Homicide Watch D.C.

Dear Readers,

We have just under three weeks left in our campaign to keep Homicide Watch DC operating. The response has been tremendous—417 people have given $16,075 as of Friday morning—but we have a long way to go. If we don’t reach $40,000 by Sept. 13, this site will go idle.

In the meantime, we’ve been collecting letters and comments from readers about what Homicide Watch DC has meant to the community. If you’d like to share your story, please leave a comment below, or email us laura@homicidewatch.org and chris@homicidewatch.org.

Aisha Jones, whose brother Angelo Jones was killed in 2010, wrote:

I am the sister of Angelo Jones who was gunned down and killed in Oct 2, 2010 I don’t have a job, but I do know that in order to keep homicide Watch .org available Mr& Mrs. Amico needs donations to keep it up and running, I understand that people don’t have a job but I feel if a person can spend $10 on a bottle of wine or eat at the carryout when they have food that money could be going to Homicide watch .org to keep the coverage going, I cant speak for others I can only speak for myself, it lets me know when I come on to this site that I am not alone, there are other families going through the same thing I am, and if I can give anyone can,PLEASE LETS KEEP THIS SITE RUNNING FOR THOSE WHO CANT SPEAK OR OUR LOVED ONES WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED!

THANK YOU
AISHA JONES

Reader Grateful wrote:

Just want to say “Thank You” for creating Homicide Watch. I would love to start the same thing for Baltimore, MD. I don’t live in Washington, DC but something drew me to this site. In 2010 my co-worker was murdered in DC. I hate to see the site come to an end, and wish I had more money I could contribute, and give. Thank You for putting a face to victims of violence. God Bless You and Thank You for Marking every death, and Remembering “Every Victim”!!!

Councilman Jim Graham wrote this on a neighborhood email list:

Friends:

I want to publicly thank Laura Amico for her extraordinary efforts and commitment in establishing and maintaining the “Homicide Watch” website. Laura has been named a Nieman - Berkman Fellow and will begin studying “journalism innovation” at Harvard University this fall. Over the last two years, Laura, through Homicide Watch, has provided a rare glimpse into the lives of victims of homicides and their families that is rarely seen. Prior to Homicide Watch, most homicides in the District were classified just as a number and would be usually forgotten by most of us - - other than the families and close friends - - by the next news cycle.

Laura provides pictures of the victims, the memorials that would often be erected near the scene of the crime, and she posts the heart-breaking remembrances from family members and friends. Homicide Watch reminds all of us — violence affects all of us — it is not inevitable — and all of us have a role in stopping it. Laura’s writing is always respectful, compassionate, and balanced.

When MPD makes arrests in cases, Homicide Watch is usually the first to publicly post the information. The website provides regular updates on the status of court hearings on each homicide and the eventual court and jury decisions. “Tracking every case” and “never forgetting the loss” has brought a sense of healing to thousands of District residents whose loved ones have been killed.

As Laura plans her move to Boston, she is making an appeal to all of us to make sure the site continues. Please open the link below to learn more about the innovative internship program Laura has created and ways for all of us to support it. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1368665357/a-one-year-student-reporting-lab-within-homicide-w

Our heartfelt thanks to Laura and best wishes in her continued success.

Looking for more information about what’s happening with Homicide Watch? We’ve rounded up some of the recent coverage for you.
Read more

Dear Readers,

On Tuesday I came to you with some bad news: that without a local partner willing to take on Homicide Watch DC would would have to suspend the site. Within hours of that announcement you rallied around us, contacting friends and colleagues asking them to support us, and supporting us yourselves with your generous donations to keep our work going. In 48 hours we raised more than $10,000. It is an incredible achievement.

The Kickstarter campaign for Homicide Watch DC will keep the site alive by transforming it into a student reporting lab. I hope that in the flurry of trying to keep the site alive I have adequately expressed how exciting this new project is. If successfully funded, we have the opportunity to train the next generation of crime reporters.

But we need $40,000 to do it.

So I’m asking again: Please, if you can donate $5, $50, or $500, do so. Keep Homicide Watch DC alive. Train young journalists. Stand with us in saying: Mark every death. Remember every victim. Follow every case.

