Second defendant convicted of all nine charges for shooting and paralyzing unarmed and innocent young man

Note from the webmaster of www.tincher.to : This press release was originally posted at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/press/01035b.html but that link is down now.

Washington, D.C. - United States Attorney Wilma A. Lewis announced that Erskine Moorer, age 30, of Ft. Washington, MD, was convicted today by a Superior Court jury of all nine charged counts which included Assault With Intent To Kill While Armed, Aggravated Assault While Armed, Mayhem While Armed, three separate counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime Of Violence, and other related gun charges. Moorer's co-defendant, Barbara Graham, age 49, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was convicted of the same charges last Thursday. Both defendants face up to life imprisonment when they are sentenced later this year.

According to the government's evidence presented at trial, on January 26, 2000, at approximately 6:10 p.m., Barbara Graham approached a young 22-year-old man by the name of Kikko Smith and asked him his name. Mr. Smith responded to her question and stated yes my name is Kikko, where upon Ms. Graham, reached inside her purse and pulled out a handgun with an extended clip and began to chase Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith ran for his life and then was shot at and hit a number of times by Graham and her daughter's long term boyfriend, Erskine Moorer. One of the bullets struck Mr. Smith in his back, breaking his rib, collapsing his lung and eventually shattering his spine. Other shots, struck Mr. Smith in his foot and head. Due to this incident, Mr. Smith has spent over a year in either hospitals or assisted living facilities. He is confined to a wheel chair and has no movement from the waist down.

In announcing the guilty verdicts, U.S. Attorney Lewis commended the injured victim, Kikko Smith and his family for his courage, and the investigative work of Metropolitan Police Department Detectives A.D. Williams, Lt. C.V. Morris, Willie Jefferson, Bruce Faison, Rita McCoy, Susan Blue, John Rhodes, Don Juan Monroe, Jamel Mayhew, Phillipe Moore, Donita Giles, Robert Mitchell, Anthony Mable, Wayne Marable, Demetrica "Flash" Cater, Gregory Stewart, Anthony Johnson, Edward Torrence, J.V. Francis, and, Officers John Regan, Michael Whiteside, Calvin Hopkins, Ramonz Height, James Savage, Mary Mingo, J.D. Smith, and MPD and ATF firearms-tool marks examiners Torin Suber and Walter Dandridge. In addition, special thanks is given to former MPD Officer, and now Strurbridge Massachusetts Officer, Paul Newsham, for his assistance while still with MPD. A special note of thanks is also extended to Ms. Diane Hobdy, Leslie Faucette, Debbie Cannon and David Foster from the Victim Witness Assistance section for their help. Ms. Lewis also commended the work of paralegal specialists Marion Russell and Wanda Trice and Assistant United States Attorneys Diana Harris Epps and Leutrell Osborne II who indicted and prosecuted the case at trial.

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