D.C. men found guilty of murder

A D.C. Superior Court jury found two District men guilty Thursday of the 2007 robbery and slaying of a Clinton man.

The jury found Denardo Hopkins, 20, of Northeast Washington and Steven Harrison, 20, of Southeast Washington guilty of first-degree felony murder while armed, along with other charges, in the Dec..3, 2007, robbery and shooting death of Michol Brown, 24, in the 3900 block of South Capitol Street SE.

Questions about the trial and the jury’s deliberations arose after one juror abruptly backed out of attending the trial for a day in January, while another juror had a planned business trip out of the country. Another fell ill.

Judge Herbert B. Dixon Jr. had to wait a couple weeks for the traveling juror to return to the country to allow the remaining 12 jurors to resume deliberations. Dixon charged the juror who backed out of the trial, Louis F. Alexander, with contempt, but later dropped the charges.

Hopkins and Harrison are scheduled to be sentenced May 5.

— Keith L. Alexander