Teen girls accused of senselessly killing 64-year-old man await DC judge's decision

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — A D.C. judge heard closing arguments in the trial against two teenagers accused of beating and killing a 64-year-old man in an alley off the 6200 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest. 

Surveillance video from Oct. 17, 2023 shows five girls kicking the victim identified by police as Reggie Brown.  Prosecutors say Brown, who stood at 5 feet 5 inches and weighed 110 pounds was chased, dragged, hit with his own belt, kicked and stomped before dying in the alley.

A medical examiner indicated that trauma to Brown's head was the cause of death. Photographs of his body show a hole on the side of his head that according to prosecutors was caused by the attack.

Tuesday's closing arguments were for a 14-year-old and a 13-year-old, who was just 12 at the time of the attack.

Both girls are facing multiple charges included first-degree murder. On Thursday, they both decided to not take the stand in the weeks-long trial. 

On Thursday, a judge denied the motions submitted by both defense attorneys for acquittal. 

Prosecutors with the D.C. Attorney General's Office argued that the group of five girls set out to fight someone and selected Brown who was already being beat up by a man. The girls did not know Brown nor the man who was assaulting him. 

Prosecutors are relying on a 55-second video that was recorded by the girls the night. The video that was later posted on Instagram, shows the girls kicking and stomping Brown as he lays on the ground bleeding. "He's leaking," one of the girls says in the video.

The video also shows the girls walking away, celebrating and laughing after leaving Brown to die in the alley. Days later the girls discussed the incident writing to each other, "We jumped sb but killed him accidently wit some random man from kdy."

Prosecutors said the 14-year-old girl was the one that delivered the final four stomps on Brown's head. The teen's defense argued that there was insufficient evidence to prove their client was there during the attack. The defense pointed at surveillance video that shows a faceless figure who prosecutors say is the 14-year-old girl.

The 13-year-old's lawyers did not question their clients involvement in the crime but argued that the girl did not set out to kill anyone that night. Her defense lawyer called the attack, "ugly, cruel, but not intentional."

The evidence presented throughout the trial indicates that it was a senseless crime. "We was just walking around looking for someone to jump," one of the girls is heard saying in an audio message. 

Two of the five girls charged in the attack have been sentenced. A 15-year-old girl accepted a plea deal for assault with a dangerous weapon and was sentenced to three years. A fifth teen is still awaiting trial. 

On Nov. 18 a D.C. judge will determine if the 14 and 13-year-old are innocent or guilty.