Opinion ID: 3155943
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Leslie Jones Murder

Text: Leslie Jones was a drug dealer who sold his product near 22nd Street, specifically in the Shipley Market area. He had a long-running feud with Tann that revolved around competition for drug sales and a prior incident in which one of his relatives assaulted Tann and had stolen his weapon. On the evening of April 11, 2003, Tann attended a small party with his future wife Tracey at his cousin‘s house in Southeast, Washington, D.C. At some point during the evening, Tann told Tracey that he was going to 22nd Street and left the party. Tann found Leslie Jones at a pay phone near Shipley Market and shot him from behind. 22nd Street Crew member Alphonce Little was an eyewitness to the murder. Another witness, Tyrone Curry, heard the gunfire and saw Tann running away from the scene of the crime. Tann later confessed to 8 Tracey, and another 22nd Street Crew member named Donald Matthews, that he had committed the murder. II. The Terrence Jones Murder and Richard Queen Assault The murder of Terrence Jones on April 17, 2004, began with an argument on 22nd Street between gang member Donald Matthews and a 22nd Street resident, Kyara Johnson, apparently about the type of liquor that was to be served at Kyara‘s birthday party. The verbal quarrel threatened to become violent before it was broken up by Kyara‘s sister, Shaunta Armstrong. Shaunta called her close friend Terrence Jones and asked him to come to 22nd Street to make sure that the situation was under control. Terrence Jones went to 22nd Street with his friend, Richard Queen. Terrence Jones approached Matthews and had a brief conversation with him. Matthews explained that he ―just had an argument [with Kyara] but it wasn‘t nothing.‖ Witnesses reported that their interaction ended peacefully and without incident. According to Kyara Johnson, appellant Arnette learned of the exchange between Donald Matthews and Terrence Jones and yelled, ―Doe‖ [referring to appellant Cooper] Kyara heard Cooper respond, ―Where at?‖ Shaunta Armstrong 9 then heard someone (believed to be Cooper) ask, ―Squirt [appellant Arnette‘s nickname], who‘s faking?‖ Arnette nodded in the direction of Terrence Jones and Richard Queen and told Cooper to go up the street with his ―hammer,‖ which was the street name for a gun. Cooper approached Terrence Jones and pointed a gun at him while Arnette hit Terrence Jones with his hands. Then, according to several witnesses, Cooper said words to the effect of ―Pat them niggers‘ pockets.‖ Arnette proceeded to pat Terrence Jones‘s pockets and hit him in the face. Witnesses stated that at some point Terrence Jones resisted by hitting Cooper, and Cooper shot him in response. When Terrence Jones tried to crawl away, Cooper shot him again. Witnesses further testified that at approximately the same time as Terrence Jones was under attack, appellant Tann and other unidentified males appeared, pinned Richard Queen against a car, and began beating him and going through his pockets. According to Donald Matthews, Tann picked up a gun off the ground in the midst of the fight with Queen and shot him in the back as he tried to run away, wounding Queen but not badly enough to prevent his escape. Several days later, Tann told Matthews that he had shot Queen. At trial, Queen testified that his assailants had stolen cash and cigars that he was carrying that night. 10 III. The James Taylor Murder and Bernard Mackey Assault A third murder occurred on 22nd Street a little over two years later, in the early evening of May 4, 2006. Again, the events were precipitated by an argument. This time it was a disagreement between Omar Harrison and Ashley Tyndle during which Harrison may have struck Tyndle. Harrison was an outsider to 22nd Street, and Tyndle was the girlfriend of gang member Alphonce Little. As the dispute climaxed, Harrison made reference to his lack of fear of Little by telling Tyndle to ―go get your baby[‘s] father‖ or words to that effect. At the time of the argument between Harrison and Tyndle, various members of the 22nd Street Crew were dispersed in different places on 22nd Street; one witness testified that one ―little crew,‖ including appellants Tann and Harris, as well as Little and several other gang members, was gathered near a basketball court. When word of the Harrison-Tyndle dispute, and Harrison‘s challenge to Little, spread by word of mouth to the gang, Little, Harris, Tann, and other gang members raced toward Harrison from different directions on 22nd Street. 11 Then, multiple witnesses saw Harris and Tann open fire at Omar Harrison. Seven witnesses testified that they saw Harris shooting. Four witnesses saw Tann shooting. One witness testified that between five and ten gang members were shooting en masse with Tann and Harris although this testimony was conflicting. Two witnesses testified to seeing gang member Antonio Blaylock with a gun drawn during the incident. According to another witness, ―a lot of people‖ in addition to Tann and Harris were shooting. Alphonce Little, who denied firing a weapon, stated that immediately after the first waves of gunfire ended, he heard a separate set of gunshots coming from another location ―across the street.