Man Found Murdered in Burned Apartment

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch are investigating a homicide that occurred in Northeast.

On Saturday, April 22, 2023, at approximately 10:22 a.m., DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the 1400 block of Saratoga Avenue, Northeast, for a fire in an apartment building. Upon extinguishment, firefighters discovered the remains of a man. The man was pronounced deceased on the scene.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined that he died from blunt force trauma and ruled the death a homicide.

The man has been identified as 64-year-old James Lavender, of Northeast, DC.

The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.