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DC Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Murder
A Washington D.C. man has been sentenced to 420 months in prison for the 2020 murder of Anthony Orr in the Southeast Washington neighborhood.
Dennis Chase, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on July 25, 2025, for the murder of Mr. Orr, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On October 2024, a jury sitting in Superior Court found the defendant guilty of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant drove around the Washington Highlands neighborhood with Mr. Orr sitting in the passenger seat. As the defendant slowly drove down Xenia St. SE, he raised a gun to Mr. Orr’s head and fired one lethal shot.
The defendant pushed Mr. Orr out of the car and sped off. The defendant drove 30 miles North of the District to the woods of Severn, Maryland, where he doused the car in diesel exhaust fluid and attempted to light it on fire.
The defendant then hiked through the woods until he found a random home, where he stripped down and hid his clothes and other evidence in the back shed, knocked on the back door, and asked for help.
The homeowner called 911, and Anne Arundel County Police arrested the defendant on an unrelated warrant. MPD Homicide Detectives later charged the defendant for the murder of Mr. Orr.
The defendant testified at trial and claimed he acted in self-defense.
U.S. Attorney Pirro commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, and expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity, Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Charlie Bruce, Victim/Witness Advocate Jenn Clark, and Victim/Witness Coordinators Maenylie Watson and Katina Adams-Washington.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Roman, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wes Faulkner and Andrea Antonelli, who prosecuted the case.
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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