Elaine Coleman | Homicide Watch DChttp://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/Latest news about Elaine Colemanen-usTue, 17 Apr 2012 10:55:09 -040026 Year Prison Sentence for Stabbing Death of Elaine Colemanhttp://homicidewatch.org/2012/04/17/26-year-prison-sentence-for-stabbing-death-of-elaine-coleman/<p><a href="http://homicidewatch.org/suspects/john-william-smith-jr/" >John Smith</a> was sentenced today to 26 years in prison for the stabbing death of <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/" >Elaine Coleman</a>, who was found dead in her apartment on Dec. 4.<br /> <span id="more-8593"></span><br /> According to <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/18/guilty-plea-in-stabbing-death-of-elaine-coleman/" >charging documents</a>, Coleman, 47, was stabbed 41 times and had been nearly decapitated. Some of the wounds could have been inflicted using a pair of scissors, the medical examiner noted.</p> <p>Charging documents elaborate that Smith, 47, pleaded guilty in Baltimore in 2005 to a count of manslaughter. He had been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in a stabbing death in which a pair of scissors was used as the murder weapon.</p> <p>The maximum charge in the case was 40 years. </p> <p>A press release from the US Attorney's Office is below.</p> <blockquote><p>Baltimore Man Sentenced to 26-Year Prison Term In December 2011 Slaying in Northeast Washington -Victim Was Stabbed Multiple Times-</p> <p> WASHINGTON - John Smith, 47, of Baltimore Md., was sentenced today to 26 years in prison in connection with the recent slaying of a woman in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.</p> <p> Smith pled guilty in January 2012 to a charge of second degree murder while armed. He was sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by the Honorable Robert E. Morin.</p> <p> At the plea hearing, Smith admitted that between December 2, 2011, and December 3, 2011, he was with the victim, Elaine Coleman, 47, inside her home in the 500 block of 23rd Place NE. During this time, he stabbed Ms. Coleman numerous times, and she died as a result of her injuries. Smith was arrested on January 3, 2012.</p> <p> In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, including Detectives Anthony Patterson, Paul Regan, Douglas Carlson Sean Cain, and Anthony Paci, and Crime Scene Search Officer Curtis Lancaster. He also commended Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney and Victim Witness Advocate Tamara Ince of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Cobb, who investigated and prosecuted the case. </p></blockquote> Laura AmicoTue, 17 Apr 2012 10:55:09 -0400http://homicidewatch.org/2012/04/17/26-year-prison-sentence-for-stabbing-death-of-elaine-coleman/Elaine ColemanJohn William Smith Jr.Guilty Plea in Stabbing Death of Elaine Colemanhttp://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/18/guilty-plea-in-stabbing-death-of-elaine-coleman/<p><a href="http://homicidewatch.org/suspects/john-william-smith-jr/" >John Smith</a> pleaded guilty this morning to one count of second-degree murder while armed in the stabbing death of <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/" >Elaine Coleman</a>.</p> <p>Smith, 46, could be sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison, said Judge Robert Morin, who heard the case.<br /> <span id="more-7507"></span><br /> Prosecutor Charles Cobb told Morin that had the case gone to trial, the government would have proved that Smith stabbed Coleman multiple times sometime between Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, killing her.</p> <p>When asked by Judge Morin if that was what happened, Smith replied "yes it was."</p> <p>According to <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/04/john-william-smith-jr-held-in-stabbing-death-of-girlfriend-elaine-coleman/" >charging documents</a>, Coleman, 47, was found dead in her apartment on Dec. 4. Her body was so badly injured that responding medics initially believed she had been shot in the face. An autopsy revealed that she had been stabbed— 41 times— and had been nearly decapitated. Some of the wounds could have been inflicted using a pair of scissors, the medical examiner noted.</p> <p>Charging documents elaborate that Smith pleaded guilty in Baltimore in 2005 to a count of manslaughter. He had been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in a stabbing death in which a pair of scissors was used as the murder weapon.</p> <p>Sentencing is scheduled for March 30 at 11 a.m.</p> <p>A press release from the USAO has been added below.</p> <blockquote><p>Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Murder In December 2011 Slaying in Northeast Washington-Victim Was Stabbed Multiple Times-</p> <p> WASHINGTON - John Smith, 46, of Baltimore Md., pled guilty today to a charge of second degree murder while armed in connection with the recent slaying of a woman in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.