This guest post comes from Kathryn Gaglione, a friend of 16-year-old Prince Okorie who was shot and killed Nov. 30 in D.C.’s Petworth neighborhood. Metro Police have not announced any arrests in Okorie’s murder.
Tuesday evening, Nov. 30, a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed in Northwest. The Washington Post’s Crime Scene blog posted four paragraphs about the shooting, and even provided a three-paragraph update a few hours later.
What the article doesn’t mention is that Prince Okorie was known and loved by many people. Not only did I work with him in a tutoring program, but I attended the same church congregation, I know his family, and I see how this tragedy is leaving those who cared about Prince in shock.
Every member of the community should be enraged by this crime. We should be up in arms about one of our children falling victim to such violence. But we’ve become too complacent, too willing to write off the death of a young man because he wasn’t an honors student, his family wasn’t well-known in the community, his death doesn’t have a “news hook.”Read more
A post at The District Curmudgeon came our way this morning thanks to @bogrosemary.
According to The District Curmudgeon, neighbors of Kwan Kearney‘s family have received notes in the mail this week alerting them to their proximity to the defendant. (A photo of a note is here.)
Kearney is currently charged with first-degree murder in two D.C. cases. On Monday Judge Herbert Dixon ruled in a preliminary hearing that Kearney would be tried for the death of Jamal Wilson. Kearney is expected in court Friday for a preliminary hearing in the death of Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr.
@bogrosemary wanted to know if HWDC has heard of this before; we haven’t but we’ve only been up and running for a couple weeks. Has anyone received these notes in other cases?
And if you received one about Kearney, I invite you to send it in to include in our documents library. E-mail a scanned copy to HomicideWatchDC [at] gmail.com
Updated court records show that Joseph Spinks, accused of killing Delonte Butler, will not appear in court tomorrow (Tuesday). Spinks was expected in courtroom 310 (Judge Lynn Leibovitz) at 9:30 a.m. for a preliminary hearing.
The hearing has been rescheduled for Friday, Dec. 10. at 9:30 a.m. in courtroom 310.
If the there aren’t any further changes in the calendar, Friday promises to be a busy day at D.C. Superior Court: in addition to Spinks, Kwan Kearney, Larnell Allen and Marvin Palencia are also all scheduled for prelims.
Few details have emerged since initial reports from the Washington Post and TBD almost nine hours ago that Metro Police were investigating a possible homicide in Southwest D.C.
D.C. Police told TBD that the man was found hanging in a tree near South Capitol and I streets SW. Twitter user @DCseth tweeted this morning that the body was found in an area park.
Omg I think a body may have been found in the park I walk thru on my way to/from work! SW DC
Yeah, so a body WAS found in the park I walk through to and from work every day. No details yet.
Metro Police have not issued a press release and a spokesperson told TBD this evening that they had “no information” about the case.
We’ll monitor through the night. If you have a tip or lead, leave a comment on this post, email homicidewatchdc [at] gmail.com, or tweet us @homicidewatch.
-Laura
Charging documents against Timothy Howard Foreman, the second suspect charged in the death of Gregory Joyner, were available today at D.C. Superior Court.
Foreman, a 35-year-old D.C. man, was arrested Dec. 2. Joyner was shot to death in the 200 block of K Street SW on Nov. 15. Read more
Judge Herbert Dixon ruled Monday that probable cause in the cases against Kwan Kearney and Jeremy Risper exists and that the two men will stand trial for a shooting that left 19-year-old Jamal Wilson dead. Dixon declined to release either Kearney or Risper from jail before their next court date in March, saying each of their criminal histories indicate a threat to the community.
Wilson was shot through the chest after being pursued by two men in the Truxton Circle neighborhood, said Metro PD Homicide Detective Hosam Nasr, who testified in court Monday. While on the witness stand, Nasr described nearby surveillance video of Kearney and Risper recorded around the time of the shooting. According to Nasr, the video showed Kearney carrying a “dark object” that was being carried in a way that was “consistent” with how a gun would be held. Witness statements indicate Kearney and Risper were looking for Wilson at that time, Nasr said.Read more
The Washington Post reports a possible homicide in Southwest D.C.:
D.C. homicide detectives are investigating the discovery of a man found dead in Southwest.
He was found shortly before 9 a.m. at South Capitol and I streets, authorities said.
Update 11:30 a.m.: TBD is reporting that the man was found hanging from a tree.
(Thanks Coraline.)
Police Chief Cathy Lanier and ANC Commissioner Sedrick Muhammad spoke last week about homicide crimes in the District. Read more
