Desmond Fletcher, Guilty of Strangulation in Southeast

Monday, March 24, 2025

Intimate Partner Strangled in Her Home

            WASHINGTON – Desmond Fletcher, 37, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, has been found guilty by a jury of one count of felony strangulation and two counts of misdemeanor assault for charges that took place in southeast Washington, D.C., on September 4, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            The verdict was returned on March 24, 2025, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Pipe scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2025.

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of September 4, 2023, Fletcher came to the home of the victim, a woman he had been seeing romantically. Once inside, the defendant confronted the victim, following her from room to room, as he strangled and assaulter her, causing her to black-out and urinate. The victim’s minor daughter was also home at the time of the assault. The victim ultimately ran to a next-door neighbor and asked her to call 911.

            Strangulation is widely recognized as one of the most lethal forms of intimate partner violence. A major strangulation study in San Diego, which is frequently cited, found: “Many victims suffer internal injuries, including permanent brain damage. Signs and symptoms do exist and can be documented even without visible injury… Most abusers do not strangle to kill. They strangle to show they can kill.  Victims often suffer major long-term emotional and physical impacts. Surviving victims are much more likely to die later if their abuser has strangled them.” The study also noted that “…..the odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide increased by 700%, and the odds of becoming a homicide victim increased by 800%, among women who had been strangled by their partner.”

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Trisha Jhunjhnuwala and Sarah Roessler, from the Domestic Violence Felony Unit of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section of the Superior Court Division, who investigated and prosecuted the case.