Darond Alonte Lucas | Homicide Watch DC

Joshua Andrews Sentenced to Over 41 Years in Prison for Darond Lucas Murder

Timothy Ryan — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 15:14:16 -0400

Joshua Andrews, 22, was sentenced to 41 and a half years in prison Tuesday after jurors found him guilty of killing Darond Alonte Lucas in June 2010.

The sentencing by Judge Rhonda Reid Winston came more than two months after the end of Andrews' trial. The trial was the second in the case; jurors in November deadlocked on the case.

Prosecutors say Andrews waited behind a stairwell early on June 5, 2010 to “catch” Lucas because Andrews believed Lucas had shot at him on a separate occasion. Andrews and another person, who has not been identified, then trapped Lucas, and shot him 15 times in the back and the head, according to charging documents.

Andrews also shot at Phillip Smith, a friend of Lucas’, but did not kill him, according to prosecutors.

Several members of Lucas’ family were present for the sentencing, and Lucas’ grandmother, Diana Thompson, wrote a victim impact statement for the court.

“We will probably never heal from his loss and all we have left are a few memories from his too short life,” Thompson wrote in the impact statement.

“I am a forgiving person, and I have forgiven him,” Thompson wrote in her impact statement. “However, I feel he is a dangerous person and should not be allowed on the streets.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda Williams noted that Lucas’ family is still saving money to buy a headstone for his grave.

In addition, Williams said the family members often had to choose between going to work or to the courthouse during each of the two trials.

Craig Moore, Andrews' defense attorney, asked for the minimum sentence for his client.

“Mr. Andrews is very much a person, and we do not have to accept at this point that he is a lost cause,” Moore said.

Andrews stood with his hands together at his waist as Judge Winston read his sentence, and declined to speak on his own behalf.

“There is just no reason for anyone to have their life ended the way this man’s life ended,” Judge Winston told Andrews before she read his sentence.

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

District Man Sentenced to 41 ½ Years in Prison
For 2010 Murder of Teenager in Southeast Washington
-Ambushed Victim and His Friend Outside Apartment Building-

WASHINGTON – Joshua Andrews, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 41 ½ years for a 2010 murder that took place in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Andrews was found guilty in April 2014, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related offenses. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston.

According to the government’s evidence, during the spring of 2010, Andrews, then 18, was seeking revenge on the victim, 17-year-old Durand Lucas, who Andrews “assumed” had shot at him on a prior occasion. On June 4, 2010, the day before the murder, Andrews explained exactly how he was going to kill Mr. Lucas. He found out where he could locate Mr. Lucas – at an apartment building in the 1600 block of W Street SE – armed himself, and went to that location. Early June 5, 2010, he saw Mr. Lucas go into the apartment building, and together with a co-conspirator, waited for him outside the door to the building.

About 20 minutes later, just before 3 a.m., Mr. Lucas and another man exited the building. Andrews jumped out from the shadows in the corner of the building and shot at both men. When the two victims tried to flee, Andrews’s co-conspirator jumped out from around the corner of the building and began firing.

Mr. Lucas tried to run away, but was struck by a bullet that broke his leg. After he fell to the ground, Andrews and his accomplice leaned over Mr. Lucas and continued to fire at point-blank range, killing him. The victim was shot a total of 15 times, including three times in the back of the head. The second man was shot twice, but managed to escape.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives, crime scene officers, and others who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Derek Starliper; Intelligence Analysts Zach McMenamin, Shannon Alexis, and William Hamann; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Paul Howell; Litigation Technology Supervisor Joseph Calvarese; Victim/Witness Advocates Lezlie Richardson and Jennifer Clark; Victim/Witness Security Specialists Debra Cannon, Wanda Queen, and M. LaVerne Forrest; Victim/Witness Supervisory Security Specialist Michael Hailey; Paralegal Specialists Mia Beamon, Deb Joyner, and Phaylyn Hunt; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natalia Medina, Lauren Bates, Deborah Sines, Gary Wheeler, and Stephen Rickard. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams and Jonathan Kravis, who prosecuted the case.

Joshua Andrews Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Shooting of Darond Lucas

Kristian Hernandez — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 21:17:34 -0400

Joshua Andrews was found guilty Thursday of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill, and other five related charges in connection to the shooting death of 17-year-old Darond Alonte Lucas.

Jurors delivered their verdict after four days of deliberations.

This was Andrews's second trial; a previous jury was unable to reach any verdicts.

Lucas was found by police on the early hours of June 5, 2010, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including three gunshots to the head, one to the neck, and eleven other wounds across his torso.

During trial, prosecutors argued Andrews ambushed Lucas after waiting for him outside an apartment building on the 1600 block of W Street Southeast.

