In the early morning hours of June 23, 2015, the Washington, D.C. fire department responded to a call about a trash can on fire in an alley in the 1200 block of Holbrook Terrace NE. After extinguishing the flames, a gruesome discovery was made inside the charred remains of the receptacle: the body of 19-year-old Heineken McNeil. The initial investigation was complicated by the condition of the body, but a medical examiner was able to determine that McNeil had died from a gunshot wound before
being set on fire.
The nature of the crime initially led investigators to believe it was the result of a neighborhood feud, a theory that sparked fears of retaliatory violence in the community. However, the investigation soon took a sharp turn. On July 8, 2015, police arrested 19-year-old Zacchaeus Blanding and charged him with the murder of his friend, Heineken McNeil. The two were reportedly close, which made the circumstances surrounding the killing even more shocking to their friends and families.
During the investigation, a disturbing piece of evidence came to light. Blanding had recorded a video on his cellphone a day before the murder, in which he stated his intention to kill his best friend. Despite this, after his arrest, Blanding claimed that the shooting was an accident. He told police that he had been playing with a gun he believed to be on safety when it discharged, striking and killing McNeil. In a panic, Blanding said he purchased duct tape, wrapped his friend's body, placed it in a trash can, and later set it ablaze.
Zacchaeus Blanding ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed. In February 2016, a judge sentenced him to 19 years and four months in prison for the shooting death of his friend and the subsequent attempt to conceal the crime by burning the body. The tragic case left a lasting scar on the community, a somber reminder of a friendship that ended in a brutal and senseless act of violence.
