WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mussay Rezene, 31, of Washington, D.C., has been convicted of first-degree murder while armed for a fatal shooting that occurred in Northwest Washington. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith announced the verdict, delivered on January 11, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sentencing by The Honorable Robert D. Okun is set for March 22, 2024, with Rezene facing a maximum of sixty years in prison.
Government evidence detailed the events of September 18, 2021. Around 9 p.m., the victim, Brayan Villatoro, was traveling with friends to a family party. En route, Mr. Villatoro requested a stop at the 1300 block of Nicholson Street Northwest. After exiting the vehicle, he met with Rezene, who directed him to a nearby alley. Shortly after, Villatoro was shot eight times. Rezene fled the scene, and Villatoro was found by officers in the alley, where he was declared dead.
Surveillance footage identified Rezene through distinctive shoes and clothing. These same shoes were later seen in a social media photograph of Rezene, posted after Mr. Villatoro’s murder. Cell site data also placed Rezene at the murder scene and along the route of a vehicle he owned.