ANGEL MORSE - 13 yo (2010) - / Convicted: Robert Carter - Washington DC

Man charged in killing of 13-year-old girl

November 8, 2010 - 8:02am


WASHINGTON (AP) - D.C. police have filed formal charges against a 39-year-old man in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old girl.

Angel Morse was fatally shot Oct. 29 in front of her home in Northwest.

Police say the shooting resulted from a domestic dispute.

Robert Carter had been in custody since shortly after the shooting. Police say he was charged Friday with first-degree murder while armed.

Police say Carter carjacked two vehicles after the shooting and was taken into custody after crashing into a Prince George's County building.
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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

No Charges Yet in Angel Morse's Death

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Laura Amico

The man detained on suspicion of killing 13-year-old Angel Morse is likely to remain in custody at least until May 6.

At a felony status conference today, government prosecutors announced that Robert Carter has not yet been indicted on any charges, including murder, in the shooting death of his daughter, Morse, on Oct 29, 2010.

By law, prosecutors have up to nine months from the time of arrest to file charges. That means Carter must be charged before August or his case dismissed.

Another status conference has been scheduled for May 6.


http://homicidewatch.org/2011/03/04/no-charges-yet-in-angel-morses-death/

Innocent Plea from Angel Morse's Father; Attorney to Seek Insanity Defense
Posted on July 21, 2011
Robert Carter today pleaded innocent to all 24 criminal charges against him, including one count of premeditated first degree murder for the shooting death of his 13-year-old daughter Angel Morse.

Carter's attorney entered the plea on his behalf and told Judge Thomas Motley that he would likely be pursuing an insanity defense on behalf of Carter.

"I'm pretty confident this is the way we'll be going," said attorney Steven Kiersh, mentioning that he had reviewed many of Carter's medical records back to his teen years.

Kiersh said those records showed substance abuse issues, a history of psychosis and a suicide attempt.

Carter was calm at his arraignment, showing no signs of the the unsettlement he exhibited at his preliminary hearing. During Thursday's proceedings he watched the court gallery but did not appear to try and make eye contact with any of those gathered for his arraignment.

Motley gave Kierch two weeks to file notice of an insanity defense. A status hearing was set for Sept. 30 in the case.

http://homicidewatch.org/2011/07/21/innocent-plea-from-angel-morses-father-attorney-to-seek-insanity-defense/#more-4692

http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/253647-carter-insanity-defense.html

Attorney Moving to Insanity Defense for Robert Carter, Accused in Shooting Death of Angel Morse
Posted Sept. 30, 2011, 2:42 p.m.

The defense attorney for the man accused of killing his teenage daughter and holding other hostage in the home following the fatal shooting has filed paperwork with the court saying that he intends to pursue an insanity defense on behalf of his client.

Attorney Steven Kiersh and his client, Robert Carter, were before the court Friday.

Kiersh told Judge Thomas Motley that he does not doubt Carter’s competency to stand trial.

“He’s competent,” Kiersh said. “The issue is going to be insanity.”

Carter, 40, has pleaded innocent to all 24 criminal counts he is charged with, including one count of premeditated first degree murder for the shooting death of his 13-year-old daughter Angel Morse.

At a prior hearing, Kiersh said Carter’s medical records show substance abuse issues, a history of psychosis and a suicide attempt.

Motley ordered a forensic screening for Carter and asked that he return to court Oct. 4.

A trial date has not yet been set.

http://homicidewatch.org/2011/09/30/attorney-moving-to-insanity-defense-for-robert-carter-accused-in-shooting-death-of-angel-morse/

Robert Carter Pleads Guilty in Killing of Angel Morse

Posted Oct. 31, 2012, 4:49 p.m. by Chris Amico



Robert Carter pled guilty today to killing his 13-year-old daughter Angel Morse. His trial for first-degree murder was set to begin next week.

At a hearing in July 2011 Carter pleaded innocent. His attorney, Steven Kiersh, had filed notice that he would be using an insanity defense at trial.

Carter told mental health experts evaluating him in February that “there was something evil in the house” the day Morse was killed.

According to that report, Carter said of his daughter’s death:

Something was happening. I don’t know what it was. I was outside my body looking at my body do things. I seen this before. I was upstairs on the second floor and Angel was on the first floor looking at TV. I got the gun out of my closet and came downstairs. She looked up and I grabbed her and pulled her down in the basement. There was something evil in the house. God had showed me all this evil before. Something pulled me into the basement - it was like I was just watching and I seen myself look back and me taunting myself - like I’m just looking, watching, looking at me-looking back at me… I killed her… After that I called my cousin and told him it was an accident - told him what happened. He told me to call an ambulance. I told him she was already dead. She wasn’t moving.

Documents filed earlier this month by prosecutors allege that Carter may have sexually abused Morse and had a history of drug abuse.


In addition to the first-degree murder plea, Carter pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

He faces a potential 60 years in prison on the murder charge and 30 years in prison on each of the counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

A statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office is below and Homicide Watch D.C. will update this story with documents related to the plea and more information later tonight has updated this post with related documents below.

Man Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder While Armed In Killing of 13-Year-Old Daughter-Defendant Also Pleads Guilty to Wounding Two Others-

WASHINGTON - Robert Carter, 41, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to first-degree murder while armed and other charges stemming from the killing of his 13-year-old daughter and the wounding of two others, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Carter also pled guilty to two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. He entered the guilty pleas in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Thomas J. Motley scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2013. Carter faces a potential sentence of up to 60 years in prison on the murder charge, with a mandatory minimum of 30 years. He also faces up to 30 years in prison on each of the counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

According to the government’s evidence, Carter and his then-girlfriend were estranged and he was no longer living with her and the family at the time of the murder. On Oct. 29, 2010, he was at their home in the 500 block of Madison Street NW, alone there for several hours. That afternoon, he went to a store and purchased a Halloween mask and a pair of work gloves. When he returned, he took his daughter, Angel Morse, to the basement. He shot the teenager once in the head. The Halloween mask was later found on the floor, next to the girl, and the gloves were found elsewhere in the house, with her blood on them.

Later that afternoon, several family members and acquaintances began returning to the home. Carter held them against their will, including two boys, 6 and 10, and a 16-year-old girl, who he forced to sit on a couch. At one point, Carter told the 16-year-old that Angel was in the basement and that he had killed her. When his then-girlfriend returned home, Carter went to the front door, opened it, and pointed a gun at her. The 10-year-old boy jumped up from a couch and lunged at Carter, striking his arm as he began to fire the gun. Carter fired the gun several times, hitting his then-girlfriend once in the abdomen and the 10-year-old once in the leg.

After shooting the gun several more times, Carter stole a friend’s car and fled. He abandoned the vehicle in order to carjack a MetroAccess sedan, taking control of that car with an 84-year-old passenger inside. That passenger was eventually released unharmed. Carter led local police officers on a chase into Prince George’s County, where he crashed the MetroAccess car into a building in Capitol Heights. He has been in custody since his arrest after the crash, and was scheduled to go to trial on murder and other charges next month.

In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers and crime scene technicians who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegals Phaylyn Hunt, Sandra Lane, and Alesha Matthews Yette, Victim Advocate Marcy Rinker, Witness Security Specialist Debra Cannon, Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Gorman and Erin O. Lyons.


http://homicidewatch.org/2012/10/31/robert-carter-pleads-guilty-in-killing-of-angel-morse/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 8, 2013
For Information Contact:
Public Affairs
(202) 252-6933

 
 
 
     WASHINGTON - Robert Carter, 41, was sentenced today to 70 years in prison on charges stemming from the killing of his 13-year-old daughter and the wounding of his ex-girlfriend and a 10-year-old boy, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Carter, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in October 2012 to one count of first-degree murder while armed and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. He was sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by the Honorable Thomas J. Motley. Judge Motley sentenced Carter to 45 years in prison for the murder and 25 years for the other charges.

     According to the government’s evidence, Carter and his then-girlfriend, Moria Morse, were estranged and he was no longer living with her and the family at the time of the murder. On Oct. 29, 2010, he was at their home in the 500 block of Madison Street NW, alone there for several hours. That afternoon, he went to a store and purchased a Halloween mask and a pair of work gloves. When he returned, he took his daughter, Angel Morse, 13, to the basement. He shot the teenager once in the head. The Halloween mask was later found on the floor, next to the girl, and the gloves were found elsewhere in the house, with her blood on them.

     Within an hour, several family members and acquaintances began returning to the home. Carter held them against their will, including Moria Morse’s two sons, 6 and 10, and the defendant’s and Moria Morse’s 16-year-old daughter, who he forced to sit on a couch.

     At one point, Carter told the 16-year-old that Angel was in the basement and that he had killed her. When his then-girlfriend returned home, Carter went to the front door, opened it, and pointed a gun at her. The 10-year-old boy jumped up from a couch and lunged at Carter, striking his arm as he began to fire the gun. Carter fired the gun several times, hitting his then-girlfriend once in the abdomen and the 10-year-old once in the leg.

     After shooting the gun several more times, Carter stole a friend’s car and fled. He abandoned the vehicle in order to carjack a MetroAccess sedan, taking control of that car with an 84-year-old passenger inside. As Carter kept driving, the woman screamed, “You’re passing my house! This is my block? I’m sick and I’m crippled! Please get me to my house” She was eventually released unharmed. But Carter continued to flee, leading local police officers on a chase into Prince George’s County, where he crashed the MetroAccess car into a building in Capitol Heights. He has been in custody since his arrest after the crash.

     “Robert Carter committed one violent act after another in a terrifying afternoon, killing his own 13-year-old daughter, shooting two other innocent victims, and then trying to make his escape by carjacking a MetroAccess car with an elderly passenger inside,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His complete lack of compassion was astounding and the community will be safer with this sentence that should put him in prison for the rest of his life.”

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers and crime scene technicians who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegals Phaylyn Hunt, Sandra Lane, and Alesha Matthews Yette, Victim Advocate Marcy Rinker, Witness Security Specialist Debra Cannon, Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Gorman and Erin O. Lyons, who prosecuted the case.


http://www.justice.gov/usao/dc/news/2013/feb/13-047.html