</p> <p> Smith pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and will be sentenced on March 30, 2012, by the Honorable Robert E. Morin. He faces up to 40 years in prison.</p> <p> At the plea hearing, Smith admitted that between December 2, 2011, and December 3, 2011, he was with the decedent, Elaine Coleman, 47, inside her home in the 500 block of 23rd Place SE. During this time, he stabbed the victim numerous times, and she died as a result of her injuries. Smith was arrested on January 3, 2012.</p> <p> In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including Detectives Anthony Patterson, Paul Regan, Douglas Carlson Sean Cain, and Anthony Paci, and Crime Scene Search Officer Curtis Lancaster. He also commended Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney and Victim Witness Advocate Tamara Ince of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Cobb, who investigated and prosecuted the case. </p></blockquote> Laura AmicoWed, 18 Jan 2012 10:59:36 -0500http://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/18/guilty-plea-in-stabbing-death-of-elaine-coleman/Elaine ColemanJohn William Smith Jr.Harry Jaffe: The justice system failed Elaine Colemanhttp://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/10/harry-jaffe-the-justice-system-failed-elaine-coleman/<p>Washington Examiner Columnist Harry Jaffe writes this week about <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/" >Elaine Coleman</a>'s death in Northeast DC.</p> <p><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2012/01/justice-system-failed-elaine-coleman/2078296" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://washingtonexaminer.com']);">Jaffe writes</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray was alarmed enough by Sunday's shooting of 19-year-old David Lee Robinson to show up at a vigil and express his exasperation.</p> <p>"He was being robbed for his Nike tennis shoes," the mayor said. "A life for a pair of Nike tennis shoes? Come on, ladies and gentlemen. It is time for us to be able to end this type of tragic violence in our society."<br /> <span id="more-7417"></span><br /> Young David's demise in a shootout on Foote Street Northeast was one of the first homicides this year of the senseless variety that take too many lives in our town.</p> <p>For a type of murder that might be easier to prevent, I would direct the mayor to the killing of Elaine Coleman. A much-loved resident of the Kingman Park neighborhood in Northeast, she was stabbed to death Dec. 4 by her boyfriend, according to charging documents.</p> <p>Add it up: A man stabs a person to death with scissors, pleads to manslaughter, gets eight years and serves five. Co-workers hear the man threaten to kill his girlfriend. They do nothing. The judicial system failed Elaine Coleman. Smith's co-workers didn't report his threats. They failed her, too.</p> <p>Mayor Gray would have more impact and save more lives if he talked up this case and strengthened the system against domestic violence.</p></blockquote> <p>Read the full column <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2012/01/justice-system-failed-elaine-coleman/2078296" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://washingtonexaminer.com']);">here</a>.</p> Laura AmicoTue, 10 Jan 2012 09:08:15 -0500http://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/10/harry-jaffe-the-justice-system-failed-elaine-coleman/Elaine ColemanJohn William Smith Jr. Held in Stabbing Death of Girlfriend, Elaine Colemanhttp://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/04/john-william-smith-jr-held-in-stabbing-death-of-girlfriend-elaine-coleman/<p>To <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/05/comment-of-the-day-she-was-my-neighbor/" >friends and neighbors</a>, <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/" >Elaine Coleman</a> was a cheerful smiling face, but at home she struggled in a troubled relationship with a convicted killer.</p> <p>Coleman, 47, was found dead in her apartment on Dec. 4. Her body was so badly injured that responding medics initially believed she had been shot in the face.<span id="more-7353"></span> An autopsy revealed that she had been stabbed-- 41 times-- and had been nearly decapitated. Some of the wounds could have been inflicted using a pair of scissors, the medical examiner noted. </p> <p>Police say Coleman's boyfriend, <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/suspects/john-william-smith-jr/" >John William Smith Jr</a>, is responsible for her violent death. He appeared in court Wednesday to be presented with the charge of second-degree murder while armed. Charging documents do not state what the weapon he is believed to have been armed with is.</p> <p>According to witness accounts included in the charging documents, Coleman and Smith, 46, had a tumultuous relationship. One person said Smith was "possessive" of Coleman and would frequently call her to see where she was and who she was with. Coleman would kick Smith out of her house, "infuriating" him, the charging documents say.