A District man has been convicted on charges of first-degree murder while armed, along with firearms offenses, for his role in the shooting death of Anthony Orr in December 2020. The jury delivered the verdict against 32-year-old Dennis Chase of Washington, D.C., as announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith. Chase is scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In the narrative presented by prosecutors, Chase was accused of fatally shooting Orr while in the car together in the Washington Highlands neighborhood. Following the execution-style shooting, Chase purportedly disposed of Orr's body, driving some 30 miles to Severn, Maryland, where he attempted to destroy evidence. Law enforcement officials stated that he then sought help from a homeowner, which eventually led to his arrest on an unrelated warrant. Chase claimed that his actions were in self-defense, a contention which the jury rejected.
The case involved a significant investigative effort led by the Metropolitan Police Department, with the prosecution carried out by Assistant United States Attorneys Wes Faulkner and Andrea Antonelli, under the oversight of Assistant United States Attorney Peter Roman, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia.
As now convicted, Chase faces a potential life sentence, given the gravity of the crime of first-degree murder while armed. The case underscores the continued joint efforts by the MPD and the U.S. Attorney's Office to address violent crimes in the District. Detailed accounts of the crime and trial can be found in the U.S. Attorney's office release, reflecting the culmination of legal procedures that have actively sought justice for the victim, Mr. Orr.
