On Friday, three men residing in Washington, D.C. were met with their judgment day, receiving their respective sentences for participating in the horrific shooting of a man and his juvenile son that occurred in December 2018. The incident happened in the Northeast district of Washington, particularly in the Clay Terrace area, and this recent development was officially disclosed by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent David Geist, and Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith.
Jamal Matthews, 34 years of age, was given a prison term of 26 years, inclusive of an extra five years for impeding the pursuit of justice. Darnell Savoy, 25, was awarded a prison sentence of nine years, which he will serve consecutively to an existing five-year sentence for a prior conviction related to federal firearms and drug trafficking. Stefon Freshley, 28, was given a prison sentence of seven and a half years.
Their sentences followed their admittance of guilt before Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe on March 29, 2024. Their convictions were linked to an episode that took place on December 28, 2018, where Matthews, Savoy, and Freshley singled out their victims due to a case of mistaken revenge.
Matthews made an error in identifying the victims’ SUV, linking it with a vehicle involved in a previous shooting on December 25th, 2018, a mistake that culminated in a tragic outcome. The Christmas Day shooting saw Matthews escaping unscathed but resulted in the tragic death of his cousin.
During the night of the shooting, Matthews identified the victims’ car parked alongside the sidewalk in the 200 block of 54th Street Northeast. Under the incorrect assumption that it was the same vehicle from the Christmas Day incident, Matthews sought reinforcements.
Freshley and Savoy, who were in the vicinity, responded to Matthews’ call and picked him up in Savoy’s Nissan Altima. Matthews, armed with an assault rifle, unleashed a barrage of bullets, firing around 30 shots at the victims’ SUV as they drove past it.
The juvenile victim bore the brunt of the attack, suffering from nine gunshot wounds in total. His injuries were severe, with wounds to his head, abdomen, chest, and back. The adult victim did not escape unharmed either, with gunshot wounds to his leg and hand.
Against all odds, despite the viciousness of the attack and the severity of their injuries, both victims were able to pull through and survive. The culmination of these sentencing acts as the final chapter of a prolonged legal case that has seen various legal proceedings.
Matthews, with his sentence, ends up paying a significant price for his actions that night, inclusive of his efforts to obstruct justice, adding five more years to his prison term. Savoy’s sentence, due to a previous federal conviction, becomes lengthier, resulting in spending essentially his entire youth behind bars.
Freshley’s part in the heinous act also did not go unpunished, with him facing over seven years of his life in prison. Their sentences cement not only the gravity of their actions but the repercussions they now face for the choices they made.
The judge ruling over the case, Superior Court Judge O’Keefe, oversaw the process and ultimately delivered their sentences. Their guilty pleas earlier this year led to this final moment of sentencing, marking an end to the multilayered judicial proceedings.
The crime wasn’t without a clear motive from the defendants’ side: a mistaken retaliatory act in response to an earlier shooting that involved Matthews’ cousin. Unfortunately, the victims of their retaliation were an innocent father and son duo who were falsely targeted.
Local surroundings played a significant role in the incident. The victims’ vehicle was located in the Northeast district of Washington, where Matthews spotted it and made his erroneous connection. His call for backup indicated a planned attack rather than a rash decision.
The harrowing incident involved a minor, demonstrating the indiscriminate nature of the attack. The gunfire heavily injured the minor and even though he carried such severe injuries, he miraculously survived. This highlights the extreme violence of the incident, making the culprits’ sentences all the more justified.
So ends a tragic tale that began with a terrible mistake and ended in a horror-filled night. As the victims continue their arduous journey towards recovery, Matthews, Savoy, and Freshley begin theirs behind bars, facing the consequences of their dreadful actions.