District Man Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder In 2014 Slaying of His Estranged Wife

            WASHINGTON – Michael Gayle 35, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder stemming from the brutal strangling and stabbing of his estranged wife at her home in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.

            Gayle pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2016. The charge carries a potential maximum penalty of life in prison.

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 29, 2014, Gayle went to the home of his wife, 31-year-old Eboni Domally, in the 5200 block of Queens Stroll Place SE. On that date, Gayle was no longer living at the home, having moved out over two months earlier. After arriving at the home, Gayle choked Ms. Domally, and then later stabbed her, causing extensive sharp force injuries to Ms. Domally. These injuries eventually led to Ms. Domally’s death.  Ms. Domally’s young son observed the events and ran to get help.

            Gayle left the home before help arrived.  He was ultimately arrested on July 22, 2014, by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force at his mother’s home in Charlotte, N.C. He has been in custody ever since.

            Gayle pled guilty in 2012 in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Md., to assault and burglary charges stemming from another incident in September 2011 with his wife.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Patricia A. Riley, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Paralegal Specialists Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie and Kendra Johnson; former Lead Paralegal Specialist Kwasi Fields. and Librarian Lisa Kosow. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Magdalena Acevedo and Amy H. Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.