In the spring of 2021, on the evening of April 15th, Kerry Odoms, a 29-year-old male, was socializing with a group of people in a parking lot in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. The friendly gathering took a tragic turn just before 10 p.m. Without warning, a man named Andre Smith, then 27, approached the group, lunged toward Odoms, and began firing a gun multiple times.
As the initial shots rang out, another man in the group, 25-year-old Malachi McFarland,
initially ran a short distance away. However, he then turned back and fired a second round of gunshots directly at Odoms. The barrage of bullets from both Smith and McFarland proved fatal for Odoms, who suffered eight gunshot wounds. Emergency services responded to the 3300 block of 10th Place, Southeast, and transported Odoms to a local hospital, but his life could not be saved.
The investigation into the homicide led to the identification and arrest of Andre Smith and Malachi McFarland. Both men were charged in connection with the murder of Kerry Odoms. In October 2023, Smith and McFarland pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed. This plea was part of an agreement with prosecutors, and in February 2024, they were sentenced for their roles in the deadly shooting. Andre Smith was sentenced to 18 years in prison, while Malachi McFarland received a 14-year sentence. During the sentencing, Odoms' mother delivered a powerful victim impact statement, revealing that she had treated Smith like a son who had eaten at her table and worn her son's clothes. The motive for the senseless act of violence was never made clear during the legal proceedings.
