WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves said Thursday that two men accused of murdering a professional boxer during a robbery in 2023 were arraigned in Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
Jayvon Thomas, 20, and Lavar Hunter, 19, are charged with the killing of Anwar “The Silent Assassin” Wingate, 24, of Forestville, Md. on Nov. 19, 2023.
Investigators said Thomas and Hunter caught Anwar Wingate off guard in a parking garage, located at 2112 8th St. NW. They said they determined that Anwar Wingate was shot in the neck after he tried to fight off Thomas and Hunter as they robbed him.
The men, who were arrested Wednesday morning in Maryland, entered not guilty pleas Thursday.
According to court documents, the shooting was caught on surveillance footage inside the parking garage. Detectives were able to identify the two men using facial recognition software and social media posts.
Officials argue that the video footage shows Thomas and Anwar Wingate get into a “brief struggle” at 3:08 a.m.
While this is going on, Subject 2, identified as Hunter, “takes a shooting stance with his legs wide-spread and his arms fully extended in front of him pointing at the decedent,” officials wrote in court documents.
The footage then shows Anwar Wingate fall to the ground and stop moving.
Documents also said Thomas is seen moving towards Anwar Wingate’s body and searching for something, presumably his gun.
A witness claimed they heard from three different people that the two men intended to rob Anwar Wingate of his firearm.
“I really miss him, but today is special in a way. There’s no finality to it, but at least I have hope in the process,” said Lester Wingate, Anwar’s grandfather.
Lester Wingate was in court Thursday.
“AJ, my beloved, he was my grandson, but he was more than my grandson. He was a son to me,” he said. “We’re moving on towards getting some kind of justice for AJ.”
Anwar’s mother, Dalphina Wingate, watched the court proceeding virtually.
“I don’t get to see my son anymore. I wasn’t with him for Christmas, I wasn’t with him for New Year’s, I’ll never be with my child again,” she said.
Dalphina Wingate describes her son as loving, goofy and a “beast” in the boxing ring. She told DC News Now that Anwar Wingate leaves behind a six-month-old son.
“I want justice for my son and I want it now,” she explained. “I hope they get everything that’s coming to them.”
Attorney’s for Hunter and Thomas argued there was not probable cause to charge the two men.
Sylvia Smith, who represents Thomas, said the use of social media and facial recognition to identify her client often lead to wrongful convictions. She also argued her client was not accused of pulling the trigger and shouldn’t be charged with murder.
Hunter’s attorney Lisbeth Sapirstein argued her client is never actually seen on the video with a gun in his hand.
The judge denied them bond, pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 2.
