Randall Cornell Mack, 42, of Washington, D.C., was arrested on September 2 and arraigned the following day on several charges related to the killing of Steven Stewart earlier this year. The charges include conspiracy, robbery while armed, first-degree murder while armed (felony murder), possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm due to a prior conviction. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Mack and his co-defendant Phillip Palmer were indicted on August 6. Palmer had been previously arrested under the same indictment on August 21. Both men are accused in connection with the May 2 death of Steven Stewart.
At his court appearance before Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on September 3, Mack pleaded not guilty. A detention hearing for both defendants is scheduled for September 19 at 9:30 a.m.
According to government evidence, Mack and Palmer allegedly entered Stewart’s apartment at 633 21st Street NE at around 12:44 p.m. on May 2, robbed him, and shot him multiple times at close range. Stewart was described as a vulnerable victim who used a wheelchair or walker for mobility outside his apartment.
Mack has a previous murder conviction from 2010. His probation was revoked in 2011 and he was sentenced to between 12 and 36 years in prison. He was paroled in 2019 but had his parole revoked in 2024 before being released again later that year; he was under parole supervision through 2037 at the time of Stewart's death.
Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the charges. The investigation is being conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Dinan.
Authorities remind the public that an indictment is an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
