"There are limited manners of death: natural, accidental, suicide, homicide and undetermined," Schanfield writes in an e-mail. "Murder is a legal concept, not a medical concept."

Secondly, Schanfield says the Office of Chief Medical Examiner could have ruled that way simply because Mohammed's demise involved other people: "As the decedent was restrained by humans, i.e. there was human action involved, the ME ruled homicide."

But if the medical sense of a homicide ruling seems vague to the point of not meaning much, the five DC9 workers formerly accused of killing Mohammed in the moments after he threw a brick through a window may not be able to take refuge in that. Even if they merely held on to Mohammed, and there were other factors that contributed to his death, they could still end up in court.

The head of Schanflied's department, Walter Rowe, explains:

The rule of law in most jurisdictions is that an attacker takes his victim as he/she is with all his/her underlying physical conditions. If you threatened a robbery victim with a weapon and this precipitated a fatal heart attack due to an underlying pathology, you could be charged with felony murder.

In other words,  the "perfect storm" excuse doesn't usually fly with authorities. A statement issued via e-mail by Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier on Mohammed's case suggests she's unlikely to let the homicide go. “Now that a final ruling has been issued by the Medical Examiner’s Office, the investigation into this crime can move forward with the goal of bringing the party (parties) responsible to justice,” she writes.

"The subpoena requests the production of a copy of all MPD documents related to a homicide that occurred on October 15, 2010 at 9th Street and U Street N.W., Washington D.C.  for a summary suspension hearing to be held on December 1, 2010 at 10:00 a.m." the motion reads. "The subpoena should be quashed because the requested documents are confidential under the law enforcement privilege."

The board wanted to view the documents because it was pondering DC9's liquor license suspension, but the motion to quash was granted. Cops originally contended that employees of DC9 beat Mohammed to death after he threw a brick through the nightclub's window. The employees were arrested for murder. Those charges were eventually downgraded and then dropped, but not without a catch. Prosecutors can refile later. "We have every faith that the U.S. Attorney will ultimately charge the party responsible for the tragic death of Ali Mohammed," MPD said in a statement about the dropped charges.

Prosecutors have given the impression they're waiting on the autopsy report. One strange thing about Nickle's motion is that it lists what the confidential "investigative files contain," and "autopsy reports" is listed, though it hasn't been released.

D.C. Medical Examiner's office  spokesperson Beverly Fields suggests the list might refer to items that are generally in an investigative file, instead of specifically in Mohammed's. MPD hasn't responded to an e-mail asking about the file.

Summertime savageness doesn't stop at the District border, of course. On Friday afternoon, a Monrovia woman broke into a home in Gaithersburg and attacked a nine-month pregnant woman. WJLA-TV reports that both the expectant mother and her baby are OK; the assailant has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault, burglary, false imprisonment, possession of a weapon with intent to injure. Meanwhile, a Brunswick man faces sentencing today for throwing a Chihuahua off a bridge. (The pup, sadly, didn't make it.)

Is everyone crazy from the heat? After some intense temperatures and severe storms, expect "almost perfect conditions" for a few days, with temperatures around 80 degrees. At least until mid-week when a new system threatens with more rain.

 Photo by AgnosticPreachersKid/Creative Commons

Here's a sampling of some of my favorite posts about Betts:

*"when we were 16 (JUST), I was a bit mad and had a big crush on a lifeguard in Virginia Beach. Brian and I set out on day in that summer in his mother's Monte Carlo. It was white. We drove 5 hours to Va beach to see him. We told his parents that I had an aunt in Lake Anna (we calculated the time and distance to see if ...it was credible). How stupid were we? (seriously). But we did it. 10 hours in the car together for me to see a lifeguard that was really not interested. That was/is friendship. I can go on with silly stories like this, but that is not important. He was/is a great man, brother, son, person, principal etc. I love him, I miss him and we MUST carry on his dream. RIP"

