In the early morning hours of April 14, 2019, the life of 22-year-old Derrell White was tragically cut short in a violent encounter within his own Suitland, Maryland, home. The incident unfolded around 3:10 a.m. in the 3500 block of Maywood Lane, where Prince George's County Police officers responded to a report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered two men suffering from gunshot wounds.
Derrell White, a male, was found with fatal gunshot wounds to his head and back and was pronounced dead at the scene. A second victim, a 25-year-old man, was also shot but survived with non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation into the double shooting revealed a harrowing sequence of events. The perpetrator, later identified as 26-year-old Derrick Wills of Washington, D.C., along with an unidentified accomplice, had approached White's home. Under the guise of needing to charge his phone, Wills gained entry into the residence. Once inside, the situation escalated into a home invasion and robbery. White and the other man were forced downstairs, where the robbery commenced. During the commission of the crime, Wills shot the surviving victim in the face before turning the gun on White, fatally shooting him. The two assailants then fled the scene.
The breakthrough in the case came through the courageous testimony of the surviving victim, who was able to identify Derrick Wills as one of the attackers. This crucial identification, coupled with DNA evidence found on a lighter that Wills had left behind at the crime scene, solidified the case against him. In July 2021, a jury took less than two hours of deliberation to find Derrick Wills guilty of a litany of charges, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, home invasion, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. For his crimes, Wills faced a maximum sentence of double life imprisonment plus 120 years, with his sentencing scheduled for October 26, 2021. The identity and whereabouts of his accomplice remain part of the ongoing investigation.
