Matthew M. Graves U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
Willie Byrd, a 61-year-old resident of Washington D.C., has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for a stabbing incident that occurred outside a shelter in February 2023. This was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe imposed concurrent sentences on Byrd: 15 years for aggravated assault while armed, three years for carrying a dangerous weapon, and five years of supervised release. A Superior Court jury found Byrd guilty on November 20, 2024.
According to evidence presented by the government, the stabbing took place at approximately 8:30 pm on February 28, 2023. Byrd attacked the victim with a large fixed-blade knife near the corner of 2nd and D Streets, N.W., during an attempted robbery related to a drug transaction. The victim sustained life-threatening injuries affecting multiple organs and required surgery followed by an extended hospital stay.
Surveillance footage from the nearby Federal City Shelter helped identify Byrd as the attacker. MPD officers and detectives used this video evidence to locate and arrest him inside the shelter.
U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith acknowledged the efforts of those involved in investigating and preparing the case from both the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Special mention was given to Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather, Paralegal Specialist Marcella Trader, Assistant United States Attorneys Erica Rudolf and Ella Gladman who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Evans who conducted the investigation.