*"I didn't know Mr Betts; I attend a private school in McLean, Virginia, and never even knew Mr Betts existed until this morning. However, I felt compelled and somewhat obliged to promote his memory because my best friend was Erika Smith, the then-9 year old who was murdered alongside her father in 2002 in the house Mr B...etts purchased and died in. The murders are presumed to be unrelated, I know. But this morbid, horrific coincidence has made me feel unfortunately connected to Mr Betts' plight by a tragic association and by something as simple as purchasing a home. I'm not going to pretend I knew Mr Betts at all. But from what I've read on this page, in articles, he seemed like a great guy and was much-loved, and I'm absolutely devastated. I hope his family, friends, coworkers, and students find the solace they need somehow; solace I know is not easy to find, solace I still have not found. But I hope they find theirs, and that his death is avenged and he remains honoured."

*"Brian Betts was one of the best things that ever happened to my children. You guided them, joked with them, taught them life lessons that will remain with them for always. Plus, you were there for me. God Bless You Brian for all your strength and love you gave each life you touched. You will be missed....but your legacy of education and love of all will go on. "

"*I Remember When I Alwayss Got In Trouble And Mr Betts Would Never Yell At Me He Would Say Karen You Need To Change The Way You Act And I Never Listened To Him But Now I Think Imma Listen To Him And Movee Forword With Life.Rest In Peace Mr. Brian Keith Betts.♥ "

*"I remember in Neelsville, you would always make sure I was in PE class and in math class. You made sure, that every student in your classroom learned what you taught, no matter if it took more than one day to teach it. You made sure that your students were successful. You are the best teacher/coach/leader/principal tha...t anybody could ask for. You definitely taught me alot and I will miss you but you are never forgotten. Keep watching me! R.I.P Brian Betts"

Let's hope his murder gets solved soon, and DCPS finds a way to create a lasting tribute to Betts.

Yesterday, the D.C. Police Department announced that they had arrested Reginald Rogers for the shooting death of  Calvin Woodland on Jan. 27, 2010. So how did police detectives identify Rogers as the shooter? According to court records filed today, detectives got help from a few witnesses and...Facebook.

On Jan. 27, just after 10:30 p.m., officers arrived at a parking lot along the 800 Block of Barnaby Street SE. They found Woodland lying between two parked cars in front of 832 Barnaby suffering "from multiple gunshot wounds to his body." After being transported to Prince George's County Hospital, Woodland was pronounced dead at 11:20 p.m.

An autopsy concluded Woodland had died from two gunshot wounds to the back.

Detectives located a witness who was in the parking lot of the Gregory Apartments on Barnaby. The witness was with Woodland and two others when "two masked men armed with guns approached them," according to the police document filed in D.C. Superior Court. The document goes on to state:

"When the masked gunmen approached and brandished their weapons, two of the people that were standing with [Woodland] and [the witness] ran away. [The witness] said that one of the gunmen was armed with a semi-automatic handgun and the second gunment was armed with a revolver."

Despite the fact that the first gunman was wearing a mask, the witness was able to recognize the man. The mask did not cover his entire face. The witness was able to give a detailed description of the gunman. The gunman, the witness states, told them "to turn around and face the gate that they were standing in front of." The two gun men then robbed Woodland and the witness. They then opened fire on Woodland and the witness. Both tried to flee. As they were running, the witness stated that he heard Woodland exclaim: "I'm hit."

A second witness came forward to say that he had learned that one of the people involved in the robbery-murder was named "Rockem-Regg" and had discussed the murder on Facebook as "Rockem-Regg."

The comments may have been removed. City Desk checked out his wall and found nothing except a tribute to J-Rock and dull smack talk:

*"WEN DEY DNT C ME ON DA BLOCK I AINT TRYNA HIDE, I BLEND N WIT DA 'A' IM CAMOFLOUGE............ U DIGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*"shyt fukkd up im ji stressn 2 hard right now i think i c it round da corner........TOO MEEE...."

