Idrissa Fall, a 37-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., has been convicted of first-degree murder while armed, along with related charges. The conviction follows the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Dara Northern, in July 2021. The verdict was delivered by a jury on January 22, 2025, after a trial held in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The jury found Fall guilty of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Judge Rainey Brandt has set the sentencing date for March 19, 2025.
According to evidence presented by the government, on July 18, 2021, Northern was shot as she got into her friend's car outside her home. Fall followed her out and attempted to stop her after she had recently ended their relationship and asked him to leave her residence. As Northern sat in the vehicle's front seat, Fall drew a gun from his waistband and shot her in the head before fleeing. Northern was declared brain dead later that day due to her injuries.
Fall was arrested on August 2, 2021, and has remained in custody since then.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith praised those involved in investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and acknowledged assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. They also recognized contributions from various individuals within the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocates Jennifer Allen and Latrice Washington-Williams; Paralegal Specialists Alyssa Schroeder and Sharon Newman; and Litigation Technology Specialist Sigourney Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristian L. Hinson and Yasmin Emrani were credited with prosecuting the case successfully.