Marcy Rinker, Witness Security Specialist Debra Cannon, Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Gorman and Erin O. Lyons, who prosecuted the case.

Robert Carter Sentencing Documents (PDF)Robert Carter Sentencing Documents (Text)

Robert Carter Pleads Guilty in Killing of Angel Morse

Chris Amico — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:49:49 -0400

Robert Carter pled guilty today to killing his 13-year-old daughter Angel Morse. His trial for first-degree murder was set to begin next week.

At a hearing in July 2011 Carter pleaded innocent. His attorney, Steven Kiersh, had filed notice that he would be using an insanity defense at trial.

Carter told mental health experts evaluating him in February that "there was something evil in the house" the day Morse was killed.

According to that report, Carter said of his daughter's death:

Something was happening. I don't know what it was. I was outside my body looking at my body do things. I seen this before. I was upstairs on the second floor and Angel was on the first floor looking at TV. I got the gun out of my closet and came downstairs. She looked up and I grabbed her and pulled her down in the basement. There was something evil in the house. God had showed me all this evil before. Something pulled me into the basement - it was like I was just watching and I seen myself look back and me taunting myself - like I’m just looking, watching, looking at me-looking back at me... I killed her… After that I called my cousin and told him it was an accident - told him what happened. He told me to call an ambulance. I told him she was already dead. She wasn't moving.

Documents filed earlier this month by prosecutors allege that Carter may have sexually abused Morse and had a history of drug abuse.

In addition to the first-degree murder plea, Carter pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

He faces a potential 60 years in prison on the murder charge and 30 years in prison on each of the counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

A statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office is below and Homicide Watch D.C. ~~will update this story with documents related to the plea and more information later tonight~~ has updated this post with related documents below.

Man Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder While Armed In Killing of 13-Year-Old Daughter-Defendant Also Pleads Guilty to Wounding Two Others-

WASHINGTON - Robert Carter, 41, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to first-degree murder while armed and other charges stemming from the killing of his 13-year-old daughter and the wounding of two others, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Carter also pled guilty to two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. He entered the guilty pleas in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Thomas J. Motley scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2013. Carter faces a potential sentence of up to 60 years in prison on the murder charge, with a mandatory minimum of 30 years. He also faces up to 30 years in prison on each of the counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

According to the government’s evidence, Carter and his then-girlfriend were estranged and he was no longer living with her and the family at the time of the murder. On Oct. 29, 2010, he was at their home in the 500 block of Madison Street NW, alone there for several hours. That afternoon, he went to a store and purchased a Halloween mask and a pair of work gloves. When he returned, he took his daughter, Angel Morse, to the basement. He shot the teenager once in the head. The Halloween mask was later found on the floor, next to the girl, and the gloves were found elsewhere in the house, with her blood on them.

Later that afternoon, several family members and acquaintances began returning to the home. Carter held them against their will, including two boys, 6 and 10, and a 16-year-old girl, who he forced to sit on a couch. At one point, Carter told the 16-year-old that Angel was in the basement and that he had killed her. When his then-girlfriend returned home, Carter went to the front door, opened it, and pointed a gun at her. The 10-year-old boy jumped up from a couch and lunged at Carter, striking his arm as he began to fire the gun. Carter fired the gun several times, hitting his then-girlfriend once in the abdomen and the 10-year-old once in the leg.

After shooting the gun several more times, Carter stole a friend’s car and fled. He abandoned the vehicle in order to carjack a MetroAccess sedan, taking control of that car with an 84-year-old passenger inside. That passenger was eventually released unharmed. Carter led local police officers on a chase into Prince George’s County, where he crashed the MetroAccess car into a building in Capitol Heights. He has been in custody since his arrest after the crash, and was scheduled to go to trial on murder and other charges next month.

In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers and crime scene technicians who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegals Phaylyn Hunt, Sandra Lane, and Alesha Matthews Yette, Victim Advocate Marcy Rinker, Witness Security Specialist Debra Cannon, Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Gorman and Erin O. Lyons.

Prosecutors Allege Teen Was Sexually Abused Before Her Murder

Sam Pearson — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:05:15 -0400

Robert Carter is accused of killing his 13-year-old daughter Angel Morse on Oct. 29, 2010, before fleeing the family home in Northwest Washington, carjacking a MetroAccess vehicle and crashing in Prince George's County.

