Kirk Spencer, a resident of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the 2021 shooting death of Marcus Covington, as announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. The sentencing took place on April 9, 2025, with Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein presiding. Spencer's sentence falls into the higher range of the guideline period, followed by five years of supervised release.
Spencer had previously pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed with a firearm on October 11, 2024. The incident occurred on February 23, 2021, at the Anacostia Metro platform, located in the 1100 block of Howard Road in Southeast, Washington, DC. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Spencer approaching Covington, engaging in a brief conversation, and then shooting him.
After the gunshots, Covington was taken to Medstar Washington Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead the following morning. The sentencing announcement included acknowledgments from U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith, who praised the efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department investigators and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marybeth Manfreda and Ryan Sellinger for their work on the case.