In the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, D.C., on the evening of Tuesday, February 9, 2016, a burst of gunfire shattered the night. When police responded to the sounds of gunshots in the unit block of M Street, NW at approximately 8:39 p.m., they discovered 28-year-old Jamar Morris unconscious and suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency services rushed him to a local hospital, but his life could not be saved.
Jamar Morris, a resident of Northwest D.C., was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the fatal shooting continued for over a year. In October 2017, a significant development occurred in the case with the arrest of 24-year-old Stephon Marquis Williams of Oxon Hill, Maryland. Williams was charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with Morris's death. At the time of his arrest for the murder, Williams was already incarcerated at the D.C. Jail on a separate gun charge from September 2016. Following the charges, Williams was held without bail.
Despite the initial arrest and murder charge, the legal proceedings against Stephon Williams took an unexpected turn. After multiple extensions to the indictment deadline, the prosecution was unable to secure a grand jury indictment against him. Prosecutors cited difficulties in locating witnesses as a reason for the delay. In August 2018, due to the prolonged period without an indictment, a judge ordered Williams's release on his own recognizance. Finally, on October 17, 2018, a D.C. Superior Court judge dismissed the case against Stephon Williams altogether after a prosecutor stated he was not confident he could obtain an indictment even after locating a witness.
