Washington DC resident Lawrence Murphy, 52, has been found guilty of aggravated assault while armed and related charges, for shooting a groundskeeper in a dispute over leaf blowing in March 2020.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the victim was blowing leaves in the alley of the 1300 block of Queen Street NE when Murphy became upset, alleging the victim was blowing leaves towards his house. The defendant was standing on his porch and yelled at the victim, threatening to kill him if he did not blow the leaves away.
Murphy then shot the victim, causing injuries to his wrist. The victim observed the shooter run inside a house in the 1300 block of Queen Street NE. Camera footages in the area captured the defendant leaving out of the back yard and running down an alley a minute later.
An eyewitness heard a “pop” noise, looked out the window and saw the victim in the alley and the defendant on the porch. The eyewitness informed the officers that a Green GMC, which was parked on the road, is associated with the defendant.
Officers stayed on scene to see if anyone returned to the area, and at approximately 8:03 p.m., Murphy returned to the scene and attempted to get into the Green GMC. He was wearing the same clothing and matched the description the victim provided to police, and he was arrested at the scene.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police announced the guilty verdict. The jury also found Murphy guilty of one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition.
Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro scheduled sentencing for June 9, 2025. The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shaniqua Butler and Negar Kordestani.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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