But prosecutors now say that Carter may have also been sexually abusing Morse and they are seeking to introduce evidence of abuse at trial.

Angel Morse (Metro Police photo)

Carter, 41, walked with a cane and sat quietly during a hearing before Judge Thomas Motley on Friday to evaluate his mental competency to stand trial.

At a hearing in July 2011 Carter pleaded innocent and his attorney, Steven Kiersh, has filed notice that he will be using an insanity defense at trial.

Carter told mental health experts evaluating him in February that "there was something evil in the house" the day Morse was killed.

According to that report, Carter said of his daughter's death:

Something was happening. I don’t know what it was. I was outside my body looking at my body do things. I seen this before. I was upstairs on the second floor and Angel was on the first floor looking at TV. I got the gun out of my closet and came downstairs. She looked up and I grabbed her and pulled her down in the basement. There was something evil in the house. God had showed me all this evil before. Something pulled me into the basement- it was like I was just watching and I seen myself look back and me taunting myself- like I’m just looking, watching, looking at me-looking back at me… I killed her… After that I called my cousin and told him it was an accident- told him what happened. He told me to call an ambulance. I told him she was already dead. She wasn’t moving.

New documents filed by prosecutors this month allege that Carter may have sexually abused Morse and had a history of drug abuse. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gorman declined to specify in court how the government would use evidence of sexual abuse to rebut the insanity defense.

Prosecutors say Carter had a history of sexually abusing his daughter. Morse told family members a few weeks before her death that Carter had gotten into bed with her and touched her inappropriately, according to the filing.

Prosecutors say family members confronted Carter about the behavior and he apologized to Morse.

Gorman said family members would testify about the series of events during the trial. He said items found at the crime scene "could lead one to conclude at the time of the murder, he was sexually assaulting her... We're not going to dance around that."

The Us Attorney's Office is seeing life in prison without the possibility of parole for Carter. His trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 5.

"There was something evil in the house," Man Accused of Killing Daughter told Mental Health Experts

Laura Amico — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:49:21 -0500

A mental health report on Robert Carter, charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of his daughter, Angel Morse, includes Carter's own accounting for what happened the afternoon Morse was killed. He has pleaded innocent.

The report is part of the public record connected to the case. At a December court date, attorneys disagreed on what specifically the report found and Carter's attorney, Steven Kiersh, said that he would hire an expert to conduct further tests. Carter is due back in court Feb. 17.

Carter's description of the shooting is after the jump. The description may be upsetting for some. Though the public document includes the witnesses' names, Homicide Watch has used only their first initials.

According to the report, Carter explained:

On the day before the instant offense, Mr. Carter said that he and two of his children, Angel and "C," were at his mother's house. He indicated that he wasn't using drugs that day, but had been using cocaine about four days previously. "I was talking with my grandmother and telling her I was had to leave "M" {his girlfriend}. Things between us weren't going too good. She wouldn't let me see our kids. I didn't know whre they were half the time." He then explained that when he and "M" had been broken up in the past, he didn't see the children very much. He then said that she was a "prostitute for the government, I know that, and they were trying to kill me. She had me sign a life insurance policy so I know she was in on it."

