Latest news with #D.C.SuperiorCourt
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Shameful': Washington murder case dismissed after DNA evidence is lost
WASHNGTON — Days before a Washington murder trial was to begin, prosecutors decided the evidence they had against the defendant — who was in custody for more than five years — was not good enough, and the victim's family still wants an explanation. When John Pernell was shot to death on Nelson Place SE in July 2010, witnesses told police the retired protective service officer fought with one of four men trying to rob him and others. Pernell and his friends were setting up their barbecues for a traditional Fourth of July get-together when the men jumped a fence and announced a robbery. The investigation went nowhere until 2019, when a witness told police they should look at a man named Kavon Young. According to a document filed in D.C. Superior Court, police said DNA discovered under Pernell's fingernails matched the DNA profile of Young. The probability the DNA did not belong to Young was one in 3.4 billion in the United States African American population. But that DNA evidence — presented in court as a match in 2019 — suddenly became a mismatch two days before trial. Prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's Office, the defense attorneys and the private lab that did the original testing will not say why. 'It's shameful. We have a right to know what happened,' said Pernell's daughter, Yolanda Pernell-Vogelson. Two days before the trial was set to begin, Pernell-Vogelson and her sister, Ayana Pernell, say they got a call from Michael Spence, the prosecutor in the case, who told them the initial calculations were wrong. 'To this day, [we] have not been given a full, understandable explanation as to why this has happened,' Ayana Pernell said. 'I mean, we are essentially victims also.' Court records show the private lab that did the testing, Bode Technology Group Inc., lost the evidence and it cannot be retested. The judge told the prosecution and defense that at trial, the jury would be told 'the government's labs and/or agencies negligently lost the DNA extract in this case' just before the trial was set to begin. In an April 9 filing, prosecutors noted again the DNA 'matched the defendant' 'as reported by Bode Technology' — a result prosecutors relied upon for five-and-a-half years until deciding two days before trial it was unreliable. Bode Technology group declined to comment. Young was released in April, and NBC Washington couldn't reach the attorneys who have been representing him. Pernell's daughters said they wrote letters to all lawmakers in the city. 'We extend our condolences to Mr. Pernell's family and friends, including his daughters," Washington Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Lindsey Appiah said in a statement Wednesday. "I've contacted them regarding his case, and we are investigating the matter to see if there is anything additional the District can do to be of assistance to ensure justice.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
a day ago
- NBC News
'Shameful': Washington murder case dismissed after DNA evidence is lost
WASHNGTON — Days before a Washington murder trial was to begin, prosecutors decided the evidence they had against the defendant — who was in custody for more than five years — was not good enough, and the victim's family still wants an explanation. When John Pernell was shot to death on Nelson Place SE in July 2010, witnesses told police the retired protective service officer fought with one of four men trying to rob him and others. Pernell and his friends were setting up their barbecues for a traditional Fourth of July get-together when the men jumped a fence and announced a robbery. The investigation went nowhere until 2019, when a witness told police they should look at a man named Kavon Young. According to a document filed in D.C. Superior Court, police said DNA discovered under Pernell's fingernails matched the DNA profile of Young. The probability the DNA did not belong to Young was one in 3.4 billion in the United States African American population. But that DNA evidence — presented in court as a match in 2019 — suddenly became a mismatch two days before trial. Prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's Office, the defense attorneys and the private lab that did the original testing will not say why. 'It's shameful. We have a right to know what happened,' said Pernell's daughter, Yolanda Pernell-Vogelson. Two days before the trial was set to begin, Pernell-Vogelson and her sister, Ayana Pernell, say they got a call from Michael Spence, the prosecutor in the case, who told them the initial calculations were wrong. 'To this day, [we] have not been given a full, understandable explanation as to why this has happened,' Ayana Pernell said. 'I mean, we are essentially victims also.' Court records show the private lab that did the testing, Bode Technology Group Inc., lost the evidence and it cannot be retested. The judge told the prosecution and defense that at trial, the jury would be told 'the government's labs and/or agencies negligently lost the DNA extract in this case' just before the trial was set to begin. In an April 9 filing, prosecutors noted again the DNA 'matched the defendant' 'as reported by Bode Technology' — a result prosecutors relied upon for five-and-a-half years until deciding two days before trial it was unreliable. Bode Technology group declined to comment. Young was released in April, and NBC Washington couldn't reach the attorneys who have been representing him. Pernell's daughters said they wrote letters to all lawmakers in the city. 'We extend our condolences to Mr. Pernell's family and friends, including his daughters," Washington Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Lindsey Appiah said in a statement Wednesday. "I've contacted them regarding his case, and we are investigating the matter to see if there is anything additional the District can do to be of assistance to ensure justice.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man sentenced in DC after selling drugs near school
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A man was sentenced in D.C. after selling narcotics near schools and possessing a gun as a felon, according to a release. 23-year-old John Parker, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty on March 5, to one count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute N, N-Dimethylpentylone near schools and to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The designer synthetic stimulant was known as 'boot'. Former University Park Mayor faces charges after sexually exploiting children for over a decade, authorities say According to court documents, on Aug. 24, 2023, around 8:30 p.m., United States Park Police officers saw a person approach Parker near 7th and H Streets, about 400 feet from a school, and hand Parker cash. Parker then handed the person white powder. Officers followed Parker into a nearby drug store, where he was arrested. During a search, officers recovered a loaded Ruger LCP semi-automatic pistol that was tucked in his pants. Parker was previously convicted in D.C. Superior Court of carrying a pistol without a license. In addition, police recovered a clear-knotted plastic bag which contained a white rock-like substance weighing 54.6 grams, a plastic bag that contained 75 clear capsules filled with a white rock-like substance, six purple capsules each containing a white rock-like substance and $211 in cash. The bag was tested and confirmed to contain N, N-Dimethylpentylone, a Schedule I controlled substance. Parker was sentenced to 27 months, or just over two years, for the crimes. In addition, Parker was ordered to serve six years of supervised release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live.