</p> <p>The disagreements may have intensified when Smith received a financial settlement, a witness said. When told of the money, Coleman asked that Smith assist her in paying her mortgage. The witness said Smith said that if Coleman was using him for his money he would kill her. He added that he had served time for manslaughter.</p> <p>Charging documents elaborate that Smith pleaded guilty in Baltimore in 2005 to a count of manslaughter. He had been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in a stabbing death in which a pair of scissors was used as the murder weapon.</p> <p>Smith was ordered held Wednesday and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Jan. 18 with Judge Ronna Beck. </p> <p><script src="http://s3.documentcloud.org/viewer/loader.js"></script><br /> <script> DV.load('http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/282068-john-william-smith-jr-charging-docs.js', { width: 450, height: 600, sidebar: false, container: "#DV-viewer-282068-john-william-smith-jr-charging-docs" }); </script></p> Laura AmicoWed, 04 Jan 2012 17:39:04 -0500http://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/04/john-william-smith-jr-held-in-stabbing-death-of-girlfriend-elaine-coleman/Elaine ColemanJohn William Smith Jr.Man Arrested in Stabbing Death of Elaine Colemanhttp://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/03/man-arrested-in-stabbing-death-of-elaine-coleman/<p>A man wanted by MPD in connection with the fatal stabbing of <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/" >Elaine Coleman</a> has been arrested, MPD announced Tuesday night.</p> <p><a href="http://homicidewatch.org/suspects/john-william-smith-jr/" >John William Smith Jr.</a>, 46, was named as a suspect in Coleman's death just before New Years Eve. He was believed to be in Baltimore. He was arrested Tuesday at about 4 p.m.; MPD did not say where he was arrested.<br /> <span id="more-7338"></span><br /> He's suspected of second degree murder while armed.</p> <p>A press release is below.<br /> <!--more--></p> <blockquote><p>January 3, 2012</p> <p>Arrest Made in the Homicide in the 500 Block of 23rd Place, NE</p> <p>(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Departments Homicide Branch have announced that an arrest has been made in the fatal stabbing which occurred in the 500 block of 23rd Place, NE.</p> <p>On December 4, 2011, at approximately 12:28 am, units from the First District responded to the 500 block of 23rd Place, NE for the report of an unconscious subject. Upon arriving on the scene officers located an adult female inside of the location identified as 47 year-old Elaine Coleman of Northeast, Washington, DC, suffering from stab wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel determined that there were no signs of life. The victim was pronounced dead by a member from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.</p> <p>On Tuesday, January 03, 2012, at approximately 4:00 pm, members from the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 46 year-old John William Smith Jr., of no fixed address, pursuant to an arrest warrant and charged him with Murder Two while Armed in the homicide of Elaine Coleman. </p></blockquote> Laura AmicoTue, 03 Jan 2012 22:50:50 -0500http://homicidewatch.org/2012/01/03/man-arrested-in-stabbing-death-of-elaine-coleman/Elaine ColemanJohn William Smith Jr.Suspect Named in Elaine Coleman Homicidehttp://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/30/suspect-named-in-elaine-coleman-homicide/<p><img src="http://homicidewatch.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Coleman-case-flier-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="Coleman case flier" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-7250" />MPD today named John William Smith Jr a suspect in the stabbing death of <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/" >Elaine Coleman</a>.</p> <p>Smith is a 46-year-old black male believed to be in Baltimore, MPD said. There is a warrant for his arrest.<br /> <span id="more-7249"></span><br /> Coleman was found stabbed just after midnight on Dec. 4 inside a building in the 500 block of 23rd Place, NE. Friends and neighbors have said she was an employee at a nearby grocery store.</p> <p>Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Friday that she hoped Smith would be arrested before the close of the year.</p> <p>A "wanted" poster is below.