According to prosecutors, Andrews waited under a balcony in the dark with another man before he came out and shot Lucas "execution style." Defense attorneys argued that evidence never proved Andrews held a gun.

Another man who was with Lucas, Phillip Smith, was also shot that night. At trial, Smith told jurors that a man matching Andrews’ description came out from under a balcony, pulled out a gun, and started firing, according to prosecutors.

The case is scheduled for sentencing at 2:15 p.m. on June 20 with Judge Rhonda Winston.

Jury Begins Deliberations in Retrial of Joshua Andrews

Dana Jennings — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 22:27:29 -0400

As prosecutors tell it, almost four years ago, Joshua Andrews laid in ambush on June 5, 2010, and killed Darond Alonte Lucas execution style. But defense attorneys say that evidence never shows the gun in Andrews' hands.

These were the closing arguments jurors heard Monday afternoon.

Andrews, now 21, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intention to kill, and three related weapons charges in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Lucas. Lucas was found dead by police at approximately 2:55 a.m. with multiple gunshot wounds, including several to the back of his head.

A previous jury failed to reach a verdict in November, prompting the retrial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda Williams told the jury that the testimonies of Monique Weldon and Phillip Smith show a methodical murder where that Andrews was a shooter. Smith was also shot that night, prosecutors say, and was able to describe his shooter.

According to Williams, Weldon testified that she saw Andrews, someone she is familiar with, under a balcony in the dark right before the shooting.

Smith testified that a man matching Andrews' description came out from under a balcony, pulled out a gun, and started firing, according to Williams. He then ran onto a nearby bus and didn't report the shooting or seek medical attention, according to Williams.

"He's been running from the killers ever since," said Williams.

But Moore points out that Smith didn't identify Andrews in a photo lineup once police caught up with him, something Smith now says he did on purpose in order to stay out of trouble.

Moore added that the Smith's and Weldon's testimony contradict each other in their description of the shooter's clothes. Prosecutors said clothing they described could have been the same clothing seen from different perspectives.

The jury will resume deliberations tomorrow.

Four Months After Mistrial Joshua Andrews Faces New Jury

Dana Jennings — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 14:50:56 -0400

Four months after a jury deadlocked, unable to decide whether Joshua Andrews was guilty or innocent of first-degree murder while armed, a second jury has been assembled. On Tuesday they heard opening arguments in the case.

Andrews is charged in the 2010 shooting death of Darond Alonte Lucas.

Prosecutors argue that Andrews waited in ambush on the night of the killing with another man in the shadows. When Lucas and another man, Phillip Smith emerged from the apartment building, Andrews emerged from under a balcony and shot Lucas in the leg, disabling him, according to Assistant US Attorney Jonathan Kravis.

Andrews also shot Smith twice, who nonetheless was able to run away onto a departing bus, according to prosecutors. Kravis said that a few days later Andrews told a witness, Ronald Johnson, that he then walked up and shot Lucas several times in the head, killing him.

Lucas was found by police in the grass near the 1600 block of W Street Southeast on June 5, 2010, with multiple gunshot wounds. He was reported to have no signs of life and was later transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, who pronounced him dead.

A witness who saw and identified Andrews before the shooting said he was wearing clothing different from what the witness who was shot with Lucas and ran away said the shooter was wearing, according to the defense.

Andrews’ defense attorney Craig Moore argues that the evidence isn't proving the story, and the prosecution is trying to make the evidence fit their story.

Moore argues that Johnson’s account of what Andrews told him differs from Smith’s account in a way that can’t be ignored.

In November, jurors were unable to reach a verdict and a new trial was ordered by Judge Ronna Beck.

The jury will continue to hear the case this week.

Mistrial Declared in Joshua Andrews Murder Case

Ivan Natividad — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 17:29:59 -0500

Judge Ronna Beck declared a mistrial Thursday in the case against Joshua Andrews, after the jury notified the court three times that they were deadlocked.

Andrews is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with the 2010 shooting death of 17-year-old Darond Alonte Lucas.

The jury deliberated for more than a week, first notifying Judge Beck that they could not come to a unanimous verdict just two days after closing arguments in the case.

A retrial has been scheduled for March 31, 2014.

Police found Lucas June 5, 2010 at approximately 2:55 a.m. on the 1600 block of W Street Southeast suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was transported to the Chief Medical Examiner where he was pronounced dead, shot in the head and neck as well as 11 times in the torso. About 10 months later Andrews was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed in Lucas' death.

During trial prosecutors alleged that Andrews and another man shot and killed Lucas outside 1644 W Street Southeast after a beef with Lucas became more serious. Defense attorneys argued that the case against Andrews was based on circumstantial evidence, with no eyewitnesses and no weapons.

A status hearing for the case is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2014.

