Evergreen Reporter

A D.C. Superior Court jury has found Keanan Turner, 34, of Clinton, Maryland, guilty of the murders of Wanda Wright and Ebony Wright on April 12, 2021. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Turner was convicted on multiple charges including two counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravated circumstances, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, attempted first-degree murder of a minor, second-degree cruelty to children, arson, and destruction of property. He was also found guilty of four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 14, 2024, before Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan. Due to the aggravated circumstances, Turner faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Evidence presented at trial indicated that Ebony Wright had been in a prior relationship with Turner when she became pregnant. After she declined his request to terminate the pregnancy, he ceased communication with her. Following the birth of her child, Ebony Wright filed a custody and child support lawsuit against Turner in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.

After being served with the lawsuit papers, Turner contacted Ebony Wright to meet his child for the first time. On April 12, 2021, he visited her apartment where Ebony Wright’s mother Wanda Wright and sister were also present along with the child.

During the visit that lasted nearly an hour, Turner took out a gun and shot Ebony Wright in the head followed by shooting Wanda Wright in the back of her head. He then proceeded to shoot Ebony's sister once in the face in a back bedroom before setting fire to custody paperwork in an attempt to kill the child. As he fled from the apartment, Turner attempted to remove a Ring camera on the front door but exposed a unique tattoo on his arm.

Despite being wounded by a gunshot wound to her face, Ebony's sister managed to rescue the crying child from another room and called 911.

In announcing the verdicts U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Korba who investigated and indicted this case as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miles Janssen and Emma McArthur who prosecuted it.