Jurors in D.C. Superior Court have convicted 42‑year‑old James Callen in a brutal 2024 stabbing that nearly killed his then‑romantic partner inside a Southeast Washington apartment, leaving her with multiple wounds, including a neck injury that lacerated her jugular.
Conviction and Charges
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, a D.C. Superior Court jury on June 11 found Callen guilty of one count of assault with intent to kill while armed. Jurors also convicted him of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and three counts of contempt. Sentencing will be scheduled before Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt.
Pattern of Abuse and Jail Contact
Court filings and local reporting indicate the stabbing was part of a longer pattern of alleged violence. Prosecutors told jurors Callen had broken the woman’s leg in August 2023 and had given her two black eyes in January 2024.
They also said the contact continued even after his arrest. Prosecutors alleged Callen repeatedly called the victim from the D.C. jail in violation of a no‑contact order, at times as many as 12 times a day, prompting a judge to revoke his jail phone privileges, according to D.C. Witness.
How Prosecutors Say the Attack Unfolded
Prosecutors said Callen and the victim met at his brother’s Southeast D.C. apartment on July 12, 2024. In the early hours of July 13, an argument over moving in escalated, and Callen allegedly grabbed a knife and stabbed the woman multiple times, slicing her neck and lacerating her jugular.
Emergency responders rushed her to the hospital with serious injuries. Police later said Callen claimed to officers that the victim had arrived already injured, according to DC News Now.
What’s Next in Court
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia Hinerfeld and Anne Cotter. Prosecutors argued that the stabbing fit into a broader pattern of abuse and that Callen’s post‑arrest contacts with the victim from jail were part of the story jurors needed to hear. Sentencing will take place in Superior Court at a later date.
Case Context
Pretrial filings and hearings in the case, including rejected plea offers and motions seeking to limit Callen’s communications with the victim, were detailed in local court coverage. Those reports trace how prosecutors built their case around both the physical injuries and Callen’s conduct after the attack. Coverage of those proceedings is available via D.C. Witness. The case will return to D.C. Superior Court for sentencing.
