Opinion ID: 2328989
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Murder and Police Investigation

Text: About 10 o'clock one Sunday morning (May 13, 1984) the sister of Mrs. Louise Freeland, wife of the appellant, decided to drive over to the apartment building4638 Livingston Road, S.E.where the couple lived, after becoming concerned when both she and her mother found no one was answering successive telephone calls to the Freeland apartment. [1] Accompanied by two relatives, she found the door of the apartment unlocked, went inside, noticed the infant Freeland son asleep in his crib, and the door to the adjacent bedroom closed. When the trio opened this door, they were horrified at discovering Mrs. Freeland lying under a bloody sheet, apparently bludgeoned to death by blows which had crushed her face and skull. Removing the baby and returning to their car, they headed for a police station. Encountering a squad car on the way, they stopped to tell police what they had seen, and then brought the officers back to the Freeland apartment. After inspecting the scene and arranging for the removal of the body, the police then interviewed several occupants of the apartment building and were informed that appellant and his wife had engaged in a noisy quarrel that had lasted until about 4 o'clock in the morning despite admonitions of the resident manager. [2] Appellant was nowhere to be found, but one personRodney Buck, a maintenance manrecalled talking to him on the outside steps between 8:30 and 9:00 that morning. Police detectives continued their investigation the next day, but apparently were unable to find any eyewitnesses to the murder or to pinpoint the time of death. When appellant did not reappear, the United States Attorney's office applied for a bench warrant for his arrest, charging him with the murder of his wife. [3] A warrant was issued by a judge of the Superior Court on the same day, but remained unexecuted as neither the United States Marshal nor the District police could find the suspect. It was not until two and one half years later that local officials were able to locate appellant. In late November of 1986, they were notified that a man whose name and photograph matched the description on an FBI Wanted poster had been arrested on a shoplifting charge by Atlantic City police and was being held in custody in that city. [4] Upon being identified as appellant, he was transported to this jurisdiction, arraigned and, being unable to secure the requisite bond ($50,000), was committed to jail here on December 5, 1986, pending indictment and trial.