Defendants Charged in Brutal Slaying of Teenager

Two young men have been indicted on murder and other charges in connection with the August 10, 2017, slaying of 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor in Washington, D.C.

According to investigators, Robert Moses, 19, and James Mayfield, 18, both of Washington, D.C., were armed with firearms when they approached the intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues NE at around 3:30 p.m. on the day of the shooting. Moses and Mayfield are accused of opening fire across Montana Avenue towards people on Saratoga Avenue, firing over ten rounds.

As they did, Jamahri Sydnor, who was days away from beginning her college education, was driving through the intersection with a 12-year-old passenger. Sydnor was struck in the head by a bullet and lost control of the car, which crashed into another parked car. The 12-year-old, who was in the front passenger seat, was injured by the impact of the collision as well as the shattering glass when the bullet traveled through the front passenger window before striking Sydnor.

A third victim was shot as he stood on the corner speaking with friends, while yet another innocent bystander shattered his leg attempting to take cover from the hail of gunfire. Following the attacks, Moses and Mayfield fled the scene, but were later arrested. Moses was taken into custody on October 26, 2017, while Mayfield was arrested on December 27, 2017.

Both Moses and Mayfield have been in custody since their respective arrests and face a maximum of life in prison if convicted of the charges. They are scheduled to be arraigned on July 27, 2018, before the Honorable Craig Iscoe. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Peter Newsham commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD and expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences.

The investigation and prosecution of this case are being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Kimberley Nielsen, with the assistance of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Sines and Glenn Kirschner, along with Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Wanda M. Queen; Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews-Yette, Meridith McGarrity, Stephanie Gilbert, and Lashone Samuels.

The charges in this case are merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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