James Edward Booker | Homicide Watch DC

15 Year Sentence for James Booker's Death

Amelia Rufer — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 16:53:17 -0500

Anthony Williams was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday for second-degree murder while armed in connection with the shooting death of 24-year-old James Edward Booker.

Williams, who pleaded guilty to the charge in October, turned 18 last week.

"He's an adult now," Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendra Briggs told the court. "He'll have to face his decision to take Mr. Booker's life on November 5, 2013 ... as an adult."

Video footage of the murder showed Booker walking alone on 6th Street Southeast, according to the proffer of facts. Holding a gun in his right hand, Williams got in front of Booker and blocked his path. Williams shot Booker multiple times while he tried to run away.

Addressing the court in a victim impact statement, Kelly Booker talked about how her son had turned his life around. At 24, he had a newborn baby girl and plans to return back to school.

"I just want to know why," she asked Williams, weeping. "What happened, you know? The truth, because I wasn't there."

Williams addressed the court: "I apologize to the family, and I take responsibility for my actions."

Interrupting, Kelly Booker told those in court, "I wanna forgive him."

Turning to Williams, Booker told him, "I do forgive you for killing my child."

Defense attorney Anthony Matthews argued that Williams understood the gravity of his actions, demonstrated by his acceptance of the plea agreement.

"This young man is going to be locked up for nearly as long as he's been on the earth," Matthews said. "That's a powerful message."

After the sentencing concluded, Booker wept as she told AUSA Briggs, "I had to forgive him."

Anthony Williams Pleads Guilty for Murder of James Edward Booker

Imari Williams — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 18:31:39 -0400

Anthony Williams pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of James Edward Booker.

According to the proffer of facts, on Nov. 5, 2013, Booker was walking on the sidewalk in the 3200 block of 6th street, when Williams and two unidentified individuals approached Booker from behind. Williams stood in front of Booker, blocking his path, with a handgun in his right hand.

Prosecutors say Williams pointed the gun at Booker and as Booker turned and ran North on 6th street, Williams fired several shots hitting him as he ran up 6th street Southeast. After the shooting, Williams left the scene along with the two individuals, documents say.

Police found a conscious Booker at 9:56 p.m suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the 500 block of Alabama Avenue Southeast. Less than an hour later, he died at a local hospital.

According to charging documents, a witness provided police with a cell phone photo of Williams, who it believed to be the shooter, wearing a blue windbreaker and it later identified Williams from a Youtube video, wearing the same jacket.

Williams is scheduled for sentencing on December 12 at 12:30 p.m. before Judge John Ramsey Johnson.

A copy of the plea documents are below:

Anthony Williams Indicted in the Murder of James Edward Booker

Imari Williams — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 13:32:01 -0400

Anthony Williams pleaded innocent Friday to first-degree murder while armed and two weapon charges in connection to the fatal shooting of James Edward Booker.

Police found Booker, 23, conscious and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the 500 block of Alabama Avenue Southeast on November 5, 2013. When police asked Booker who shot him, he replied, "I don't know." He later died at a local hospital.

Video footage shows Williams and two other individuals surrounding Booker in front of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary school, according to charging documents.

In the video, Williams appears to talk to Booker while holding a handgun, documents say.

According to court documents' description of the video footage, Booker then raised his right hand several times and ran north toward Alabama Avenue. The footage shows the shooter and the two unidentified individuals turn and run opposite of Booker, the documents say.

A witness later told police that the shooter pointed a revolver towards Booker and Booker raised his arm to the shooter to push the gun away. According to documents, the use of the handgun would be consistent with evidence in the case, but no ballistic evidence was found at the scene.

Charging documents say the witness identified the shooter to police as someone it knew from the area. The witness provided a cell phone photo to police of the person it believed to be the shooter, and identified the shooter in a Youtube video.

Detectives later identified Williams as the man in the YouTube video, wearing the same jacket, according to documents.

Williams is scheduled for a status hearing on August 28 at 3:00 p.m. before Judge John Ramsey Johnson.

A copy of the indictment is below:

Anthony Williams Ordered Held in Shooting Death of James Edward Booker

Megan Arellano — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 18:59:42 -0500

Anthony Williams, 16, was ordered held on Wednesday on suspicion of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 24-year-old James Edward Booker.

On Nov. 5, police officers found Booker conscious at 9:56 p.m in the 500 block of Alabama Avenue Southeast, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:48 p.m.

According to charging documents, video footage shows three individuals surround Booker in front of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, about a block from where Booker was found.

One of the individuals, who a witness later identified as Williams, appears to talk to Booker while holding a handgun, according to the documents.

Booker then raised his right hand several times and ran north toward Alabama Avenue, according to the documents' description of the video footage. The footage shows the shooter and the two unknown individuals turn and run south, the documents say.

A witness identified the shooter to police as someone it knew from the area, charging documents say. The witness provided detectives with a cell phone photo of the person it believed to be the shooter, wearing a blue windbreaker.

Documents say that witness eventually identified Williams from a YouTube video, wearing the same jacket.

The witness also said that the shooter pointed a revolver at Booker and Booker raised his arm to the shooter to push the revolver away. Since no ballistic evidence was recovered at the scene, the use of a revolver would be consistent with the evidence in the case, documents state.

Williams is scheduled to appear before Judge John Ramsey Johnson on November 25 at 9:30 a.m. for a preliminary hearing.

***Correction: Due to a reporting error, this story originally misidentified how Booker appeared at the scene. Booker was found conscious at the scene and told police he didn't know who shot him.

Charging documents have been added to this post below:

Williams, Anthony Charging Papers (PDF)Williams, Anthony Charging Papers (Text)

James Edward Booker Killed in Southeast Shooting

Megan Arellano — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 13:59:51 -0500

A Southeast DC man died Tuesday after being shot multiple times in the 3200 block of 6th Street, Southeast, MPD said Wednesday afternoon.

Police have identified the man shot late Tuesday night as 24-year-old James Edward Booker.

Detectives believe that Booker was initially shot in the 3200 block of 6th Street, Southeast, and then ran to the 500 block of Alabama Avenue, Southeast where he eventually collapsed. Police found Booker unconscious in the 500 block of Alabama Avenue, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, at around 9:56 p.m. Booker was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

No arrests have been announced in connection with the case.

A press release from MPD is below.

(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are investigating a fatal shooting which occurred in the 3200 block of 6th Street, Southeast.

On Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at approximately 9:56 pm, police officers from the Seventh District responded to the 500 block of Alabama Avenue, Southeast for the report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they located an unconscious adult male suffering from multiple gunshot wound. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded and transported the victim to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The victim was later transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia, pending an autopsy.

A homicide investigation has revealed that the decedent was initially shot in the 3200 block of 6th Street, Southeast, where he consequently ran to the 500 block of Alabama Avenue, Southeast, and eventually collapsed.

The decedent is identified as 24 year-old James Edward Booker of Southeast, Washington, DC.

The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons wanted for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at (202) 727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411.