On the day of the instant offense, Mr. Carter reported that the children, Angel, "M," and "S" came home after school. He said he had been snorting powdered cocaine during the day. He sent them to the corner store to "get stuff" and they were gone for approxomatly 20 minutes. His friend, "E" "wanted to come by and buy crack. When he came by, I asked him to take the boys with him when he went around the corner to get his hair cut, so he took "M" and "S." I was getting high while they were gone. They came back one hour later. Something was happening. I don't know what it was. I was outside my body looking at my body do things. I seen this before. I was upstairs on the second floor and Angel was on the first floor looking at TV. I got the gun out of my closet and came downstairs. She looked up and I grabbed her and pulled her down in the basement. There was something evil in the house. God had showed me all this evil before. Something pulled me into the basement- it was like I was just watching and I seen myself look back and me taunting myself- like I'm just looking, watching, looking at me-looking back at me... I killed her... After that I called my cousin and told him it was an accident- told him what happened. He told me to call an ambulance. I told him she was already dead. She wasn't moving." (He said when asked that he didn't feel for a pulse.) "I called my daughter "C"- she stayed with her boyfriend- she was in school- I told her to find her mother, find her mother and come home- it was an emergency. My cousin called and my aunt- my aunt, my cousin, everybody called. I was still at the house. My aunt wanted me to get her from work. "E" and the boys came back from the barber. "R" came back. I still had the gun. I told them to sit on the couch and they did. I told "R" that I hurt Angel. They stayed on the couch- I was arguing with the voices not to do something to "R." I was shouting at the voices. Then "C" and "M" came in. She opened the door and I grabbed her. Then "C" was shaking me saying, 'Daddy- no- Daddy- no.' By this time I had the gun poised and then "M" was holding her stomach about to go out the door. They also said I shot "S." Then everybody was running- "M" ran down the steps and laid in the yard. "C" was trying to get the gun from me. He couldn't, so I got in "E's" car. I had the keys. "C" got in front of the car saying I had to leave and I did."

After he left the house, he said he drove to Indian Head Highway. "I seen a detective in the car beside me {while he was driving} and the voices told me to shoot him, but I said no. I pulled off at the next exit and then got back on the highway. I bought drugs. The voices told me to go to the 4th District to the police station to shoot the police- let them kill me." On the way there, he said he saw a line of police cars on Kenilworth Avenue blocking the exits. "The police were there- they chased me and I crashed a car into a building." He said he was taken to Prince George's Hospital and approximately three days later to Upper Marlboro. "I kept using drugs that day. I usually can ignore the situation, but that day, the drugs weren't working to calm me down. The guy gave me drugs {when he went to a house near Indian Head Highway}, but I didn't use them."

Attorneys Divided on Robert Carter's Insanity Defense Claim

Laura Amico — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:19:58 -0500

A mental health report from Saint Elizabeth's on Robert Carter was presented in court Friday afternoon, but prosecutors and defense attorneys disagree on exactly what the report found.

Carter, 40, is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of his 13-year-old daughter, Angel Morse.

The mental health report by a psychologist found that Carter was "suffering from psychotic symptoms at the time of the crime" but that those symptoms were "at his own doing" because he "voluntarily ingested illegal substances."

Prosecutors said that based on this report, they don't believe an insanity defense is legal. But Carter's attorney, Steven Kiersh, is seeking a psychiatrist to examine Carter and conduct a brain scan. The scan would determine if Carter has any brain damage from long-term use of narcotics, which could explain the psychotic symptoms, Keirsh said.

Keirsh added that Carter agrees with the government's evidence and claims on many points associated with the 24 charges against him.

"There is very little dispute as to what happened that day," Kiersh said.

A trial is set for Nov. 5, 2012.

Attorney Moving to Insanity Defense for Robert Carter, Accused in Shooting Death of Angel Morse

Laura Amico — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:42:37 -0400

The defense attorney for the man accused of killing his teenage daughter and holding others hostage in the home following the fatal shooting has filed paperwork with the court saying that he intends to pursue an insanity defense on behalf of his client.

Attorney Steven Kiersh and his client, Robert Carter, were before the court Friday.

Kiersh told Judge Thomas Motley that he does not doubt Carter's competency to stand trial.

"He's competent," Kiersh said. "The issue is going to be insanity."

Carter, 40, has pleaded innocent to all 24 criminal counts he is charged with, including one count of premeditated first degree murder for the shooting death of his 13-year-old daughter Angel Morse.

At a prior hearing, Kiersh said Carter's medical records show substance abuse issues, a history of psychosis and a suicide attempt.

Motley ordered a forensic screening for Carter and asked that he return to court Oct. 4.

A trial date has not yet been set.

Innocent Plea from Angel Morse's Father; Attorney to Seek Insanity Defense

Laura Amico — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:15:26 -0400

Robert Carter today pleaded innocent to all 24 criminal charges against him, including one count of premeditated first degree murder for the shooting death of his 13-year-old daughter Angel Morse.

Carter's attorney entered the plea on his behalf and told Judge Thomas Motley that he would likely be pursuing an insanity defense on behalf of Carter.

