Share and Follow
In a significant development in the case of a University of Massachusetts student fatally shot while working as a congressional intern in Washington, D.C. last summer, DNA evidence has emerged linking two teenagers to the crime, prosecutors revealed.
During a status hearing on Friday before Washington, D.C. Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson, government attorneys disclosed that DNA analysis on shell casings collected from the crime scene pointed to a strong statistical match with Jailen Lucas. Furthermore, DNA evidence also implicates Kelvin Thomas in the shooting.
Both suspects, who were 17 years old at the time of the incident, face charges as adults for first-degree murder while armed. They stand accused of the killing of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym from Granby, Massachusetts.
The tragic shooting occurred on June 30, 2025, forever altering the lives of those connected to Tarpinian-Jachym. Two rounds of DNA testing have been carried out so far, with prosecutors planning to introduce further expert testimony during the trial. This will cover the intricacies of DNA analysis, as well as ballistics and fingerprint evidence, which are crucial components in building the case against the accused.
Two rounds of DNA testing have been completed, prosecutors said, and additional expert testimony is expected at trial on DNA analysis, ballistics and fingerprint evidence.
Tarpinian-Jachym, a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was shot June 30, near the intersection of 7th and M Street NW in Washington.
He was spending the summer in Washington as a congressional intern for Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican from Kansas.Â
Kelvin Thomas Jr. (L) and Jailen Lucas (R) face first-degree murder charges in the killing of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym on June 30. (The Metropolitan Police Department)
Authorities say three armed suspects exited a stolen vehicle and opened fire at two individuals in the area.
Tarpinian-Jachym, who was not involved, was struck four times. He died the following day.
The Metropolitan Police Department released more pictures of Naqwan Lucas. (The Metropolitan Police Department)
Lucas and Thomas were arrested Sept. 5. On Oct. 31, a third suspect, identified as 18-year-old Naqwan Antonio Lucas of the District of Columbia, was arrested in Montgomery Village and also charged in Tarpinian-Jachym’s murder.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for May 15. The trial is expected to begin in February. Tarpinian-Jachym’s mother declined to comment when reached out to by Fox News Digital.
<!–>
–>