‖ These shots were fired by Robert Foreman, who Little testified was a very junior member of the 22nd Street Crew. Foreman saw and heard Tann and Harris firing at Harrison, felt compelled to join in the attack, and started shooting as well. Once the firing started, Omar Harrison jumped into his truck and drove away safely. However, James Taylor, a 22nd Street resident who had been standing near Harrison‘s truck, was hit by a bullet in the head and died. Bernard Mackey, 12 another innocent bystander, was also standing nearby and was grazed by a bullet in the back. Alphonce Little ran with appellant Harris to the house of Harris‘s girlfriend and watched him pack his bags in preparation to go into hiding. Robert Foreman found Harris and Little at Harris‘s girlfriend‘s house. Little testified that Foreman told Harris and Little that he believed he had fired the shot that killed James Taylor. There was no evidence to show that either Harris or Tann, although aware of each other‘s role in the shooting and the presence of other gang members during the event, knew of Foreman‘s involvement in the murder. Following the incident, Harris fled the area and lived in disguise for several weeks until his arrest. IV. The Laquanda Johnson Murder and Keisha Frost Assault Notably for purposes of this appeal, appellant Cooper was tried for and convicted of the murder of Terrence Jones in 2006. At the time of the instant 2008-2009 trial of the appellants in this case, Cooper was serving a lengthy prison sentence for that crime. At Cooper‘s 2006 trial, the government listed Kyara Johnson and her older sister, Laquanda Johnson, as potential witnesses. Kyara testified about Cooper‘s shooting of Terrence Jones following her argument with 13 Matthews. Laquanda was not an eyewitness to the Terrence Jones murder; however, Cooper had made several incriminating statements to her in the aftermath of that incident. Ultimately, Laquanda did not testify at the 2006 trial, but she could be seen at the courthouse during the trial supporting her sister. Laquanda was protective of her younger sister and was known by reputation to be a ―gatekeeper‖ for those seeking access to Kyara. Cooper was convicted at the end of June 2006. Approximately two weeks later, in the early morning of July 11, 2006, the sisters (who had been relocated from 22nd Street because of Cooper‘s trial) returned to 22nd Street to visit friends. Appellant Beaver saw the sisters and told Alphonce Little that they were back. Little investigated their presence and confirmed that the sisters were hanging out at a 22nd Street house with Keisha Frost, Laquanda Johnson‘s friend. Beaver and Little met with Dwayne Wright, another 22nd Street Crew member. The three men discussed the sisters and agreed that they ―got to go‖ – meaning that they should be killed – because of their cooperation with the government. Beaver and Little further discussed which one of them was going to do the killing. Beaver, arguing that he had already done his duty to the gang by testifying in Cooper‘s defense at his 2006 trial, persuaded Little that he had an obligation to eliminate the 14 Johnson sisters. Wright retrieved a gun for Little, and Beaver gave Little a pair of sunglasses as a partial disguise. Preparations were completed when Little secured a ―hoodie‖ from Robert Foreman, and an escape route from appellant Rushing, who agreed to drive Little and Beaver away from the scene of the anticipated shooting. Alphonce Little walked up to the house where he had seen the Johnson sisters. Kyara Johnson was inside, but Laquanda was on the porch with Keisha Frost. Little opened fire and shot both women, believing that Keisha was Kyara. Laquanda died, but Keisha lived. Kyara, looking out of an upstairs window, witnessed the shooting. Little ran away from the scene toward 23rd Street and Southern Avenue. Rushing collected Little and Beaver in his car and instructed Little to get rid of the hoodie. Beaver directed the gang members to his mother‘s house in Maryland where he hid the gun that Dwayne Wright had given Little to commit the murder. 15 V. Obstruction of Justice – Witness Intimidation and Manipulation In the aftermath of these incidents, several appellants, and other gang members, approached witnesses in efforts to prevent their cooperation with law enforcement. Karen Bolling, the mother of Laquanda and Kyara Johnson, testified that while appellant Cooper was still on the street, he approached Laquanda and offered her drugs and money if she would keep Kyara off the stand during his 2006 trial for the murder of Terrence Jones. After his arrest, Cooper sent out overtures from prison to numerous individuals in an effort to have them persuade (by force if necessary) the Johnson sisters and others not to testify against him. Cooper reached out to members of an allied street gang on 17th Street, including Brian Gilliam and Tyrell Hargraves, to have them search 22nd Street for Kyara. Gang member Travis Honesty and gang ally Dewey Chappell also testified that Cooper, from jail, instructed them and others (including appellants Tann, Beaver, Harris, Rushing, and gang member Alphonce Little) to find the sisters at various points. Karen Bolling also testified that after Cooper was arrested, Laquanda implored her not to let Kyara testify against Cooper, explaining that Tann had ―talked to [Cooper]‖ and that ―[Cooper] wanted to know was [Laquanda] going to help him by not letting her sister testify.‖ 16 Tann approached other witnesses after the James Taylor-Bernard Mackey incident. He threatened Zartia Anderson, the sister of witnesses to the James Taylor murder, and stated that he was going to ―straighten things out‖ regarding their cooperation with the government. Tann also confronted Donnise Harris, another James Taylor murder witness, and urged her to testify falsely that appellant Harris (no relation to Donnise Harris) had not been involved in the incident.