"I'm pretty confident this is the way we'll be going," said attorney Steven Kiersh, mentioning that he had reviewed many of Carter's medical records back to his teen years.

Kiersh said those records showed substance abuse issues, a history of psychosis and a suicide attempt.

Carter was calm at his arraignment, showing no signs of the the unsettlement he exhibited at his preliminary hearing. During Thursday's proceedings he watched the court gallery but did not appear to try and make eye contact with any of those gathered for his arraignment.

Motley gave Kierch two weeks to file notice of an insanity defense. A status hearing was set for Sept. 30 in the case.

Robert Carter Indicted on First Degree Murder for Death of Daughter Angel Morse

Laura Amico — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:36:36 -0400

A Grand Jury today indicted Robert Carter for first-degree murder in the shooting death of his daughter, 13-year-old Angel Morse.

Carter was indicted on a total of 23 additional charges related to the killing, including wounding two others, holding six people against their will, and carjacking.

Charging documents allege that Carter shot Morse once through the head while the girl was in the basement of the family's northwest DC home. Afterwards, witnesses, some of whom were held in the house by Carter, reported to police that Carter told them "he shot and killed Angel because she wouldn't listen."

A witness also reported to police that Carter said "Angel is in the basement... I didn't mean to do it."

Carter is due in court tomorrow (Thursday) morning at 9:30 in Judge Motley's courtroom.

A press release from the US Attorney's Office is after the jump, along with charging documents in the case and the indictment.

District Man Indicted on Murder, Other Charges In Killing of 13-Year-Old Daughter, Wounding of Two Others- Defendant Also Accused of Carjacking a MetroAccess Sedan -

WASHINGTON - Robert Carter, 40, was indicted today by a grand jury on 24 charges stemming from an attack last fall in which he allegedly killed his 13-year-old daughter and wounded two other people, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and covers a range of crimes that took place on the afternoon of October 29, 2010.

Carter, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on one count of first degree premeditated murder while armed for the death of his daughter, Angel Morse, who was shot once in the head and found inside her residence in the 500 block of Madison Street NW. In addition, Carter was charged with six counts of kidnapping while armed and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, for holding six family members and acquaintances against their will inside the house, before allegedly shooting and wounding his long-time girlfriend and her 11-year-old son.

The indictment also includes charges against Carter for stealing a car in the aftermath of the shootings. He allegedly abandoned the stolen vehicle in order to carjack a MetroAccess sedan, taking control of that car with an 84-year-old passenger inside. That passenger was eventually released unharmed. Carter allegedly led local police officers on a chase into Prince George’s County, where he crashed the MetroAccess car into a building in Capitol Heights.

Carter has been in custody since his arrest after the crash. If convicted of the charges in the indictment, he faces a maximum of life without the possibility of release.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin O. Lyons and David J. Gorman.

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.

No Charges Yet in Angel Morse's Death

Laura Amico — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:42:54 -0500

The man detained on suspicion of killing 13-year-old Angel Morse is likely to remain in custody at least until May 6.

At a felony status conference today, government prosecutors announced that Robert Carter has not yet been indicted on any charges, including murder, in the shooting death of his daughter, Morse, on Oct 29, 2010.

By law, prosecutors have up to nine months from the time of arrest to file charges. That means Carter must be charged before August or his case dismissed.

Another status conference has been scheduled for May 6.

Father to be Prosecuted in Killing of Teenage Daughter

Laura Amico — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:51:18 -0500

Angel Morse was 13 years old when she was shot once through her head on Oct. 29. Her body was found in the basement of her home by her brother.

Those details were among the first to be revealed in a preliminary hearing Nov. 19 in D.C. Superior Court, where Judge Rankin found probable cause in a case accusing Morse's father, Robert Carter, of killing her.

The shooting, which occurred in a residential neighborhood of Northwest D.C. on a Friday afternoon, mobilized media outlets which joined in a concentrated effort to help police find the Metro Access vehicle in which the murder suspect was believed to have fled the scene in after carjacking it.

