Lamont Stephenson, a 50-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder while armed and cruelty to animals. The indictment relates to an incident in March 2019 in Southeast Washington, as announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stephenson is accused of committing these offenses while evading capture for a separate crime committed in October 2014. In that earlier case, he was charged with killing his then-fiancée and her dog. He has since pleaded guilty to those charges and received a sentence exceeding 30 years.
The recent indictment alleges that Stephenson stabbed Natina Kiah and strangled her cat on March 6, 2019. He was brought to Washington, D.C., where he was arraigned on February 14, 2025, before Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman.
U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith praised the efforts of the MPD investigators involved in the case. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas for her role in investigating and prosecuting the case.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct; every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.