Evergreen Reporter

WASHINGTON – Duron Hudson, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter while armed in connection with the killing of a homeless man in Northwest D.C. in November 2019. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Hudson pleaded guilty on December 20, 2023, to involuntary manslaughter while armed and other felony and misdemeanor charges arising from multiple incidents occurring primarily during a six-week period in 2019, including two others involving serious injuries to the victim. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered five years of supervised release.

According to the government’s case, on November 29, 2019, at approximately 3:00 a.m., Hudson and his girlfriend were seen arguing near the intersection of 13th and U Street NW. Shortly thereafter Hudson walked across the street towards the Lincoln Theater and approached the victim, Nahzil Zaid Abdul Rahim, a homeless man. After a short conversation, Mr. Rahim walked away from Hudson in an attempt to distance himself from the defendant. Hudson then began chasing the victim, picked up rocks or a brick-like material and threw it with full force at Mr. Rahim. It missed hitting the victim but Hudson threw another brick which struck Mr. Rahim, who fell down in the street and hit his head on the pavement. While disoriented and lying barely conscious in the street, Mr. Rahim was struck by a car and died from multiple blunt force injuries. The driver of the striking vehicle left the scene.

Later that day at approximately 2:30 p.m., Hudson robbed a female victim of her cell phone in the 1500 block of U Street Northwest. Hudson approached the victim, took her cell phone by force, and fled the scene. Mr. Hudson was also involved in incidents on December 9, 2019 and January 11, 2020 where he seriously injured victims trying to take their property.

Hudson was initially arrested and detained on January 16, 2020 in connection with the cellphone robbery on December 9, 2019 and an attempt to steal a motorbike on June 26, 2019. Hudson was 18 years old when he committed his first crime. He was arrested again on August 23, 2023 and charged with involuntary manslaughter while armed. He has been detained since his re-arrest on this charge.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended those who investigated the case from by the Metropolitan Police Department as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.