Local
Murder suspect claims self-defense
Police say gay man stabbed 30 times, doused in bleach
A man charged in the Aug. 8 stabbing death of gay federal employee Delando King told police he acted in self-defense after King allegedly held a knife to his throat and threatened to kill him, according to a police affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court.
The affidavit says defendant Marcus McLean, 24, a resident of Northeast D.C., initially denied knowing King and denied stabbing him inside King’s apartment at 1117 10th St., N.W., during the early morning hours of Aug. 8, when police believe the murder occurred.
“After being shown a still photograph of video footage showing defendant McLean and the decedent walking together at approximately 3 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2010, defendant McLean admitted that he stabbed the decedent inside the decedent’s apartment, but claimed it was in self-defense,” says the affidavit.
Police charged McLean with premeditated first-degree murder while armed after arresting him about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, along the 2100 block of P Street, N.W., within a one-block radius of three gay bars.
King, 34, an employee of the U.S. Indian Health Service, was found dead in his apartment Aug. 9 by a building maintenance worker after a co-worker reported he had not shown up for work and could not be reached, a police statement said.
The affidavit says the Dupont Circle gay bar Omega played an important role in helping investigators solve the case by providing police with video surveillance showing King and McLean together at the club shortly before the murder took place.
It says findings of an autopsy conducted by the D.C. Medical Examiner’s office show that King “sustained about thirty (30) stab wounds, five of which penetrated the heart.”
Autopsy findings also show King suffered “chemical injuries and sustained several cuts to the arms and legs.” The affidavit says the chemical injuries appear to have been caused by the body being “doused with bleach” at the time of the murder.
Several of King’s belongings were stolen from the apartment at the time of the murder, according to the affidavit, including his computer, wallet and cell phone, and investigators noted that the bedroom where King’s body was found had been “searched” by the perpetrator.
The affidavit says McLean waived his right to remain silent and agreed to speak with detectives at the D.C. police’s Homicide Branch offices.
“Defendant McLean alleged that the decedent was forcing him to be a male prostitute,” says the affidavit. “According to defendant McLean, the decedent held a knife to the throat of defendant McLean in the early morning hours of August 8, 2010 and threatened to kill him. Defendant McLean claimed that he began to stab the decedent in the chest and then he (defendant McLean) blacked out and does not remember the remainder of the stabbing.
“Defendant McLean further stated that, after the stabbing, he hid the knife used to stab the decedent, took the decedent’s computer, cell phone, and wallet, and attempted to clean/remove his fingerprints from the apartment.”
Police believe the knife used to stab King is consistent with a knife missing from a knife set they found in King’s apartment.
The affidavit notes that King was 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighed about 140 pounds at the time of his death. It says McLean is about 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs about 230 pounds.
McLean’s attorney, Kia Sears, could not be immediately reached for comment.
According to the affidavit, investigators used surveillance video provided by Omega bar to track the whereabouts of King and McLean on the night of the murder.
“The nightclub known as ‘Omega’ is an establishment frequented by members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities,” says the affidavit. “While viewing the video, investigators were able to determine that on Aug. 8, 2010, at approximately 1:27 a.m., the decedent and Marcus McLean were inside the establishment and that the decedent was in possession of his wallet.
“On Aug. 8, 2010, at approximately 2:45 a.m., the decedent’s check card was utilized at a bar known as The Passenger located near the intersection of Seventh and L streets, N.W., Washington, D.C.,” says the affidavit. “Shortly thereafter surveillance footage from the Washington, D.C. Convention Center captured the decedent and Marcus McLean walking from the direction of the above establishment towards the decedent’s apartment located near the intersection of 10th and L streets … The video captures the decedent and Marcus McLean holding hands while walking.”
Capt. Michael Farish of the police homicide branch told news reporters Aug. 10 that police were seeking help from the community in identifying a man captured on video surveillance cameras at King’s upscale condo building entering the building with King. The video surveillance also showed the then unidentified black man leaving the building less than an hour later carrying a bag that he did not have when he entered the building.
The affidavit, prepared several days after Farish spoke to reporters, says investigators obtained bank records showing that McLean used King’s bank card to make purchases at several stores in D.C. and Montgomery County, Md.
