A man accused of killing 35-year-old Dalonte Lamont Jackson in what investigators describe as a brutal assault has been extradited back to Washington, D.C., where he is now being held without bond on a charge of first-degree murder.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, 35-year-old Maurice Pierre Hawley was arrested on June 16 in Jackson, North Carolina, after authorities secured a warrant in connection with Jackson’s death. Hawley was extradited to the District on June 30, formally charged by MPD’s Homicide Branch, and appeared in D.C. Superior Court this week.
Police say the investigation began on May 24 after officers responded to the 3300 block of East Capitol Street NE, where Jackson was found unconscious with severe injuries in an alley. He was transported to a hospital but died several days later. An autopsy determined he died from multiple blunt force injuries, and his death was ruled a homicide. Detectives later determined the fatal assault had taken place inside a residence in the 3600 block of Jay Street NE.
Court documents paint a disturbing picture of the alleged attack. Investigators say surveillance footage shows Hawley dragging Jackson’s body from an apartment building and placing him into a rental vehicle before driving to East Capitol Street, where Jackson was left in an alley. According to charging documents, the vehicle later circled back and ran over Jackson’s legs after his body had been dumped. Inside the apartment, investigators reportedly recovered a bloodied barstool and barstool leg, while a knife and hatchet were found inside the rental vehicle. Jackson suffered skull fractures, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and numerous cuts.
Witnesses told investigators that Jackson repeatedly pleaded, “Stop, Moe! Stop!” during the assault. One witness also alleged Hawley stomped on Jackson’s head multiple times. According to court filings, the two men had argued about “dating” before the violence erupted. Witnesses also reported Hawley made homophobic slurs about Jackson, who was openly gay. While investigators noted one person believed the attack may have been motivated by bias, no official hate crime charge has been announced.
The Metropolitan Police Department credited the United States Marshals Service and the North Carolina Marshal Fugitive Task Force for assisting in locating and arresting Hawley. The homicide investigation remains ongoing
