A quiet Saturday afternoon in Northeast Washington, D.C. was shattered by the sounds of gunfire on October 10, 2020. When police arrived at the 1700 block of Irving Street, Northeast, they discovered two men who had been shot multiple times. One of the victims was 59-year-old Marcus Nelson, a male resident of Northeast, D.C. He and the other victim, 39-year-old Simmeon Williams, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the double homicide led to the arrest of George
Bernard Shaw III. According to court documents, the incident began as a reported burglary in progress. Shaw's defense attorney argued that he acted in self-defense, stating that Nelson and Williams had broken into his home, leading to a violent struggle. The defense claimed Shaw was protecting himself and his family who were present at the time.
During a court hearing in November 2020, a Metropolitan Police Department detective testified that the autopsy revealed Nelson had been shot 11 times. The prosecution presented video surveillance footage from across the street that reportedly showed Shaw chasing Nelson into the street. The footage then appeared to show Shaw standing over Nelson and shooting him multiple times in the head after they both had fallen. Despite the defense's claims of self-defense and acting in the heat of passion, the judge found substantial probability in the case against Shaw and ordered him to be held.
