On a Christmas Eve in Washington, D.C., a dispute over a stolen jacket tragically escalated, leading to the death of 28-year-old Gregory Lee. The male victim was discovered with a gunshot wound on December 24, 2014, in the 1200 block of Stevens Road, Southeast. Despite the efforts of emergency services, Lee was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the homicide led to the arrest of two local men, Maurice Blakely, 23, and Joseph Minor, 24.
They were identified as suspects in the second-degree murder while armed of Lee. The confrontation that led to the fatal shooting was reportedly a verbal argument between Lee and the two suspects. During the altercation, another individual was also shot but survived.
Joseph Minor was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a weapon. For his role in the 2014 homicide, he was sentenced to 47 years in prison. In a separate case, Minor also pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed, which added over eight years to his sentence. Maurice Blakey, the co-defendant in Lee's murder, is currently serving a 22-year sentence for second-degree murder.