*"MY GATEWAY 2 HELL SEEMS LIKE ITS CONSTANTLY OPEN... DA REAPOR IS CALLN SO IM CONSTANTLY SMOKN(I NEED 2 CLEAR MY HEAD OF DEEZ EVIL THOUGHTS N TEACH DA YOUNGNZ OF HIGHLAND DA SHYT I WAS TOUGHT) N I PUT FAITH N MY GLOCK CUZ I KNO ITS GON BUST....TYEEEE TOO ME MOE KILL"

Sweet stuff. More importantly Rockem Regg matched the first witness'description down to a tattoo of the number 8 under his left eye. Still, at first, the witness could not ID Rogers from a photo array. In a subsequent interview, the witness confessed that he knew the man and was scared of him. He then identified Rogers from a photo lineup.

The witness went on to explain a possible motive for the killing. Woodland had told the witness that he and Rogers/Rockem "were involved in a fight after [Woodland] stole a car from someone affiliated with [Rogers/Rockem]" a month before the shooting.

During an interview with detectives, Rogers admitted that his nickname was Rockem Regg and that he sells PCP out of the rear alley along the 700 block of Atlantic Street SE. Rogers admitted that people thought he had killed Woodland because he had assaulted him a month prior to the shooting. He said they fought after Woodland had allegedly stolen a car from a "Dipper Head" and that was bad for his "business." Rogers said he heard that Woodland had talked about killing him.

Rogers said he was just down the street when Woodland was killed. He denied killing Woodland.

Car-B-Cue: Sarah Fairbrother and her husband, Luke Wassum, who live near the Petworth Safeway in the 3800 block of Georgia Avenue, were sitting on their porch around 6 p.m. on Feb. 28 when they heard a loud boom. Fairbrother "figured it was a truck with a dumpster, but it was really loud," she says via email. "Then the neighbor stuck her head out the door and told us that there was a car on fire out back, and that was what we had heard." The vehicle fire was in the Safeway parking lot.

Fairbrother called 911 and Wassum grabbed his camera, snapping pics (below) of the inferno; that's a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan in there. The D.C. fire department arrived a few minutes later to put out the blaze.

Lieutenant John R. Haines said later on the MPD listserv that the van was reported stolen from the 700 block of Longfellow Street NW and that no one was injured during the fire. For more on exploding automobiles, see Cap Hill's Car-B-Cue alley.

Watch Dog: On March 1, MPD listserv poster Gwen Jenkins wrote: "My neighbor's house was apparently burglarized last night or early this morning. I noticed my gate was opened (doesn't latch, but requires a hard shove or pull) sometime after the alley became passable. My dog has been restless and worried during the 2-3 a.m. hour several times in the last week—once to the point I considered calling 911, but wasn't confident that they would take a report of 'My dog thinks he has to sit up and watch, which is uncharacteristic' very willingly."

As it turns out, it's totally cool. Call 911 if your dog's sixth sense tells you to. Contacted via email for her reading of prowler sensing dogs, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Cathy Lanier writes: "I would recommend calling whenever you have reason to believe someone is about to or committing a crime. There are many circumstances that may bring one to believe this is the case. Bottom line, call if you feel there is a problem."

D.C. dog whisperer David Schmucker of Sidewalkdogtraining.com has some doubts, though, about a dog's ability to determine when you should call the cops. He says a dog's "nervousness could signal outside activity" but "does not necessarily indicate an intruder."

"A nervous dog could be sensing something outside that is of interest but not a threat," Schmucker explains. "Raccoons & opossums are nocturnal and forage about the same time each night. My dog Tessie will display that same behavior when she spots a squirrel in the back yard. She wants to chase it but it isn’t a threat and a loud bark would work against her attempts at stalking. So she paces. Sorry the family was burglarized but it was most likely coincidental to the dog’s behavior."

