In a move that could shape the rest of his case, 47-year-old Kevin Singletary told a D.C. Superior Court judge on Friday that he did not want any independent DNA testing in the 2021 killing of Delonte Hazel. “There’s no need to test anything,” Singletary said, waiving his right to seek additional analysis. He remains charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed and related firearm counts in the September 2021 Kennedy Street NW shooting.
Prosecutors say a long list of items was screened
Prosecutors outlined a lengthy catalog of items that have already been screened for DNA, including bullet casings, a blue face mask, body armor, a skull cover, a handgun recovered from a vehicle, ammunition magazines and the victim's blood, according to D.C. Witness. They said testing had also been conducted on a mouth swab from Singletary, samples from his pants and shoes, his car, multiple phones and a scale.
The prosecutor told the court that a recovered Glock 40 did not match the caliber of the murder weapon and will not be used at trial, D.C. Witness reported.
Scene and arrest
The Metropolitan Police Department said Hazel, 31, was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside a car on the 100 block of Kennedy Street NW on Sept. 10, 2021. Police announced an arrest in the case in December 2021, and it has since wound through pretrial motions and continuances in Superior Court.
The Washington Post reported at the time that Hazel was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead, underscoring the level of violence that has kept the case active on the court calendar for years.
Legal implications of a pretrial DNA waiver
Under D.C. law, defendants must be told of their right to request or waive independent DNA testing before trial, and a knowing, voluntary waiver can limit eligibility for post-conviction DNA review, according to the D.C. Code. At Friday’s hearing, defense attorney Andrew Ain said the defense had hoped to test shell casings but there was not enough recoverable DNA. Singletary personally declined to pursue any additional testing, according to D.C. Witness.
The case is scheduled to return to D.C. Superior Court on June 10.
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