In the pre-dawn hours of October 28, 2022, a fatal encounter unfolded in a Southeast Washington, D.C. apartment building. Inside the hallway on the 900 block of Bellevue Street, 38-year-old Maurice Frazier was found unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The call reporting the shooting came in at approximately 2:53 a.m., and when members of the Seventh District of the Metropolitan Police Department arrived, they discovered the grim scene. D.C.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services were summoned, but upon their arrival, they found no signs of life. Frazier was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the death of the adult male quickly pointed to a suspect. On December 16, 2022, members of the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, acting on a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant, located and apprehended 34-year-old Myron Hickson of District Heights, Maryland. Hickson was subsequently charged with Second Degree Murder while Armed for his alleged role in Frazier's death. The motive, as detailed in later court proceedings, appeared to be personal. Prosecutors argued that Hickson was the aggressor in a conflict involving a woman with whom both men had a connection.
During the trial, the prosecution painted a picture of a personal and deliberate act. They asserted that Hickson arrived at the apartment of his child's mother, where Frazier was present, in the early morning hours. An argument ensued when Frazier indicated that Hickson could see his son the next day. Prosecutors claimed Hickson's actions were the result of a fixation on a perceived love triangle. The defense, however, presented a starkly different narrative, claiming Hickson acted in self-defense. They argued that Frazier emerged from the apartment angry and armed, causing Hickson to fear for his life and fire his weapon in response. The case then moved through the legal system, with both sides presenting their arguments before a jury.