Plucked Clean: Two alleged thieves were spotted in the 4000 block of Tunlaw Road NW around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 23 after they yanked parts from a vehicle that wasn't theirs. A witness called 911. Among the items stripped were the car hood and an air bag.

Don't Call Us, We'll Call You: A Brookland listserv poster said on Feb. 24 that her car was stripped as well—of two tires. She writes that MPD wasn't very helpful. "Just want you to be aware, last night/early morning about 1:30 my son heard a disturbance outside the house in the alley. He looked down from the third floor to see what it was and there was a silver car in the alley. He knew something was wrong so he called the police and they told him they would call back."

The poster, who identifies herself as Esther, says that her son went outside to check the situation out but that thieves had already made off with her tires. As for the cops: "The police never called back so he called them repeatedly and was put off. He said it took until 4 am for someone to get back to him and take a police report. No one even came out to see what was going on. Is this what we're paying our property taxes for?"

Fifth District Commander Lamar D. Greene responds: "The delay in this response time is unacceptable and we will find out what occurred."

The Lady Doth Protest: A thief may have been taking in some culture  on Feb. 27. A woman told police she was in the Shakespeare Theater Company's Lansburgh Theater at 450 7th St. NW  when an unknown suspect slipped her wallet from her purse. When she noticed her wallet was missing (You scullion! You rampallian!), the victim canceled her credit cards, which was a good idea: While doing so, cops say, "she was advised by her credit card company that several attempts to use her cards were made in the interim period."

Life Cut Short: On Feb. 27 at approximately 8:45 p.m police discovered Marquis Wade, 20, fatally shot in the 300 block of Parkland Place SE, where he lives. MPD says the murder case is still open and no more information is available.

Source: MPD District listservs, public releases

Photos courtesy of lwassum

City Desk provides weekly updates on crimes throughout the District.

D.C. Hack Shot: On Jan. 9, police came across a cab driver with an apparent gunshot wound to the jaw area. Officers believe the victim ferried a customer to the 1700 block of T Street NW at approximately 11:30 p.m. When the driver requested his fare, an argument ensued. Sometime during that conflict, a male on a bicycle showed up and he and the driver also got into an argument. The bicyclist then allegedly pulled a handgun and shot the driver in the face. The victim was transported to an area hospital and is in stable condition.

Homicide No. 2: A man was fatally shot in the 2600 block of Naylor Road SE. On Jan. 10 at around 5:30 p.m., police found Gordon Reaves, 47, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Reaves was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Reaves is the second D.C. homicide victim of 2010.

Your Laundry or Your Life: A man was laundry-jacked. A victim told police he was walking in the 1800 block of Ingleside Terrace NW at around 11 p.m. on Jan. 6 when two people demanded his bag of dirty laundry.  The victim said he forked over the bag; the alleged thieves went through the pockets of his laundry and found $200 in cash. They returned the man's wash before fleeing the scene in an unknown vehicle.

Burglary Spree: In a 60-day period from November through December, there were 45 break-ins in or near the 4300 block of 3rd Street SE. Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes says thieves raided first-floor units of area apartment buildings, entering through unlocked doors or windows or by pushing in doors or air-conditioning units. According to Captain David Taylor, properties affected were Friendship Courts, Worthington Woods, Atlantic Gardens, Southern Hills, and Atlantic Terrace. All the buildings are on 3rd Street SE except for Atlantic Gardens, which is on 4th Street SE.

Groomes says the burglars took items like flat-screen TVs, PlayStations, and Xboxes, leading MPD to theorize the home-invaders were "juvies."

One MPD listserv poster whose first-floor apartment was burgled in December emails The Blotter that she too suspects the person who climbed through her only unbarred window was young because it was small and the burglar didn't take anything besides an Xbox 360.

So is one person or crew responsible for all the thieving? Taylor says all the break-ins have had a similar MO. "It is unknown if it is same individuals but we do believe it to be several subjects working in tandem," he says. "Detectives are exhausting all available avenues of investigation in an effort to follow up."

