Washington, D.C. – A 29-year old Northeast Washington, D.C. man, Elliot Heath, has been sentenced to 85 years in prison for the brutal fatal shooting of a man and the wounding of his girlfriend in 2005, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor announced today.
Heath received his sentence on Friday, February 22, 2008, before the Honorable Erik Christian. On October 31, 2007, a Superior Court of the District of Columbia jury found Heath, formerly of the 1800 block of Kendall Street, NE, guilty of one count of First Degree Murder while Armed and one count of Possession of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence for killing Patrick Carter, Jr., and one count of Assault with Intent to Kill while Armed and one count of Possession of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence for shooting Mr. Carter’s girlfriend, who survived, and one count of Carrying a Pistol without a License.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge Christian stated that while he would stay within the voluntary District of Columbia Sentencing Guidelines, he nonetheless emphasized the brazen nature of the offense. Noting that it was broad daylight when the defendant and his associate acted, and that they shot into Mr. Carter’s car innumerable times, the judge called the killing “an execution.” Judge Christian further stated that it was amazing that Mr. Carter’s girlfriend survived.
The evidence at trial established that on November 17, 2005, at approximately 9:10 a.m., the defendant and a second individual approached a car parked in front of 1827 Corcoran Street, NE, Washington, D.C. (PSA 504). The decedent, Mr. Carter, sat in the driver’s seat, while his girlfriend, sat in the passenger seat of the car. The defendant and the second gunman approached the vehicle on the driver’s side and fired some 23 times at the decedent. The defendant and the other man shot the decedent at least seven times, in the torso, arms, leg and hand. The girlfriend was shot three times and grazed twice and survived. The defendant and his associate fled on foot. The defendant subsequently returned to the car with other onlookers while emergency and police personnel assisted the victims. The girlfriend and another eyewitness to the murder identified the defendant to police some time after the murder.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Taylor commended Metropolitan Police Department Detectives Dwayne Partman, Robert Arrington, Anthony Paci, Gary Johnson, Dexter Martin, Carla Talley, Edward Truesdale, and Sergeant John Johnson; Officers Christopher Moore, Dennis Fitzgerald, Bryant Collins, James Holder, Jay Gregory, Kevin Jeter, Kenneth Bryant, Tisha Lyons and Darryl Young; Firearms Examiner Michael Mulderig and Fingerprint Examiner Diane Glover. In addition, the U.S. Attorney praised the work of Nicole Tate, Lenney Lowe, Debra Joyner, Mary Doster, Gwenever Quigley, Doloris Young, Yvonne Bryant and Ron Royal of the Litigation Services Unit. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jean Sexton, who initially handled the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn Kirschner, Chief of the Homicide Section, and Lynn Haaland, who prosecuted the case.