FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 6, 2023

Opened Fire on Innocent Bystanders

            WASHINGTON – Two members of the Wellington Park Crew were sentenced today in connection with the murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson, an innocent bystander gunned down on July 16, 2018, in the courtyard of a Washington, D.C., apartment complex that also left multiple people wounded.

            The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Isaiah Murchison, 23, was sentenced to 60 years in prison today by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun after being found guilty on June 13 of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses.

            Marquell Cobbs, 21, was sentenced to 72 months in prison and three years of supervised release today after being found guilty on June 13 of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence. Previously, the jury found Cobbs not guilty of the charges related to the murder of Makiyah Wilson. However, it did find him guilty of his membership in the Wellington Park Crew.

            According to the government's evidence, on July 16, 2018, Murchison, Gregory Taylor, Qujuan Thomas, and two others drove to the Clay Terrace neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C., armed with guns. The four men stepped out of the car and opened fire on the Clay Terrace courtyard, indiscriminately firing more than 50 shots.

            Makiyah Wilson, sitting on the front stoop of her home, was killed. Several other people were wounded. Fellow gang members Quentin Michals and Darrise Jeffers assisted the shooters by obtaining the weapons and vehicle used in the shooting. Despite having watched the defendants preparing for the shooting, no witnesses were willing to provide information regarding the gunmen's identity. The government presented forensic evidence, statements the defendants made over social media, and motive evidence in presenting its case.

            Judge Okun will sentence the four other defendants on October 20.

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of the detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case as well as members of the prosecution team. The team included paralegal specialists Sharon Newman and Grazy Rivera and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Barker and Melissa Jackson, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Timmer, who investigated the case. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.