Would-be Burglary Spree: 1st District Commander David Kamperin writes via listserv that officers saw "3 subjects in the 1400 block of C St SE acting suspicious" around 8 p.m. on Jan. 10. Circling around, the cops observed the trio cut into an alley. The officers followed and saw the suspects standing in a fenced backyard, wearing masks. The suspects ran, but the officers chased them down. Two adults and one juvenile were arrested for unlawfully entering the C Street backyard.

Suspicious Package Not So Suspicious: Police were called to a residence in the 1300 block of Rittenhouse around 7 p.m. on Jan. 4 to investigate a suspicious package—no one there had been expecting a delivery and became alarmed. Though MPD typically shuts down the block in that situation, calling in Explosive Ordinance and Disposal technicians, there was no need this time: The address on the package indicated it belonged to someone two doors away. Police delivered the package.

Zachary Funke was the first person killed in the District in 2010. He was killed on January 2. An autopsy revealed that Funke was stabbed multiple times in the right side of his neck and chest, court records show. The next day, D.C. Police detectives would charge Terrance D. Brooks with the murder of Funke.

Court documents present a narrative of events that lead to Funke's murder and Brooks' arrest.

Detectives were able to find a witness who stated that they observed an altercation outside 1768 Mississippi Avenue SE between Funke and Brooks (who goes by the nickname "Uncle Roy"). The witness saw Brooks punch Funke. Individuals broke up the fight and Brooks was seen walking back to his home at 1798 Mississippi Avenue SE. The witness stated that they went back inside 1768. A short time later, they heard yelling outside.

The witness told detectives that they walked back outside and heard people shouting that Brooks had stabbed Funke. The witness "observed the decedent bleeding heavily from his torso, and then got inside his girlfriend's vehicle to go to the hospital" and then "observed Mr. Brooks standing nearby, and stated that it appeared Mr. Brooks had blood on his clothing."

The witness then "confronted Mr. Brooks about the stabbing...and told Mr. Brooks that [they] would call the police." Brooks then threatened the witness: if they called the police, he'd kill them too.

A second witness, according to the court records, also came forward to tell the detectives what they saw. The witness stated that Funke didn't throw a punch at Brooks during the first altercation and that Funke had tried to restrain Brooks. Funke was preparing to leave the area when Brooks came back. The witness tried to intervene when they saw Brooks move in close to Funke.

The witness stated that Brooks pulled out a knife and told them to move out of the way. They "then observed Mr. Brooks reach toward the decedent and stab him repeated in the torso area." The witness says that Funke told them that he could not believe that "Uncle Roy" had stabbed him.

The witness was able to ID Brooks from a photo array. "Who is that?" they were asked. They replied: "Terrance Dominic Brooks." "What did he do?" The witness replied: "Stabbed Ziggy."

A third witness also corroborated the narrative.

Det. Darin March writes in his statement before the court:

"During the course of the investigation, members of the Homicide Branch received information that Mr. Brooks was known to stay at 1798 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, D.C. On January 3, 2010, members of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to 1798 Mississippi Ave SE, and observed drops of what appeared to be fresh blood outside the only entrance to the apartment."

Brooks admitted to getting into a fight with Funke. But denied to police detectives that he had stabbed him. He was placed under arrest and charged with the murder.

*photo by Darrow Montgomery.

Last week, the District had 130 homicides for the year. That's way down from the 172 at the same time last year.

What's perhaps most impressive with this roughly 20 percent decline is that the drop is nearly citywide, according to the latest police stats. Murders are declining even in the most notorious neighborhoods.

The drop includes neighborhoods east of the river.

In 2008, there were 45 homicides in 7D. This year: 36.

In 2008, there were 40 homicides in 6D. This year: 32.

The only district to experience no real drop in homicides is 3D—where most of the media live and work. There were 17 homicides in that district in 2008. This year: 16.

