Ummm....could have been a robbery? How could it have been a robbery if his wallet, cash, jewelry, etc was STILL THERE?! I'm no detective, but common sense tells me that Martins assumed it was a robbery and was trying to give the wallet away, when in fact it was either a hate crime or a gang initiation murder. Even when a robbery "goes wrong" the assets are taken from the scene.

I'm confident the detectives will get this case wrapped up in the next 4-5 years. Maybe!

ATTENTION *** ATTENTION *** ATTENTION

ATTENTION ALL DC THUGS AND ANTI-GAY HOMOPHOBES: WHEN KILLING SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY'RE GAY... BE SURE TO TAKE SOMETHING FROM THEM IN ORDER TO AVOID HATE CRIME PENALTIES. MPD WILL NOT THINK TWICE THAT IT WAS ***JUST*** A COINCIDENTAL ROBBERY.

so the deceased was a bloomingdalian? was he walking from 17th and Q all the way back to bloomingdale? that's a heck of a hike, and i guess one that i usually wouldn't recommend at that hour, especially alone.

Anyone know how many potential hate crimes have been perpetrated against homosexuals this year? Let's count this one until there's proof otherwise.

Wow. Very sad.

yeah, about the bebar killing -- the one who said it was a sexual advance? the killer and his friend. the guy who said that was ridiculous and explained the situation? the victim's friend who was also there. since when do we just take a killer's word for it? and even still, why is it okay to kill someone because you don't want them hitting on you?

and there have def been more than 2 murdered gay people this year. it's very difficult to track crimes like that though.

mpd is ridiculous. do they classify every crime where nothing has been taken as a robbery gone wrong?

I live right where this happened. The gunshots woke up most of the neighborhood and if they didn't, the police activity certainly did. The sirens were almost immediate after the gunshots, so a botched robbery is very possible, although initiation could be too. It was sad to watch all of the activity afterwards, knowing what had just happened. I hope they find the people who did this.

edthered: i know that walking from the shaw station is something that a lot of us in bloomingdale debate often. it's the closest metro station for a lot of us. i remember people being mugged near rhode island and 6th last winter.

the city has put new street lights up at the corners of 8th and RI, 5th and RI, and near RI and NJ. lighting is getting better there, but i know that the stretch between 8th and 11th (in front of shaw JHS) is dark and desolate. no activity on a long stretch there after dark, and bad lighting, makes it a potentially scary stretch.

funny thing is, i know a couple people who live right there (my girlfriend included), so i'm often there at night myself. i'm not about to stop walking around there, but i'll keep an extra eye open.

that one thing did it for you, jm67. i hope you can find a sufficiently shrink-wrapped bubble to live in.

with no sharp corners.

Well IMGoph, if living in a crap neighborhood with predator teens makes you feel "real" then be my guest. I've done it for eight years and I've had my fill...

my point was that nowhere is perfect.

True. But some places are less perfect than others. And downtown is still far less stabby than, say, Anacostia.

So you're trading Haiti for El Salvador? Well, I suppose that's kind of an upgrade. Bon chance!

Sad. Thank you Erika for giving some details about the victim so they are more than a statistic.

diskothek: I am with you to organize something.

He was my friend and NO ONE WILL MURDER A FRIEND OF MINE AND GET AWAY WITH IT.

I'd also like to start leaving flowers on that block. I invite others to do so!

Aside from the cause of his death, all of us who knew him would know he wouldn't want us to remember him for his death but for his love and generosity in life.. I truly loved him, my darling, my friend.

I am absolutely down with trying to organize something. I have been a bartender in the city and in the nightlife industry for over 17 years, and those who are as well are all too familiar with being a target, due to the hours we keep. I have dear friends that work in Adams Morgan and the situation there is getting worse by the week - several shootings ON the strip of 18th, not to mention in the surrounding blocks just within the past MONTH - it is beyond ridiculous.
I was talking with my friend who works at Bossa, and she voiced her concern as to why there are flyers circulating in the restaurants & bars in the area as to what the Adams Morgan Flag should look like, when there needs to be flyers about a neighborhood watch - POSTINGS everywhere telling these thugs that they are being watched and they are not welcome. It is not enough that there is a police station on the corner of 18th & Columbia - bullets flew through that alley and hit Madams Organ just weeks ago at prime time, not after midnite! It's time for true Unity in our neighborhoods - including residents and establishments!

Erika

The reward has been increased to $50,000. We have been posting flyers all over the area--from Howard, North Cap. and Florida, Cardoza, Logan, Rhode Island, 14th and even 17th where Durval was before he went home. I will continue to post flyers until this town is plastered.

He was brutally shot twice in the front-center of his forehead, twice in the side of the head and once through the neck. Execution style. Was this a gang initiation? Someone in the neighborhood has to have seen and/or heard something. Durval must have screamed for help and had his wallet clutched in his hand most likely begging the killer(s) to spare his life. PLEASE! If anyone heard or saw anything at 11th and Q. PLEASE CALL THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS:

Call Det. Paul Regan at (202) 425-5563 (cell) or (202) 645-0472 or Det. Doug Carlson on (202) 486-0233 (cell) or (202) 645-6360; if you’d prefer to stay anonymous, call 1-888-919-2746 or send a text to 50411.

I agree with Erika, we must organize some sort of group to stem this. I've lived in this area for 12 years and I've been familiar with it for 25 years, and it is getting worse again.