The court heard testimony at the hearing from Metro Police Detective Alfred Thomas Austin-Braxton, who was among the first responders to the Madison Street crime scene. Carter appeared agitated while listening to Austin-Braxton's account of the crime scene, detailing the specific wound to Morse's body and narrating the accounts of witnesses who described Carter threatening other family members that afternoon with a handgun and shooting his son and son's mother. (Both survived).

Austin-Braxton said witnesses described Carter as "calm and normal" early in the afternoon, but later was pacing through the family's home and talking about a prior domestic violence situation involving Carter's wife. Austin-Braxton did not clarify what the situation was. Carter broke down in court when the detective spoke about domestic violence.

At the hearing, Carter entered the courtroom using a walker, leaning on it heavily and walking slowly.

A felony status conference is set for March 4, 2011. You can read the charges against Robert Carter here.

Charging documents for Robert Carter now available

Laura Amico — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:22:52 -0500

Now available are the charging documents against Robert Merrill Carter, accused of killing 13-year-old Angel Morse in Northwest D.C. Oct. 29 with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Carter, who goes by the nickname "Beef," is also known as Ronald Grose, according to the arrest warrant issued for him Oct. 30.

In the documents, witnesses describe Carter armed with a handgun and yelling at children to "'Shut the fuck up and sit down'" before saying that "he shot and killed Angel because she wouldn't listen."

A witness also reported to police that Carter said "Angel is in the basement... I didn't mean to do it."

Carter is due in court for a preliminary hearing Friday Nov. 19. The documents are embedded below.

Criminal Complaint

Carter's Arraignment

United States vs Robert Carter

Robert Carter Expected in Court Nov. 19

Laura Amico — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:31:44 -0500

For those who didn't see the tweet this weekend, Robert Carter, suspected in the Brightwood triple shooting that killed 13-year-old Angel Morse, was charged in D.C. Superior Court on Saturday morning.

I'll have charging documents up as early as this afternoon and his next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 19, a week from Friday.

Reader Mrs. R asked over the weekend about funeral/memorial arrangements for Angel Morse. I haven't heard of anything yet; if anyone else knows, please post a comment and help a neighbor out.

Where is the suspect in last Friday's deadly triple shooting?

Laura Amico — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:34:10 -0400

Nov. 5, 2010: 9:30 a.m.

Prince George's County Detention Facility said this morning that Robert Carter is currently in custody there, but the records clerk I spoke with referred me to her supervisor for information about his charges, saying only he was being held as a "prisoner from another jurisdiction."

Nov. 4, 2010: Last Friday's triple shooting that killed 13-year-old Angel Morse sparked an intense effort by the DMV's online and media community to locate the man responsible for the shooting, who was believed to have carjacked a Metro Access vehicle while fleeing the scene. Hours after the shooting, police credited WTOP radio with broadcasting a Be on the Lookout alert that helped an off-duty officer spot suspect 39-year-old Robert Carter.

Carter was taken into custody in Prince George's County and, police said, booked there as a fugitive from justice.

According to VINElink and D.C. Superior Court records, Carter has not been transfered to D.C. or charged in the case. A Robert Merrill Carter, also 39 years old, is in custody at Prince George's County Detention Center, according to VINElink. I have not been able to determine if Robert Merrill Carter is the same Robert Carter as the one Metro Police said was responsible for shooting and killing Morse.

On Tuesday afternoon (before Robert Merrill Carter was listed as in-custody) I emailed Metro PD Officer Hugh Carew asking about the case.

"I've been looking for information on Robert Carter, the suspect in the Madison St. NW triple shooting that killed AngelMorse. I haven't been able to find either charging documents or a record of his being incarcerated in either D.C. or P.G. County. Can you provide information on his current location and whether D.C. intends to file murder charges?" I wrote.

On Wednesday Officer Carew responded,

"I received your email today and will forward you what I can find out. I just came off of days of and I apologize for the delayed response," he wrote.

I also have a call in to the PG County Detention facility regarding if Robert Carter is still being held there and what charges he has been booked on.

I'll try and follow up on this before the weekend. In the meantime, does anyone have any leads on this?

Updated links covering Angel Morse homicide in NW DC

Laura Amico — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:31:20 -0400

Washington Post coverage- Morse

Washington Post coverage-Carter

Washington Post coverage- crime

TBD coverage

Metro PD news release