</p> <p><script src="http://s3.documentcloud.org/viewer/loader.js"></script><br /> <script> DV.load('http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/281792-scn-0048.js', { width: 450, height: 600, sidebar: false, container: "#DV-viewer-281792-scn-0048" }); </script></p> Laura AmicoFri, 30 Dec 2011 19:03:45 -0500http://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/30/suspect-named-in-elaine-coleman-homicide/Elaine ColemanComment of the Day: "She was my neighbor."http://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/05/comment-of-the-day-she-was-my-neighbor/<p>This <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/category/comment-of-the-day/" >comment of the day</a> comes from <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/#comment-379196664" >Playa69k1</a>, who wrote in about <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/" >Elaine Coleman</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>She was my neighbor. She also worked at the shoppers food warehouse down the street from my house we would talk from time to time when I would come in the store. And the last time I had seen her we talked about her kids and I talked about mine. A beautiful soul that will be missed but never forgotten.</p></blockquote> Laura AmicoMon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:45 -0500http://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/05/comment-of-the-day-she-was-my-neighbor/Elaine ColemanEarly Morning Homicide Victim IDed as Elaine Colemanhttp://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/04/early-morning-homicide-victim-ided-as-elaine-coleman/<p>A woman killed in Northeast DC just after midnight has been identified as <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/victims/elaine-coleman/" >Elaine Coleman</a>, 47, of Northeast, Washington, DC.</p> <p>A press release from MPD states that she was found suffering from multiple stab wounds. <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/04/woman-killed-in-ne-dc-shooting/" >Early reports</a> indicated that the victim in this homicide had been shot.<br /> <span id="more-6632"></span><br /> MPD's press release is below.</p> <blockquote><p>Homicide: 500 Block of 23rd Place, NE</p> <p>(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Departments Homicide Branch are investigating a fatal stabbing which occurred in the 500 block of 23rd Place, NE.</p> <p>On December 4, 2011, at approximately 12:28 am, units from the First District responded to the 500 block of 23rd Place, NE for the of an unconscious person. Upon arriving on the scene officers located an unconscious and unresponsive adult female inside of the location. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel determined that there were no signs of life. The victim was pronounced dead by a member from the Chief Medical Examiners Office. Subsequent investigation revealed that the decedent suffered multiple stab wounds.</p> <p>The decedent has been identified as 47 year-old Elaine Coleman of Northeast, Washington, DC.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to DC CRIME SOLVERS at 1-800-673-2777 and to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411. If the information provided by the caller to the Crime Solvers Unit leads to an arrest and indictment, that caller will be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000</p> </blockquote> Laura AmicoSun, 04 Dec 2011 16:55:47 -0500http://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/04/early-morning-homicide-victim-ided-as-elaine-coleman/Elaine ColemanWoman Killed in NE DC Shootinghttp://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/04/woman-killed-in-ne-dc-shooting/ <p><script src="/static/assets/js/loader.js"></script><br /> <script> new HomicideMap({ container: "#HW-homicide-embed-138", filter: { id: 138 }, width: 500, height: 350, options: { zoom: 15, scrollwheel: false, center: new google.maps.LatLng(38.896254, -76.97391) } }).render(); </script></p> <p><a href="http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/12/woman-fatally-shot-in-face-in-ne-69906.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.wjla.com']);">WJLA reports</a> that a woman was found shot inside a Northeast DC apartment building just after midnight Sunday.</p> <blockquote><p>First District officers found a woman inside of a residence suffering a gunshot wound to her face.</p> <p>The death is being investigated as a homicide, police said.</p></blockquote> <p>In a message on <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MPD-1D/message/16270" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://groups.yahoo.com']);">MPD's First District listserve</a>, Commander Daniel Hickson wrote:</p> <blockquote><p>On Sunday December 4, 2011 at approximately 12:28 a.m. the officers of the First District responded to the 500 block of 23 Place NE, where an adult female was discovered inside of her residence suffering from a gunshot wound. Detectives from the Homicide Branch are handling the investigation. No further information is available at this time.</p></blockquote> <p>This homicide is about a half mile from where a <a href="http://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/04/man-killed-in-ne-dc-shooting-2/" >man was shot and killed</a> about six hours earlier.</p> Laura AmicoSun, 04 Dec 2011 10:10:18 -0500http://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/04/woman-killed-in-ne-dc-shooting/Elaine Coleman