In the spring of 2016, a Saturday morning in Northeast, D.C. was shattered by violence that ended the life of 30-year-old Leo Hackett. On April 30th, in the 800 block of 21st Street NE, Hackett was found suffering from a gunshot wound. The shooting occurred around 10:48 a.m., and though he was rushed to a hospital, his injuries proved fatal.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, police investigation led to a swift arrest.
A short time after the shooting, 67-year-old Wilbert Whitaker was taken into custody by the D.C. police. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with Hackett's death.
The case against Whitaker proceeded through the legal system. In February 2017, he rejected a plea deal offered by the government, opting instead to go to trial. By August 2019, Whitaker, then 70 years old, was under home confinement as his case continued. The charge against him had been elevated to first-degree murder while armed. The trial was still pending as of late 2022, with legal proceedings ongoing more than six years after Leo Hackett's death.