Washington Post
02-05-2025
- Washington Post
He burned alive on his 10th birthday. The landlord is going to prison.
Before a D.C. Superior Court judge delivered his sentence Friday for two deaths that a jury found he failed to prevent, James Walker read from Psalm 93 — a meditation on the sovereignty of God. The licensed attorney and D.C. landlord apologized for the fire that killed 10-year-old Yafet Solomon and 40-year-old Fitsum Kebede, saying that he was 'very sorry for their deaths' and 'did not mean to cause them harm.'
Business Journals
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Shilling Canning Co. seeks bankruptcy protection
An affiliate of The Shilling Canning Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday after the Michelin-featured restaurant fell behind on rent for its Navy Yard space. The filing comes nearly three months after the restaurant's landlord at 360 Water St. SE sued in D.C. Superior Court for nearly $93,906 in unpaid rent. An attorney for Shilling Canning, Justin Fasano of McNamee Hosea PA, blamed the delinquent rent payments on declining revenue, a familiar story for many D.C. restaurants also grappling with increasing expenses. The restaurant's gross revenue fell from $1.5 million in 2023 to $1.38 million last year, Fasano wrote in a bankruptcy-related court document. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events In a statement, the company's owner and executive chef, Reid Shilling, said Shilling Canning has endured through Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges and is now starting to see a bright light with the return of office workers to the Navy Yard area. With the bankruptcy petition, he hopes to find a solution that builds on that momentum going forward. "It's unfortunate we were not able to come to an agreement after we stayed current on our rent through almost 6 years of business in unprecedented times for our industry," Shilling said. "We are protecting the business and the team which allows us to restructure at a perfect time when the neighborhood has seen over 20K workers return, and the restaurant is performing better than it ever has. We look forward to serving our guests and neighbors, welcoming our regulars and new faces." The LLC's bankruptcy petition, filed in the U.S. District Court for D.C., listed between $100,001 and $500,000 in assets and $500,001 and $1 million in liabilities. Its largest creditor, with a claim of $148,649, is FC 1331 LLC, its landlord at 360 Water St. SE. The company's next two largest creditors are the D.C. government, owed $50,000 in sales and use taxes, and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, with a claim of $22,843. After a successful launch, Shilling told the Washington Business Journal in a September 2023 Small Biz Spotlight that figuring out how to evolve and continue to grow sales was its next challenge. Among its efforts was to bring back a pop-up concept, Ampersandwich, with the aim of eventually spinning the concept off to its own bricks-and-mortar space. Most recently, the restaurant was included in the 2024 Michelin Guide, and one of its chefs, Sara Ravitz, was nominated for rising culinary star for this year's RAMMY Awards. Fasano, in a related bankruptcy motion seeking to use cash collateral to pay ongoing expenses, said the company's profit-and-loss picture has begun to improve over the past few months as more workers have returned to the office, including federal workers ordered to return to the office five days a week. Several government agencies are based in the Navy Yard area, including the U.S. Department of Transportation, and their returns have fueled an increase in lunch meetings and happy hours. The motion says the company is able to operate with positive cash flow while reorganizing its debts. D.C.'s hospitality market faces an increasingly gloomy picture amid diminished sales and escalating costs for many restaurants. Roughly 44% of full-service casual restaurants in the District are likely to close this year as financial conditions worsen, per a recent survey from the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington.
