James G. Walker has been sentenced to over 35 years in prison following his conviction for the fatal fire at a row house he owned in Washington, D.C. The fire, which occurred in August 2019, resulted in the deaths of Fitsum Kebede and Yafet Solomen. The trial was a combined effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General. Contributing to the announcement were U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Brian L. Schwalb of the Office of the Attorney General, ATF Special Agent Anthony Spotswood, MPD Chief Pamela Smith, and Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr.
Walker was found guilty of second-degree murder and several criminal building code violations. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelmen imposed an additional five years of supervised release following his prison term.
Evidence presented by the prosecution showed Walker owned the property at 708 Kennedy St., NW, which lacked necessary fire safety features and a certificate of occupancy. The building operated as an illegal rooming house, with numerous fire safety code violations, including inadequate escape routes and functional smoke alarms. The failure to establish a clear means of escape was the most severe breach, particularly due to several security gates that required keys on both sides to open. The Metropolitan Police Department had alerted Walker to these violations months before the fire.
The deadly fire started in the basement on August 18, 2019, while three tenants were inside. Both Kebede and Solomen, who were in the basement, were unable to escape and subsequently died from burns and smoke inhalation. The prosecution argued that Walker's negligence and disregard for the dangerous conditions in the building were directly responsible for the deaths.
U.S. Attorney Martin and others praised the efforts of the ATF Arson and Explosives Task Force and credited various individuals and teams for their significant roles in the investigation and trial. These included the ATF, MPD, and Fire and EMS members, among others, recognized for their contributions.
The Office of the Attorney General provided key support through Elizabeth Wieser, Peter Saba, Jose Marrero, and John Roberts. Additionally, contributions by Assistant United States Attorney Vinet Bryant, alongside Assistant Attorneys General Jeffrey Cargill and Keith Ingram, were acknowledged for their roles in the prosecution.