District Man Pleads Guilty to September 2024 Murder in Northeast

            WASHINGTON – Derek Turrentine, 43, of the District, pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder while armed for the September 2024 shooting of James Thomas Price, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Turrentine’s guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, calls for a sentence of 17 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for October 17, 2025. 

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the morning of September 15, 2024, the defendant followed Mr. Price into an alley behind 400 50^th Street NE.  Mr. Price stopped and turned around to face Turrentine, and Turrentine produced a firearm and pointed it at the victim as he continued to walk toward him.  As the defendant got close to the victim, they began to fight, and the defendant then fired multiple gunshots at the victim, who died as a result.

            Turrentine was arrested in March of 2025 and has been in custody since. 

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

            This case was investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich.