Crime & Safety
Defendant in Hyattsville Murder Case Will Be Tried as an Adult
Derrell Emmanuel Mason, 17, who is charged with the June 30 murder of a Bladensburg man at Hyattsville's University Town Center, will be tried as an adult.
Derrell Emmanuel Mason, who is charged with the June 30 murder of a Bladensburg man at Hyattsville’s University Town Center, will be tried as an adult after a county Circuit Court judge denied the defense attorney’s motion to move Mason’s trial to juvenile court.
Prosecutors have charged the 17-year-old with six counts:
- First-degree murder
- Carrying a dangerous weapon openly with intent to injure
- First-degree attempted murder (two counts), and
- First-degree assault (two counts).
At a Prince George’s County Police Det. Thomas Hollowell, lead investigator in the case, took the stand and recounted the investigation.
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According to his account, Mason Three others were also stabbed during the incident.
More than 20 people were engaged in a fight during which Smith-Matthews and the others were stabbed, Hollowell said.
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Mason was initially indicted in Prince George’s County Circuit Court on Oct. 7 after being transferred from District Court. His trial proceedings are scheduled to start in January and likely will be carried over until mid-March, court records indicate.
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