Jury Deliberations Begin in Joshua Andrews Murder Trial

Afriyie Amankwaa — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 21:33:18 -0500

Jury deliberations in the murder case against Joshua Andrews, on trial for first-degree murder while armed, assault with intention to kill and three related weapon charges in the shooting death of Darond Lucas began Tuesday.

Lucas was fatally shot on June 5, 2010. Prosecutors believe that Andrews and another man waited for Lucas outside 1644 W Street Southeast. When Lucas left the building, the men shot at him several times. Lucas fell to the ground. Prosecutors say Andrews then leaned over Lucas’s body and continued to shoot.

Closing statements from the prosecution began Monday afternoon. Prosecutor Melinda Williams argued in trial that the shooting was an ambush and that Andrews was out for “street justice." Andrews believed that Lucas had shot at him before, Williams said, but Andrews did not report his suspicion to police.

The government’s case was presented over the course of one week and concluded Tuesday morning. During the trial one of Andrews’s closest friends testified.

He said that the day before the shooting Lucas walked past him and Andrews.

“I am going to crush him," he said Andrews said that day.

He testified that Andrews then told him where the mother of Lucas’s child lived and said he would wait for him outside.

The government also relied on phone calls made by Andrews while he was in jail. In the phone calls a male voice prosecutors identified as Andrews spoke with Andrews' friends, asking them to say Andrews was attending a barbecue and had passed out drunk the night of the murder.

An investigator who testified for the defense, Keylia Rignad, testified that portions of the phone calls played were not Andrew’s voice.

Andrews’s attorney, Craig Moore, argued that without eyewitnesses to the murder the government's evidence was circumstantial.

Jurors are expected back at the courthouse Wednesday to continue deliberations in the case.

A testifying witness's name, which appeared in an earlier version of this story, has been removed.

Trial Begins in June 2010 Shooting Death of Darond Lucas

Megan Arellano — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 18:48:10 -0400

It's been three years, four months and 24 days since Darond Lucas died in the grass outside 1644 W Street Southeast. It's been two years, six months and 23 days since Joshua Andrews was arrested in connection with Lucas's death. In that time, four different trial dates were set and four different defense attorneys have represented the case.

But on Tuesday morning, jurors heard opening statements in the case charging Andrews with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intention to kill, and three related weapons charges.

Prosecutors allege that Andrews and Lucas were part of a beef that ended with murder. They believe that, on June 5, 2010, Andrews and another man waited for Lucas outside 1644 W Street Southeast. As Lucas exited the building, Andrews and the other man each shot at Lucas multiple times. Then, after Lucas fell to the ground, Andrews leaned over Lucas's body and continued to shoot.

Charging documents say that Lucas's wounds included three gunshots to the head, one to the neck, and eleven other wounds across his torso. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

But defense attorneys say that witnesses in the governments case have been manipulated into spurious testimony. Attorney Craig Moore further argued that the case against Andrews has no eyewitnesses, no guns, and that the government's evidence is circumstantial.

"Listen carefully to what the firearms examiner had to say about it [the murder]," Moore said in opening statements Tuesday, "And think about the government's claim about where somebody could run to."

The trial is scheduled to resume Wednesday in Judge Ronna Beck's courtroom.

Comment of the Day: Darond Lucas and Joshua Andrews

Laura Amico — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:02:03 -0400

This comment of the day comes from darondKeeper, who wrote about Darond Lucas and Joshua Andrews:

I Miss My Bestfriend Soooo Much, & Its One thing To Know He's Dead & Its Another To Know The Boy I Use To Sleep Beside & Cook Me Meals Killed Him. Tears ! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH DAROND. & Joshhh SMMFH! I Cnt Believe It YOU Outta ALL People. CRAZYSMALLWORLD.!

Joshua Andrews Arrested in Shooting Death of Darond Lucas

Laura Amico — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:55:33 -0400

Joshua Andrews, a Southeast D.C., man was arrested today in connection with the shooting of Darond Lucas, 17, last June. Andrews, 19, is being held on suspicion of first-degree-murder while armed.

Arrest Made in the Homicide of Darond Lucas

( Washington, DC)- Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch have announced an arrest has been made in the homicide of Darond Lucas.

On Saturday, June 5, 2010, at approximately 2:55 am, units from the Seventh District were dispatched to the 1600 block of W Street, SE to investigate the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located an unconscious subject who was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Service personnel responded and determined the victim had no signs of life. The victim was then transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where he was pronounced dead.

The victim in this case has been identified as 17-year-old Darond Lucas of the 2300 block of Pitts Place, SE.

On Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at approximately 7:55 am, 19-year-old Joshua Andrews of Southeast, D.C., was arrested by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Taskforce pursuant to an arrest warrant charging him with First Degree Murder while Armed, for the shooting of Darond Lucas.