It also says that at about 12:52 p.m. on Aug. 8, just hours after the Medical Examiner believes King was stabbed to death, McLean “is captured in surveillance video utilizing the decedent’s check card at the Regal movie theater in Silver Spring, Maryland.”
“Marcus McLean is observed still wearing the same clothing and carrying the same lime green bag as in the lobby surveillance footage that captured him leaving the decedent’s building approximately nine hours earlier,” it says.
The police affidavit says police apprehended McLean at 2020 P St., N.W., which is the address of Marriott Residence Inn Hotel. Omega is located in an alley behind the hotel at 2122 P St., N.W.
Jason James, the Residence Inn’s desk manager, said Monday that no arrest took place at the hotel at that time. A police spokesperson familiar with the case could not be immediately reached to confirm the location of McLean’s arrest.
Court records show McLean is being held without bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in D.C. Superior Court on Sept. 7.
District of Columbia
High cost of living shuts essential workers out, threatens D.C.’s economic stability
City residents don’t always reflect those who keep it running
When Nic Kelly finishes her 6 a.m. shift as a manager at PetSmart, she walks to her bartending job at Alamo Drafthouse in Crystal City to serve cocktails, beers, and milkshakes for hundreds of guests.
Kelly, 26, doesn’t work a combined 60-65 hours per week to pocket extra cash –– she does it to barely make her almost $1,700 rent each month.
“I’m constantly working, and some days I work two jobs in the same day,” Kelly said. “But twice now I’ve had to borrow money from my mother just to make sure I pay my full rent.”
Yesim Sayin, D.C. Policy Center executive director, said this is unfortunately how the D.C. area is structured –– to keep essential workers, service employees, and lower-income people out and those with greater economic mobility in.
The DMV area’s high cost of living makes it near-impossible for employees who keep the area running to make a living, Sayin said. In 2022, only 36% of D.C.’s essential workers lived in the city, according to a D.C. Policy Center report. D.C. is also ranked 13th in the world for highest cost of living as of Nov. 7.
But for Sayin, there’s more work for policymakers to get done than simply acknowledging the high cost of living. Take a look at how current policies are impacting residents, and what long-term solutions could help the DMV thrive.
Feeling the high cost of living
D.C. has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 6.0% as of August. Sayin said the city’s high unemployment rate reflects a lack of geographic mobility in its population, meaning those who can’t find jobs can’t afford to look outside of the DMV area.
Though there are job training groups working to close the unemployment gap, securing a job –– let alone two –– rarely guarantees a comfortable lifestyle for essential and service employees.
A single-person household in D.C. with no children must make at least $25.98 an hour to support themselves, according to the Living Wage Calculator. That number jumps to $51.68 an hour for a single adult with one child. Minimum wage in D.C. is $17.95 an hour and $10 an hour for tipped employees.
Whether it’s utilizing free meals at the Alamo to save on groceries or borrowing money to make rent, every week could bring a different sacrifice for Kelly.
While Kelly lives and works a few minutes south of D.C., Sayin said the connectedness of the DMV means you don’t have to travel far to feel the withering effects of the area’s high cost of living.
“People don’t really care what flag adorns their skies,” Sayin said. “They’re looking for good housing, good schools, cheaper cost of living, and ease of transportation.”
For those that stay in the DMV area, those conditions are hard to come by. This can lead to people working multiple jobs or turning to gigs, such as Uber driving or selling on Etsy, to fill income gaps. Sayin said there are short-term benefits to securing these gigs alongside a primary job, such as helping people weather economic storms, avoid going on government assistance or racking up debt.
But she said the long-term implications of relying on gigs or other jobs can harm someone’s professional aspirations.
“You can spend three extra hours on your own profession every work week, or you can spend three hours driving Uber. One gives you cash, but the other gives you perhaps a different path in your professional life,” Sayin said. “And then 20 years from now, you could be making much more with those additional investments in yourself professionally.”
There’s a strong demand for work in D.C., but when the city starts suffering economically, those who live outside the area –– usually essential or remote workers –– will likely find work elsewhere. Sayin said this negatively impacts those employees’ quality of life, giving them less professional tenure and stability.
D.C.’s cost of living also centralizes power in the city, according to Sayin. When lower-wage employees are priced out, the residents who make up the city don’t always reflect the ones who keep it running.
“Ask your Amazon, Uber or FedEx driver where they live. They’re somewhere in Waldorf. They’re not here,” Sayin said.
