In the late summer of 2016, a burst of gunfire shattered the afternoon calm in the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace SE in Washington, D.C. When the violence ceased, 23-year-old Tyler Jerel McEachern lay wounded. It was approximately 2:04 p.m. on Monday, August 29, 2016. First responders arrived to find McEachern suffering from gunshot wounds and transported him to a local hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The Metropolitan Police Department quickly
launched a homicide investigation. Within a couple of weeks, their efforts led them to a suspect. An arrest warrant was issued for Daryl Thompson, then 27 years old, charging him with first-degree murder while armed in connection with McEachern's death. Police released photos of Thompson to the public, noting that he might have altered his appearance by changing his hairstyle.
The legal proceedings against Thompson have been protracted. As of late 2025, nearly a decade after McEachern's killing, the case remains active in the D.C. Superior Court. Thompson faces multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder while armed, as he is also accused of another fatal shooting that occurred in July 2016. The extensive delays in the case have been attributed to ongoing evaluations of Thompson's mental competency to stand trial, an issue that continues to be debated in court.
