Marcus Nelson

Marcus Nelson, a 59-year-old Black man, was a resident of Northeast Washington, D.C. On the afternoon of October 10, 2020, a quiet Saturday was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Around 2:05 p.m., police responded to a call for a burglary in progress and shots fired on the 1700 block of Irving Street, Northeast. At the scene, officers discovered two men who had been shot multiple times. Mr. Nelson and the other victim, 39-year-old Simmeon Williams, were pronounced dead.

The investigation into the double homicide led police to arrest George Bernard Shaw III. He was charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with both deaths. The case proceeded to a probable cause hearing in November 2020, where conflicting accounts of the shooting emerged.

Shaw’s defense attorney argued that he had acted in self-defense. She stated that Nelson and Williams had broken into Shaw’s home and started a violent fight, and that Shaw was protecting himself and his family, who were present at the time. The defense contended that Shaw was in fear for his life and may have acted in the heat of passion, reasonably believing excessive force was necessary during the assault.

The prosecution argued that the evidence pointed to premeditation and excessive force, not self-defense. A Metropolitan Police Department detective testified that an autopsy revealed Nelson had been shot 11 times and Williams had been shot 13 times. Prosecutors presented surveillance video from a building across the street which appeared to show Shaw chasing Nelson into the street. After both men fell, the footage seemed to show Shaw getting up, standing over Nelson, and shooting him multiple times in the head. The prosecutor alleged that Williams had already been incapacitated with a gunshot to the leg before Shaw pursued Nelson.

The judge found substantial probability in the case against Shaw and ordered him to be held. The case concluded on August 31, 2021, when George Bernard Shaw III pleaded guilty in the double homicide.