Working toward an accessible D.C.
Build more. That’s what Sayin said when thinking of ways to solve D.C.’s affordability crisis.
But it’s not just about building more –– it’s about building smartly and utilizing the space of the city more strategically, Sayin said.
While D.C. has constructed lots of new housing over the years, Sayin noted that they were mostly built in a handful of neighborhoods tailored to middle and upper-class people such as The Wharf. Similarly, building trendy small units to house young professionals moving to the city take up prime real estate from struggling families that have much less geographic mobility, she said.
“The affordability problem is that today’s stock is yesterday’s construction,” Sayin said.
Solving these issues includes ushering in a modern perspective on outdated policies. Sayin cited a D.C. policy that places restrictions on childcare centers built on second floors. Since D.C. parents pay the highest rates in the country for childcare at $47,174 annually, she said loosening unnecessary restrictions could help fuel supply and lower costs for families.
Sayin said policymakers need to consider the economic challenges facing residents today, and whether the incentives and tradeoffs of living in D.C. are valuable enough to keep them in the city.
For Kelly, the incentives and tradeoffs of staying in the DMV area aren’t enough. She’s considered moving back in with her mom a few times given how much she has to work just to get by.
Aside from wanting higher compensation for the work she does –– she noted that businesses can’t operate without employees like her –– Kelly also questioned the value of the tradeoff of moving so close to the city.
“There’s no reason why I’m paying $1,700 for a little studio,” Kelly said. “You also have to pay for parking, utilities aren’t included and a lot of residents have to pay for amenities. We are just giving these property management companies so much money, and we’re not really seeing a whole lot of benefit from it.”
Sayin said placing value on the working people of the city will inject fresh life into D.C.’s economy. Without a valuable tradeoff for living in or around the city, there’s little keeping essential and service employees from staying and doing work taken for granted by policymakers.
District of Columbia
Activist hosts Diwali celebration in D.C.
More than 120 people attended Joshua Patel’s party on Nov. 9.
LGBTQ activist and businessman Joshua Patel hosted a community Diwali party on Nov. 9.
Patel organized the event as a community gathering amid the Trump-Vance administration’s policies against LGBTQ inclusion and DEI. The event, held at the Capo Deli speakeasy, drew more than 120 attendees, including local business leaders.
Patel is a franchise owner of ProMD Health, recently awarded as the best med spa by the Washington Blade. He is also a major gift officer at Lambda Legal.
Patel noted that upon moving from New York to Washington in 2022, he desired a chance for community-based Diwali celebrations. He stated that the city offered minimal chances for gatherings beyond religious institutions, unless one was invited to the White House’s Diwali party.
“With our current administration, that gathering too has ended — where we cannot expect more than Kash Patel and President Trump lighting a ‘diya’ candle on Instagram while simultaneously cutting DEIB funding,” Patel said.
In addition to celebrating the festival of lights and good over evil, Patel saw the event as a moment to showcase “rich, vibrant culture” and “express gratitude.”
Patel coined the celebration a “unifier.”
“From a spiritual angle, Shiva was the world’s first transgender God, taking the form of both “male” and “female” incarnations,” Patel said. “The symbolism of our faith and concepts are universal and allows for all to rejoice in the festivities as much or little as they desire.”
Savor Soiree, DMV Mini Snacks and Capo Deli catered the event. DJ Kush spun music and Elisaz Events decorated the Diwali celebration.
The Diwali party also featured performances by former Miss Maryland Heather Young Schleicher, actor Hariqbal Basi, Patel himself and Salatin Tavakoly and Haseeb Ahsan.
Maryland
Harford school board appeals state’s book ban decision to circuit court
5-2 ruling in response to ‘Flamer’ directive
By KRISTEN GRIFFITH | Marking a historic moment in Maryland’s debate over school library censorship, Harford County’s school board voted Thursday to appeal the state’s unprecedented decision overturning its ban of a young adult graphic novel, pushing the dispute into circuit court.
The 5-2 vote followed a recent ruling from the state board overturning Harford’s ban of the book “Flamer.” In a special meeting Thursday afternoon, board members weighed whether to seek reconsideration or take the matter to circuit court — ultimately opting to appeal.
The book “Flamer” is by Mike Curato, who wrote about his experience being bullied as a kid for being gay.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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