It is my greatest hope and prayer right now that there is some way for the mission of this project to continue, because while I am leaving, the people who this project really matters to— those affected by violent crime— remain here in DC. And I’m asking you to support this project not for me, but for them.

Sincerely,
Laura Amico
Editor, Homicide Watch DC

Each Friday, Homicide Watch brings you a list of upcoming hearings in the cases we follow. All hearings are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. unless otherwise noted. To add an item to the listing, email homicidewatchdc [at] gmail.com. To see scheduled court hearings beyond next week, see our calendar.

On Monday Eric Foreman is scheduled for a jury trial before Judge Robert Morin. Foreman is suspected of felony murder while armed in connection with the August 2010 shooting death of Catholic University graduate student Neil Godleski. Godleski was bicycling home from his job as a waiter at a restaurant when Foreman allegedly robbed him for $60 at gunpoint in Sherman Circle. Godleski was shot several times.
Read more

This Guest Column comes from a Homicide Watch reader, who writes about Simon Anderson. Anderson was fatally shot Aug. 6 in Northwest DC.

Simon was born on October 24, 1971, in Washington, DC and has lived in the city his entire life.

Simon was an outspoken, people person who loved life and his five children (ages 15-4). In his life, Simon studied and practiced the Islamic faith and was an avid believer. Always on a quest for truth, he pursued education and travel. He also enjoyed car racing and sports and even had a passion for antique muscle cars - a few of which he restored to their original condition.
Read more

Cydrisse Alvin was ordered held today after Judge Ronna Beck found probable cause that Alvin stabbed her neighbor, Amber Kent, at the Southeast DC apartment building where they both lived.
Read more

Dear Readers,

It has been a privilege and honor to bring you coverage of every homicide in DC, from crime to conviction, for the past two years as founder and editor of Homicide Watch DC. Now an opportunity to study journalism innovation at Harvard as a Nieman-Berkman fellow means it is time for me to move on.

Working on this beat in DC has been so incredibly meaningful for me that I can not adequately express my gratitude to you for taking part in this experiment. Together we have changed the face of crime reporting and told the world that the common news values for violent crime reporting are wrong. We have said, together, with one voice, that how people live and die here, and how those deaths are recognized, matters to every one of us.

In an effort to continue this valuable work we are seeking to transform Homicide Watch DC into a student reporting lab. We need $40,000 to do it, and we hope you will help us.

The Kickstarter campaign that we launched today will raise the funds necessary to hire five paid interns to continue the work of Homicide Watch DC. Their reporting and community building efforts will ensure that Homicide Watch stays alive.

The student reporting lab will provide a valuable service for students as well. Students will learn reporting skills including writing breaking news and feature stories, advanced data collection, analysis and visualization, audience engagement and more.

There are a number of rewards available to you for your donation to this cause. We hope that the greatest reward, though, is knowing that you’re saying with us “we care.” That every life and death matters. That how our criminal justice system responds to violent crime matters. That together we insist: Mark every death. Remember every victim. Follow every case.

Here’s the link to help. Your support means so much to so many people.

Sincerely,
Laura Amico
Editor, Founder Homicide Watch DC

In brief:

Shootings left three men dead this week in DC: Antwan Boseman, 24, was killed early last Saturday on the 800 block of Barnaby Street Southeast; Terrence Robinson, 48, was killed in a separate shooting that same day in the 2600 block of Douglas Road Southeast; Simon Anderson, 40, was killed last Sunday in the 3500 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest.

Police arrested William J. Douglas on suspicion of first-degree murder while armed in connection with the 2007 shooting death of Kirk Hart.

Joseph McCrae was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for the 2010 shooting death of Jonathan Estep.

Lamont Hill was arrested in South Carolina; he is wanted in DC in connection with the June death of Brian Bloomfield.

A man wanted by DC police for the June death of Brian Bloomfield has been arrested in South Carolina, local news agencies there report.

Earlier this month, U.S. Marshalls asked for the public’s help in finding 20-year-old Lamont Hill, who was wanted in connection with Bloomfield’s death.
Read more

William Douglas was ordered held Friday pending a preliminary hearing after Judge Karen Howze ruled that there was probable cause that he was responsible for the shooting death of Kirk Hart.

Douglas was arrested after DNA found in a black face mask and dreadlocks found at the scene of the crime was matched to him.
Read more