Posts Tagged ‘Northeast’
Who Is Joseph Randolph Mays?
You think you know Joseph Randolph Mays. You know that he's an ex-postal worker. You know that he's been charged with stabbing to death his girlfriend Erika Peters and her two young boys on March 21. You know that he's now another defendant awaiting trial at the D.C. Jail.
But Joseph Randolph Mays was much more. He was a poet, a spiritual counselor, and an Internet addict. On one of his more than six blogs and websites, he penned his own simple message to the world:
"My message to everyone in the world. Let’s do this and make our world a better place to live in."
Who Is Stonewalling On The Peters Case?
On March 21, Erika Peters and her two young boys were found murdered in their Carver Terrace home at 2000 Maryland Avenue NE Apt. 104. Within hours, her live-in boyfriend Joseph Randolph Mays was charged with the fatal stabbings. This week I wrote a cover story about the tragedy and the several questions left unresolved. One of the big questions: What exact time was the 911 call made?
Peters' neighbors say the police arrived a lot earlier than 1 p.m. (the time listed on the police department's press release). Two government sources suggested the neighbors are correct. If this is true, it would mean the police took at least two hours to get inside the Peters' home.
I asked repeatedly for the exact time from various government officials. They all stonewalled me on this most basic fact. Attorney General Peter Nickles gave the reason most often used---the Peters case was an on-going case so that fact could not be made public.
I am still unsure why the exact time of the first 911 call would have any bearing on the case against Mays. The stonewalling was just unnecessary and unusually obnoxious even for government officials in the age of Fenty. I know people have a low tolerance for whiny journalists. But this is different. This issue goes to public safety and accountability.
Remembering Erika Peters And Her Sons
Today, Erika Peters and her young sons, Erik Harper and Dakota Peters, will be laid to rest. The wake and funeral services will be starting at 9:30 a.m. at Mount Calvary Holy Church at 610 Rhode Island Avenue NE. On March 21, they were stabbed to death in their apartment. Police have arrested Peters' live-in boyfriend Joseph Randolph Mays for the murders.
In this week's cover story, we chronicle the events of March 21, the police response, and Mays' mysterious life. We also ask three questions still unanswered about the murders. The only thing that is clear is that the residents of Carver Terrace had tried to offer support to the family, and knew them well.
Joseph Randolph Mays: ‘I Told Them To Stop Fucking With Me’
Yesterday, Joseph Randolph Mays was arraigned on homicide charges for allegedly murdering his girlfriend Erika Peters and her two young sons in their Carver Terrace apartment on Saturday. In filings before the court, the D.C. police wrote a narrative of what transpired on that Saturday afternoon. It is the first detailed account of the triple murder that took place at 2000 Maryland Ave. NE, Apt. 104.
The details are incredibly sad. At first, there appeared to be some confusion between the officer and the dispatcher about the nature of the call for Apt. 104. The dispatcher believed that the call for "trouble" may have been just a joke.
Sgt. Tyshena Wallace of cruiser 553 arrived on the scene and began knocking on the door. Sgt. Wallace heard a voice from within the apartment saying, 'no, stop.' Sgt. Wallace did not hear anything else. Sgt. Wallace called the dispatcher and advised her to utilize the call back. The dispatcher advised that every time she called the phone number, the call intercept came on blocking the call. Sgt. Wallace asked the dispatcher, 'what was the call for' and the dispatcher advised, 'a child screaming on the phone possibly playing.'
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‘The Family Was Stable’
Last night, City Desk got a bit of news on the triple homicide case---that the family did have contact with social services in 2006. Today, the Washington Post has an in-depth look at the problems between Erika Peters, her children and her live-in boyfriend.
The live-in boyfriend, Joseph Randolph Mays, was charged in the murders Saturday night.
The Post reports that Kimberly Trimble, Peters' sister, notified authorities about Joseph Mays' alleged abuse of one of the children: "Trimble said that about two years ago, she contacted the District's Child and Family Services Agency to report that Mays had shaken his daughter. A year after that, she said, she warned the principal at Holy Redeemer Catholic School to look out for marks on her sister's children. She said she did not remember what became of either warning."
This brings us back to CFSA and its involvement. Today we reached Attorney General Peter Nickles for a little more clarification.
Social Services Had Prior Contact With Triple Homicide Victims
Mafara Hobson, Mayor Adrian Fenty's spokesperson, confirms that the victims in yesterday's triple homicide in Northeast had contact with social services. A statement is being prepared which could take some more time. The victims--Erika Peters and two of her children--were stabbed and found by D.C. Police yesterday afternoon inside their Carver Terrace Apartments.