*photo by Darrow Montgomery.

While walking past a convenience store last  week, I noticed a sign that borderline panicked: “Get your vanilla cigarettes before they are banned!” The sign nearly inspired my non-smoking self into stockpiling like it was 1999, but it appears I am too late. The FDA has banned the sale of flavored tobacco, three months after President Barack Obama agreed to let the FDA regulate tobacco products. What’s so wrong with having a little “Warm Winter Toffee” with your lung cancer? According to the New York Times, 17-year-olds are three times more likely than those over 25 to smoke the flavored cigarettes.

There’s been a mysterious spike in shoplifting around Dupont Circle. One clerk told WJLA: “The kids have gotten out of control…don’t they have supervision?”

There was also some young and restless vigilante justice on U Street recently when three 20-somethings chased down a would-be mugger and tackled him in front of Nellie’s Sports Bar. A witness told the blog Borderstan: “I would not want to be that mugger when word gets around that he was turned into a bitch in front of cheering queens.” Smart? No. Awesome entertainment for U Street's tipsy hipsters (tongue twister...)? Undoubtedly.

There were three homicides in the District last weekend, in SW, SE and NE. All three victims were under the age of 20.

Arguably over-played Brooklyn Indie gods MGMT played a free concert on Sunday at KIA Warehouse – to get tickets, you had to test drive a KIA Soul. Eyewitness reports indicate people were lined up for hours to do just that, which doesn't explain all the teeny boppers in the audience...

The New York Times helpfully offers “5 Easy Steps to Stay Safe (and Private!) on Facebook." My personal favorite: “Keep your profile to friends only.” Great in theory, but how am I supposed to stalk other people? Should be replaced with: “Never, ever become friends with your parents.”

"At first, the slaying of Shahabuddin Rana, 44, inside his Pizza Mart in the 2300 block of Fourth Street NE appeared to have stemmed from a conventional robbery, police said. But they said a bizarre story took shape in the days afterward, leading to the arrest Friday of Shanika Robinson, 26, of Capitol Heights.

In an affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court, Detective Robert Cephas said a witness told him that Rana had been paying Robinson to continue in a sham marriage with his brother, a Pakistani national who helps run the Pizza Mart in the Edgewood neighborhood. The scheme was intended to improve the brother's immigration status and help him eventually get his green card, the affidavit says.

The deal fell apart, however, after the brother, whom police have not publicly identified, found out that Robinson "was having sexual affairs," Cephas wrote. Even though the brother and Robinson were married only on paper and did not live together, Rana "became upset" with Robinson and told her "that she would not be getting paid the money that they agreed upon anymore," the affidavit says."

City Desk has the affidavit which you can read [PDF].

In his affidavit, Detective Robert Cephas writes about the brutal crime scene:

"On Tuesday, August 18, 2009, at about 12:20 p.m. Officer Thompson of the Fifth District while on routine patrol was flagged down by a citizen who advised that a family member of the owner of the Pizza Mart, a carry out located at 2300 4th Street, N.E. Washington, D.C., had attempted to enter the store to locate the owner, but could not gain entry. Officer Thompson located the family member at the store. The relative advised Office Thompson that it had been trying to speak with the owner on the phone since the morning of August 18, 2009....Officer Thompson was able to enter the premises of the Pizza Mart with the assistance of pliers. Once inside he found the owner, Shahabuddin Rana, unconscious, on the floor, face down, in a pool of blood. There were burnt matches on his back and his body appeared to have been set afire. A hair was observed in his mouth. Additional hairs were recovered from the decedent's hand. Bloody objects which could have been used to beat the decedent were recovered from the scene. A receipt in the store indicated that the decedent was alive at 1:30 a.m. on August 18, 2009."

