Homicide Watch D.C.

The Washington Post reports on the stabbing death of Candance Reed who was killed on November 15 outside of a club in the 5300 block of Georgia Avenue NW after a dispute at her friend’s birthday party.

The story follows the experiences that Reed’s mother, JoAnn Lee, has had in the past week since her daughter’s death.

JoAnn Lee carries a folder with pictures of her daughter. Candance Reed with a red shirt and pigtails posing with her second-grade class in Lorain, Ohio. Candance at her senior prom at Anacostia High School. Candance visiting Las Vegas. Candance posing with her dog Sampson.
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In brief:

Three people were killed in DC this week.

• Sephar Jean-Simon, 22, of Silver Spring, Md. was fatally stabbed on the 1200 block of Connecticut Ave. Northwest. No suspects have been arrested.
• Kevin Lucas, 28, was shot and killed in the 100 block of 34th Street Southeast. No suspects in the case have been arrested.
• Rokeida Spriggs, 21, was shot and killed on the 4900 block of G Street Southeast. No suspects have been arrested in the case.

Michael Anthony Coleman, 36, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder while armed in connection with the stabbing death of Candance Reed. He remains held pending a preliminary hearing December 9.

Jury deliberations began in the Michael Poth murder trial. Poth, 21, a former Marine, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with the April 2012 stabbing death of 23-year-old Philip Bushong, a fellow Marine.

Albrecht Muth, the man charged with killing his 91-year-old wife Viola Herms Drath, was denied a motion to subpoena former U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, or anyone beyond 25 miles from D.C. at his upcoming trial.

George Booth was arraigned Thursday on a charge of first-degree felony murder while armed in connection with the May 1992 shooting death of 27-year-old Chet Matthews. Booth, one of two suspects in the case, pleaded innocent and remains held pending a detention hearing on December 12.

Prosecutors reopened the case against Melvin Linkins charging him with second-degree murder in connection with the 2011 death of 37-year-old fireman, Marc Emilio Dancy. Linkins is released on the high intensity supervision program, pending a status hearing on Jan. 15, 2014.

Kevin Benbow pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2010 shooting death of 42-year-old Jinnell McQueen.

Marquette Tibbs was arraigned on charges of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, and related weapons offenses in connection with the 2012 shooting death of 22-year-old Andre Jackson. Tibbs, 22, is one of two suspects charged in the murder and is scheduled to stand trial in March 2014.

Dianna Lalchan was arraigned on charges of first-degree premeditated murder while armed and a related weapons offense in connection with the March shooting death of 36-year-old Christopher Lalchan. Dianna Lalchan remains released pending a status hearing on December 17.

Each week, 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 homicidewatch [at] gmail.com. To see scheduled court hearings beyond next week, see our calendar.
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Dianna Lalchan pleaded innocent to two new charges brought against her in connection with the death of her husband, Christopher Lalchan.

A grand jury indicted Dianna Lalchan, 28, on charges of first-degree premeditated murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
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Jurors began deliberating Friday on a second-degree murder case charging an ex-Marine with stabbing a brother-in-arms on Barracks Row in Southeast DC in April 2012.

The defendant, Michael Poth, 21, was discharged after being arrested on suspicion of murder in the stabbing death of 23-year-old Philip Bushong.

During a week-long trial, Poth’s defense attorney, Bernard Grimm, argued that Poth was the victim of an assault by two bigger men and that he stabbed Bushong in self defense. But prosecutors said that Poth instigated the altercation and that the stabbing was a premeditated attack.
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Judge Lori Parker ordered Michael Coleman held Friday in connection with last Friday’s stabbing death of 40 year-old Candance Reed. Coleman remains held pending a preliminary hearing on December 9.
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In a room packed with his family and friends Friday, Marquette Tibbs pleaded innocent to charges of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during crime of violence, and carrying a pistol.

Tibbs, 22, is suspected in the Nov. 4, 2012 shooting death of 22-year-old Andre Jackson. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder while armed on Feb. 26, along with 23-year-old Byron Dunn.

Charges against Dunn were dismissed earlier this week and Dunn was released from custody.
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Kevin Benbow pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed Friday and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with the Nov. 2010 shooting death of 42-year-old Jinnell Barbara McQueen.
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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.
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This Comment of the Day comes from Scared Citizen, who wrote in after two homicides overnight in Southeast DC.

When I was 12 years old my 17 year old brother was killed, shot dead on D.C.streets, this was in 1995, from that day forward I vowed to never have children because I was too scared someone will kill my child…but life goes on & needles to say I’m 30 years old with 3 kids, when I became pregnant I prayed to God that I didn’t have boys because they always seem to get killed, I have two boys..My point is the world is so cold, girl or boy you just might end up dead!! SMH