Last night, Joseph Randolph Mays--Peters' live-in boyfriend--was arrested for the murders.
City Desk will update when we get the statement from the Mayor's office.
Update 6:18 p.m. Attorney General Peter Nickles released this statement:
"After receiving a hotline tip [in] 2006, the Department of Child and Family Services took appropriate steps to resolve issues. In 2007, after the necessary measures were taken, the case was closed, with no subsequent reports."
Joseph Mays Arrested In Triple Homicide
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."
Victims Identified In Triple Homicide
The Washington Post has identified the victims in today's triple homicide at the Carver Terrace Apartments in Northeast. According to family members of the victims, they are: "36-year-old Erica Harper Peters, and her two sons, Eric and Dakota"
"Kimberly Trimble, Peters's sister, said that Erica had lived in the apartment with her boyfriend for three years. She said the relationship was troubled.
Bobby Harper, Erica's father, said his daughter, who was hearing impaired, was an active member of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church on Rhode Island Avenue, where she was involved in the dance ministry. She also signed during gospel concerts and special events.
Harper said he was supposed to pick up the children today for an outing: "I don't know what happened. All I know is that my baby is dead."
Just incredibly sad.
Police Investigating Triple Homicide In Northeast
The Washington Post is reporting that D.C. Police detectives are investigating a triple homicide discovered this afternoon where a woman and two children--ages 8 and 10--were found in a Northeast apartment. The Post writes:
"The slayings occurred at an apartment building in the 2000 block of Maryland Avenue. Several ambulances and police cars were on the scene. Police did not release the names of the victims or say if they were related.
Police took an adult male to the hospital with unidentified injuries. Police sources said the man is a suspect."
WTOP has characterized the homicides a result of a domestic dispute. The murders occurred inside the Carver Terrace Apartments (a notorious drug gang recently operated out of there). WTOP is also reporting that there was a third child and that child was apparently unharmed and taken by Child Protective Services. WJLA reports that the mother and two children were fatally stabbed:
"It happened...around 2:15 p.m Saturday. An adult male located on scene suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, police say. A third child, a 4-year-old female, was found uninjured and placed in the care of Child Protective Services."
Update 6:08 p.m.: From D.C. Police Department's press office: Officers from the Fifth District had responded to the location to "investigate the trouble." "There's been talk that there's been a stabbing but I can't confirm that. I don't have any information right now," says Officer Helen Andrews.
[Later, Alan Etter, spokesperson for the Fire Department, tells me in an e-mail that Truck 7 was dispatched to the location at 1:44 p.m. "We kept an ambulance around for some time---for at least three hours...in case any other victims were discovered."]
Update 6:13 p.m.: This is the message from the 5D listserv that just went out:
"I regret to inform the Fifth District community that we are on the scene of a homicide in the 1900 block of Maryland Ave. NE. Units responded to the location around 1pm and discovered a juvenile and adult who had been assaulted and were deceased. Another adult and juvenile were transported to area hospitals. The juvenile who was transported later died as a result of the injuries sustained during the assault. The adult male is in stable condition. Anyone having information please contact the police department imediately. 202 727 9099"
Update 7 p.m. The Post updated its initial report with some more details:
"D.C. police who were called to the scene forced their way into an apartment and found the woman and two children between the ages of 8 and 10 dead inside, from undetermined wounds....A girl, aged two, was unharmed and was taken from the apartment screaming."
The Post goes on to report that officials are trying to determine what if any contact the woman and the children had with social service agencies in the past.
The Post writes: "Neighbors said that the woman who was slain was hearing impaired and often did sign language interpretation at gospel concerts in churches around the area."
Update 7:13 p.m. City Desk just reached Assistant Chief Diane Groomes and was able to get some more details on the tragedy: She stated that at least two officers from the Fifth District were initially called to the scene. The call was to "investigate the trouble." When they arrived, they could not gain entry.
"They had to call the Fire Board to open the door," Groomes says. "I'm not sure how long it took them."
Groomes goes on to state that the man who was found at the scene and was taken to the hospital is currently being interviewed by police. "He's still at the hospital," she says.
Groomes adds that the department is "looking to see if there were any radio runs to that address" previously. Child and Family Services has also been called to see if the agency had prior contact with the children, Groomes says.
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