Erika Peters

WTOP reports that Joseph Randolph Mays was arrested for the triple homicide in Northeast yesterday. Mays is alleged to have killed Erika Peters and two of her children. Mays was Peters live-in boyfriend. The station writes:

"Police say Peters and one young boy were dead at the scene. The second young victim was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Police say Mays was found inside the apartment suffering from non-life threatening injuries. He was taken into police custody and treated at the hospital.

A third child was found unharmed and is now being cared for by Child Protective Services.

The homicide remains under investigation and anyone who has information about the case should call police at (202) 727-9099 or 1-888-919-2746."

WJLA is reporting the news of the Mays arrest as well and goes on to describe the scene at the Carver Terrace Apartments:

"What began as a call for a disturbance in the 2000 block of Maryland Avenue in NE around 2:15 p.m Saturday quickly turned deadly. First responders referred to the scene as 'very disturbing' and 'gruesome.'"

2:37 Update: Here is the D.C. Police Department's press release on the Mays arrest:

"On Saturday, March 21, 2009, 44-year-old Joseph Randolph Mays was arrested and charged with three counts of Murder 1 While Armed.

Shortly after 1 p.m., on Saturday, March 21, 2009, members assigned to the Department's Fifth District responded to the 2000 block of Maryland Avenue, NE to investigate a call for service. Upon arrival, officers requested the assistance of D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel to provide forced entry into the location. Once inside of the location they discovered four victims suffering from apparent trauma to the body.

Victim #1 is identified as 37-year-old Erika Peters, who was pronounced dead on the scene.
Victim #2 who's identity is not being release because he is a juvenile, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Victim # 3 who's identity is not being release because he is a juvenile, was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. The victim was subsequently pronounced dead.

The suspect 44-year-old Joseph Randolph Mays was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He was treated and released into the custody of the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch.

This case remains under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099 or 1(888) 919-CRIM[E] (1-888-919-2746).

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 wanted for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia."

*photo courtesty of WJLA

Police are mounting a full-scale investigation after the brutal murder last night of an elderly couple in Chevy Chase, D.C.

The victims, identified as Dr. Michael Spevak and Virginia Spevak, had been bound and brutalized after an apparent break-in. Their car—a 2005 blue Toyota Scion—was discovered this morning around 5 a.m. in the 500 block of Ingraham Street, NW, swathed in flames.

More below the jump, including photos, updates, and the official police statement.

From police spokesperson Traci Hughes:

For Immediate Release
November 23, 2008
Homicide in the 5000 block of Belt Road, NW

The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating a homicide which occurred in the 5000 block of Belt Road, NW .

At approximately 8:30 PM, members of the Second District responded to 5000 block of Belt Road, NW, for a radio assignment to check on the welfare of two residents.

Upon their arrival, authorities located Dr. Michael Spevak, age 68, and Virginia Spevak, age 67. Both victims were pronounced dead on the scene by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The victims’ remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner pending autopsy to determine cause of death.

On Sunday, November 23, 2008, at approximately 5 AM, the victims’ 2005 Toyota Scion bearing DC Tag CB5335 was recovered in the 500 block of Ingraham St. NW. The vehicle had been set on fire.

This case remains under investigation by detectives from the department’s Homicide and Sexual Offenses Branch. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099 or 1-888-919-CRIM [E].

Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to DC Crime Solvers at 1-800-673-2777 and to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411. If the information provided by the caller to the Crime Solvers Unit leads to an arrest and indictment, that caller will be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Brian Nelson, City Paper's Network Administrator, wrote the following to me in an email this morning:

An officer knocked on our door at 4:30am this morning looking for any witnesses. The fire dept had just put out a burning car in our alley (Between 7th and 5th/Hamilton and Ingraham NW) which had been involved in a double homicide in 2D.... They've since towed the car.

By the time I arrived to take photos this afternoon, all that remained was the rubble you're seeing: shards of class, springs and sprockets toasted to a crisp, melted wiring, tire vestiges seared into the cement. The blaze was hot enough to melt a nearby trash can.

Updates forthcoming.