FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Victim Was Fatally Shot in an Attempted Robbery

            WASHINGTON –Nyekemia Everett, 35, of Greenbelt, Md., and Malik Hewitt, 41, of Capitol Heights, Md., have been found guilty of first-degree felony murder while armed and other charges in the 2017 killing of a man in Southeast Washington.

            The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The verdict was returned on July 26, 2021, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, the defendants were found guilty of conspiracy, attempted robbery while armed, and related offenses. The Honorable Neal E. Kravitz scheduled sentencing for Oct. 14, 2021. Both men face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

            According to the government’s evidence, beginning on April 26, 2017, Everett, Hewitt, and a third individual plotted to rob the victim, Christopher Heard. Over the phone, they lured him to the 2300 block of Ainger Place SE, on the pretense of a drug deal. At approximately 3:30 a.m. on April 27, 2017, Everett, Hewitt and the third individual drove together to the area and parked. In the meeting that followed, roughly 15 minutes later, Everett pointed a gun at Mr. Heard and announced a robbery. Mr. Heard lunged toward Everett, who shot him twice. Mr. Heard, 37, died at the scene. Everett and Hewitt fled the area and were arrested in May 2017.

            In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI, Bode Technology, and the crime scene search unit from the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Services. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alyse Constantinide and Richard Barker; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite, Debra Forte, Nicole McGhee, and Lashone Samuels; Victim Witness Specialist Jennifer Allen; Robert Cephas, La June Thames, Katina Adams-Washington, M. LaVerne Perry, Lesley Slade, and Maenylie Watson, all of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Homicide Section Intern Jack Holt.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Shehzad Akhtar, who prosecuted the case.