Defendant in double murder pleads not guilty at indictment, remains at large

By Ella Munnelly
– 16 September 2024
Daily Stories | Murders | Shootings | Suspects | Victims |

A defendant in a double murder case remains on probation following his arraignment on September 16 before D.C. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan.

Jahi Rapp, 21, who was originally charged with aiding and abetting murder, was charged with two counts of first-degree intentional murder while armed, four counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, assault with intent to kill while armed and intentional aggravated assault while armed. The charge is that he was involved in a shooting that occurred on October 17, 2022, in the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE. Davonte Berkley, 19, and Reginald Lamont Cooper Jr., 19, were killed. A third victim was also shot but survived.

Rapp, represented by defense attorney Ferguson Evans, pleaded not guilty to all eight counts. Evans also noted that prosecutors have already presented important evidence, but he has not yet had a chance to look at all of it.

A representative of the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) told Judge Raffinan that Rapp has complied with the conditions of his release since his last court appearance, has committed no violations and has always reported to court on time.

The prosecution presented its motion for detention, which included information about a search warrant for Rapp's car and surveillance footage identifying him at the crime scene. Judge Raffinan explained that their official report did not include information about the surveillance footage identifying Rapp, and therefore an addendum would likely be necessary.

Judge Raffinan said that although the nature and circumstances of the charges warranted detention, Rapp had no previous convictions and had so far shown himself to be compliant, so he remained at large.

The parties will meet again on September 30.