Marc Emilio Dancy | Homicide Watch DC

Case Reopened, Melvin Linkins Indicted in Marc Dancy Murder

Ivan Natividad — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 14:22:22 -0500

Melvin Linkins was arraigned Friday on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the 2011 death of 37-year-old fireman, Marc Emilio Dancy.

Linkins pleaded not guilty to the charge and is on supervised release pending a status hearing on Jan. 15, 2014.

Linkins was originally arrested for Dancy's death in August, but was released at a September preliminary hearing after a judge found there was not enough evidence to proceed.

The case remained under investigation and was reopened earlier this month after a grand jury returned an indictment charging Linkins with Dancy's murder.

Police found Dancy dead in the vestibule of an apartment building in the 3000 block of 7th Street Northeast on January 23, 2011, at around 8:00 a.m. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was blunt force trauma; the manner of death was initially undetermined.

More than two years later, Dancy’s death was ruled a homicide.

At a preliminary hearing, Metropolitan Police Detective Anthony Patterson testified that police believe an affair between Linkins’ wife and Dancy, led to Dancy’s death.

Linkins has been placed in the court’s High Intensity Supervision Program, and is required to wear a GPS monitoring bracelet.

The case is scheduled for a status hearing Jan. 15, 2014.

Melvin Linkins Released in Marc Emilio Dancy Murder Case After Probable Cause Not Found

Ivan Natividad — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 16:49:03 -0400

Melvin Linkins was ordered released from D.C. jail Friday after Judge Herbert Dixon ruled there was not enough evidence to proceed in the case charging Linkins with the death of 37-year-old D.C. firefighter Marc Emilio Dancy.

A spokesman for the US Attorney's Office said the case remains under investigation.

Dancy was found dead in the vestibule of an apartment building in the 3000 block of 7th Street Northeast on January 23, 2011, at around 8:00 a.m. An initial autopsy revealed the cause of death was blunt force trauma; the manner of death was ruled as undetermined. But further investigation found that Dancy suffered his injuries during an altercation with another individual.

On July 31, 2013, Dancy's manner of death was determined to be a homicide. Two days later Linkins was arrested and held in suspicion of second-degree murder in Dancy's death.

Metropolitan Police Detective Anthony Patterson testified at the preliminary hearing Friday that police believe an affair between Linkins' wife and Dancy led to Dancy's death.

According to charging documents, police recovered a text message conversation with a resident of the building where Dancy's body was found. That resident told police that she was having a relationship with Dancy while married to Linkins. She said that though married, she and Linkins were estranged.

According to the charging documents, police believe Dancy texted the woman at 3:16 a.m., asking to come over. Someone responded, “yes.” When Dancy arrived he sent another text saying he was at the building. At 3:37 a.m. Dancy called the woman’s phone and left a voice message. No text messages or calls were made after that.

Documents say the woman told police she never sent or received any text messages from Dancy that morning and that she knew nothing about him coming to her apartment that morning.

Linkins was staying with her in order to visit his children, she said, and Linkins and one of the children argued about her son using her phone. The woman asked Linkins to hold her cell phone to prevent her son from using it again. The son told detectives that when he went to sleep that night, Linkins was the last person with the phone.

No future court dates were scheduled in the case, according to the case docket at DC Superior Court.

Melvin Linkins Held in Connection with 2011 Marc Dancy Murder

Ivan Natividad — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 17:54:23 -0400

Marc Emilio Dancy, the DC firefighter killed in January 2011, may have been involved in an affair with the wife of the man accused of killing him.

That's according to charging documents made public Friday at the suspect's first court appearance.

The suspect, Melvin Lamond Linkins, was presented with a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the case. Judge Karen Howze ruled that there was enough evidence to hold him pending a preliminary hearing.

Dancy was found dead in the vestibule of an apartment building in the 3000 block of 7th Street Northeast on January 23, 2011, at about 8:00 a.m.

An autopsy at that time determined that Dancy had suffered fractured ribs and multiple contusions and lacerations to his face. The cause of death was ruled to be blunt force trauma, but the manner of death could not be discovered.

A second medical examiner later determined that Dancy's injuries were "consistent with a person having been punched, kicked, or otherwise beaten in the face and rib area." On Wednesday, more than two years after the attack, Dancy's death was ruled a homicide. Linkins was arrested the following day.

According to charging documents, police recovered a text message conversation with a resident of the building his body was found in. That resident told police that she was having a relationship with Dancy while married to Linkins. She said that though married, she and Linkins were estranged.

According to the charging documents, police believe Dancy texted the woman at 3:16 a.m., asking to come over. Someone responded, "yes." When Dancy arrived he sent another text saying he was at the building. At 3:37 a.m. Dancy called the woman's phone and left a voice message. No text messages or calls were made after that.

Documents say the woman told police she never sent or received any text messages from Dancy that morning and that she knew nothing about him coming to her apartment that morning.

Linkins has denied knowing anything about the text messages and told police he has never met Dancy.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in the case for August 27.

Charging documents will be added to this post.

Marc Dancy's 2011 Death Ruled a Homicide, Melvin Linkins Arrested

Penny Ray — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:21:10 -0400

The death of a Maryland man which occurred more than two years ago has been ruled a homicide and a suspect has been arrested.

Marc Emilio Dancy, 37, was found Jan. 23, 2011, unconscious in the 3000 block of 7th Street Northeast. He had suffered blunt force trauma to his head and chest. Dancy's manner of death was initially ruled as undetermined, but further investigation revealed that he suffered injuries during an altercation with another person.

On Wednesday, Dancy's manner of death was determined to be a homicide, and police arrested 39-year-old Melvin Lamond Linkins on a charge of second-degree murder.

A press release from MPD is below.

Arrest Made in Homicide: 3000 Block of 7th Street, NE

(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch have announced that an arrest has been made in the homicide that occurred in the 3000 block of 7th Street, NE.

On Sunday, January 23, 2011, officers from the Fifth District responded to the 3000 block of 7th Street, NE for the report of an unconscious male. Upon arrival, they located an adult male suffering from blunt force trauma to his head and chest. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was blunt force trauma, but the manner of death was ruled as undetermined.

Further investigation revealed that the decedent suffered his injuries during an altercation with another individual. On Wednesday, July 31, 2013, the decedent’s manner of death was determined to be a homicide.

The decedent is identified as 37 year-old Marc Emilio Dancy of Clinton, Maryland.

On Thursday, August 1, 2013, at approximately 8:15 am, members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 39 year-old Melvin Lamond Linkins of Northeast, Washington, DC, pursuant to an arrest warrant and charged with Murder II.