Darrell Hinkle, a 37-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 21 years in prison for the murder of Dajuan Blakney outside an apartment complex in Southeast Washington. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hinkle pleaded guilty on September 4, 2025, to one count of second-degree murder while armed in D.C. Superior Court. Judge Jason Park accepted the plea agreement and imposed a sentence at the upper end of the agreed range—21 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
According to government evidence presented in court, Hinkle parked his car at 1511 19th Street SE just after midnight on April 21, 2023. He then approached Blakney, who was sitting on the steps at the entrance of the building. Once within close proximity, Hinkle shot Blakney with an assault-style rifle and fled in his vehicle. Hinkle was arrested several months later in October 2023 and has remained in custody since that time.
Interim Chief Jeffrey W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in making the announcement about the sentencing.
The investigation into this case was conducted by members of the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Carson prosecuted the case.
