Two Men Indicted in Kidnapping, Murder, and
Dismemberment of 18-Year-Old Latisha Frazier
-If Convicted, Men Could Face Life Prison Terms With No Possibility of Release-

     WASHINGTON - Two men were indicted today on charges of first degree felony murder, first degree premeditated murder, and other offenses stemming from the brutal slaying last year of 18-year-old Latisha Frazier, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Brian Gaither, 23, and Johnnie Sweet, 17, both of Washington, D.C., were indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charges, the grand jury indicted Gaither and Sweet on charges of kidnapping and tampering with physical evidence. Gaither also is charged with obstruction of justice for his subsequent attempts to suborn perjury on his behalf at trial

     The defendants, who have been in custody since their arrests in January 2011, are to be arraigned Thursday, November 3, 2011, before the Honorable William M. Jackson.

     The charges stem from the kidnapping and murder of Ms. Frazier, which took place in Southeast Washington in August 2010, as well as the defendants’ subsequent attempts to dismember and dispose of the victim’s body in a nearby dumpster. Ms. Frazier was reported missing, and for months, her disappearance was unsolved. Her body has yet to be recovered, and the exact whereabouts are unknown. A total of five people have been arrested in the case.

     In addition to the various substantive crimes specified in the indictment, the indictment charges the defendants with “aggravating circumstances.” Specifically, the indictment charges that the murder was “especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel” and that it was also “committed during the course of a kidnapping.” If these aggravating circumstances are eventually found by a jury at trial, the defendants could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of release.

     The case remains under investigation.

     An indictment is merely an allegation that defendants have committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in a court of law.

     In announcing the indictments, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the extraordinary efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in this investigation and took note of the hard work performed by Detectives Jeffrey Owens, Oliver Garvey, Darryl Richmond, Mitch Credle, Anthony Brigidini, Kenneth Williams, Susan Blue and Jeff Mayberry of the Major Case/Cold Case Squad, and Detectives Jackie Middleton and Dan Lewis of the Seventh District.

     In addition, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Larry Grasso of the Criminal Intelligence Unit, Paralegal Specialists Kwasi Fields, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker. Finally, he praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, who is prosecuting the case.

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