WASHINGTON - Donzell Butler, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 13 years and four months in prison on charges stemming from an attack in which he fatally stabbed one man and wounded another, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Butler pled guilty in January 2014, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter and felony assault. He was sentenced by the Honorable John Ramsey Johnson. Upon completion of his prison term, Butler will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of July 7, 2012, the trouble began with a brief exchange of words between Butler and 20-year-old Charles Scott outside a carry-out restaurant at the corner of East Capitol and 53rd Streets SE. Mr. Scott and a friend, who had gone to the carry-out that night, then walked away, heading north on 53rd Street and turning onto Ames Street SE. Butler was walking in the same direction.
Once on Ames Street, Butler exchanged words with Mr. Scott’s friend, and a physical confrontation then ensued. Mr. Scott attempted to assist his friend in the fight, and another person came to assist Butler in the confrontation. As events continued, Mr. Scott fought Butler with his fists. At some point, Butler escalated the level of violence, stabbing Mr. Scott in the neck and shoulder and stabbing Mr. Scott’s friend in the upper body.
Mr. Scott fell to the ground, and Mr. Butler fled. Mr. Scott and his friend were transported to a local hospital, where Mr. Scott died from his injuries.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Kendra Johnson and Sandra Lane and Victim/Witness Advocate Tamara Ince. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Bradford, who investigated the case, and Reagan M. Taylor, who prosecuted the matter.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
