Five young girls in Washington, D.C., were implicated in the brutal killing of a 64-year-old disabled man, Reggie Brown, last year. The girls, aged between 12 and 15, allegedly committed the crime out of boredom, according to one of the accused who testified in court on Tuesday.
The Metropolitan Police Department reported that officers responded to a distress call in the early hours of Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, on Georgia Avenue, Northwest. They found an adult male, later identified as Brown, with injuries indicative of an assault. Medical personnel declared Brown dead at the scene.
An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed that Brown’s death was a homicide, caused by blunt force trauma to the head. In late March, investigators arrested three girls, aged 12 and 13, in connection with the attack. Due to their ages, their identities have not been disclosed. They were charged with second-degree murder.
Several months later, two more juveniles were found to be involved in the fatal assault on Brown. On July 18, 2024, a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl were arrested following D.C. Superior Court custody orders. They were taken to the Homicide Branch and charged with second-degree murder.
The 15-year-old girl pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of assault with a dangerous weapon last week and was sentenced to three years in a juvenile detention facility. As part of her plea deal, she was required to testify at the trial of two of her co-defendants.
According to her testimony, the group of girls had been at a skate park in Maryland before returning to her home. In search of something to do, she suggested they go out and “find someone to beat up.” When asked why she would propose such an idea, she simply replied, “Because we were bored.”
The 15-year-old further testified that while walking on Georgia Avenue, they encountered Brown, who was already being assaulted by an unidentified adult male in a blue coat. The man allegedly permitted the girls to join in the attack. The identity of the man in the blue coat remains unknown.
One of the defendants reportedly filmed the assault on her cellphone, showing several of the girls stomping on Brown’s head and whipping him with his own belt. The girls appeared to celebrate after the attack.
If convicted, the two teens currently on trial could face a maximum sentence of secured detention until they turn 21. During Tuesday’s proceedings, D.C. Superior Court Judge Kendra Briggs revealed that in addition to the 15-year-old girl, one more juvenile defendant had pleaded guilty in connection with the fatal attack. The specific charge she pleaded to was not immediately disclosed.