Eight Year Prison Term Handed Down in Connection With Teen Crime Spree That Ended in Death

            WASHINGTON – Duron Hudson, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter while armed in connection with the killing of a homeless man in Northwest D.C., in November 2019. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Hudson pleaded guilty on December 20, 2023, to involuntary manslaughter while armed, and other felony and misdemeanor charges arising from multiple incidents occurring primarily during a six-week period in 2019, including two others involving serious injuries to the victim. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s case, on November 29, 2019, at approximately 3:00 a.m., Hudson and his girlfriend were seen arguing while standing near the intersection of 13^th and U Street NW. Shortly thereafter Hudson walked across the street in the direction of the Lincoln Theater and approached the victim, Nahzil Zaid Abdul Rahim, a homeless man. After a short conversation, Mr. Rahim walked away from Hudson, in an attempt to distance himself from the defendant. Hudson then began chasing the victim, picked up rocks or a brick-like material and threw it with full force at Mr. Rahim. It missed hitting the victim but Hudson threw another brick which struck Mr. Rahim, who fell down in the street and hit his head on the pavement. While disoriented and lying barely conscious in the street, Mr. Rahim was struck by a car and died from multiple blunt force injuries. The driver of the striking vehicle left the scene.

            Later the same day at approximately 2:30 p.m., Hudson robbed a female victim of her cell phone in the 1500 block of U Street Northwest. Hudson approached the victim, took her cell phone by force, and fled the scene. Mr. Hudson was also involved in incidents on December 9, 2019 and January 11, 2020, where he seriously injured the victims trying to take their property.

            Hudson was initially arrested and detained on January 16, 2020, in connection with the cellphone robbery on December 9, 2019, and an attempt to steal a motorbike on June 26, 2019.  Hudson was 18 years old when the first crime was committed. He was arrested on August 23, 2023, and charged with involuntary manslaughter while armed. He was on release at the time and has been detained since his re-arrest on the manslaughter charge.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from by the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.