D.C. Man Sentenced Following Murder of Motorist Who Damaged His Car in Accident

United States Attorney Kenneth Wainstein announced that Edward McDonald, 24, of SE, Washington, D.C., was sentenced in D.C. Superior Court before the Honorable Ann O’Regan Keary to a term of 21 years in prison for the brutal assault which led to the death of a motorist who accidently struck his car in 2002.

A Superior Court jury found McDonald guilty on Nov. 4, 2004, of of second degree murder while armed and aggravated assault while armed, in connection with the Aug. 10, 2002, beating death of Alvin Langston Walker, Jr. The Court also orderd that the defendant receive psychological counseling, anger management counseling, drug treatment, and G.E.D. training.

The government’s evidence at trial reportedly showed that on Aug. 10, 2002, shortly after 8 p.m., the decedent, Walker, 47, left his apartment complex on Green Street, SE, driving a friend’s Nissan to have a flat tire repaired. At approximately 8:30 p.m., Walker accidentally hit the back of the defendant McDonald’s older model Cadillac near the corner of 16th & V Streets, SE (PSA 711). This fender bender resulted in minor damage to the defendant’s car.

The defendant reportedly walked over to Walker, who was still sitting in the Nissan, and forcibly yanked him out of the driver’s seat. The defendant pulled Walker over to the left rear side of the defendant’s Cadillac that had been hit and in a violent and nasty tone of voice said, “look what you did to my mfing car.”

In the middle of the street with neighbors reportedly watching, the defendant immediately began to punch and beat Walker about his face, head and upper body area. The defendant’s blows were reportedly so forceful that at times Walker’s head snapped back and his body crumbled to the ground. When Walker could not get off the ground on his own accord, the defendant then picked him up and continued to beat him.

The defendant reportedly beat Walker non-stop and at times three of his friends joined in and also punched and beat Walker. The defendant then hit Walker in his head with a 2×4 piece of wood while demanding money from him to pay for the damages to his car.

At one point during this incident, Walker reportedly gave money to the defendant who took it but nonetheless continued to punch and beat Walker about his head and upper body. A person tried to intervene and asked the defendant to stop beating Walker. The defendant reportedly told that person that he would do the same thing to them.

The defendant then grabbed Walker by his shirt and forcibly pulled him almost one block to the corner of 16th & W Streets, SE. Walker again reportedly took out his wallet in an apparent attempt to give it to the defendant. Nonetheless, the defendant reportedly slammed Walker down on the steps of a corner store and demanded that he make a telephone call to get money to pay for the damages to his car.

While at that location, the defendant reportedly pushed Walker causing him to fall down and crack his head on the sidewalk. The defendant also told Walker that he should put him to sleep, which meant to kill him. The defendant stopped this malicious beating and fled only when he heard the sound of the sirens of emergency personnel coming into the area.

Shortly thereafter he returned to V Street, SE, where he reportedly said to neighbors “all of you nosy mfers can go in the house, the show is over,” while Walker sat dazed on the steps of the corner store at 16th & W Streets with approximately 4 large lumps protruding about 2 inches from his forehead.

Before police officers arrived, the defendant’s car and the Nissan that Walker was driving had been moved from 16th Street where the fender bender occurred. Thus, when police officers arrived in the area they were unable to locate the cars involved in the accident.

Although police and medical personnel viewed Walker at 16th & W Streets, there were reportedly no visible signs of the internal injuries he had just suffered. Because Walker was reportedly afraid of hospitals and doctors he declined to be taken to the hospital and was permitted to go home.

Within one to two days after this incident, the defendant reportedly approached a witness and threatened that person not to pick his picture if shown photographs by the police and that anyone who came to court would have a bullet with their name on it. The police later found and recovered the defendant’s vehicle on Aug. 13, 2002, and recovered the Nissan on Aug. 14, 2002, after it had been set on fire.

Twice on Sunday morning, Aug. 11, 2002, between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., a neighbor saw Walker in his apartment and told him to go to the doctor. Walker said that he was not feeling well but that he would just rest and try to sleep.

That same morning, at approximately 11:30 a.m., a neighbor found Walker unconscious on the floor of his apartment. He was taken to the Washington Hospital Center where he never regained consciousness and died early Monday afternoon, Aug. 12, 2002, from the severe blunt trauma to his abdomen and head injuries inflicted upon him during the course of this beating incident.

During the course of this 15 to 20 minute atrocious beating Walker was reportedly unarmed, never fought back, never said anything threatening to the defendant, and never had the opportunity to protect or defend himself. Walker was reportedly a complete stranger to the defendant.