Woman, 21, Pleads Guilty in DC Lawyer Murder Case

PHOTO of Jamyra Gallmon taken Feb. 9, from security video at The Donovan the night before DC lawyer was found stabbed in a room at the hotel. Image courtesy of Metropolitan DC Police Department

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Jamyra Gallmon pleaded guilty today to a second-degree murder charge in the death of DC lawyer David Messerschmitt, according to a report by LegalTimes.

Gallmon’s girlfriend, Dominique Johnson, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge, according to the report.

Messerschmitt, 30, an associate at the DLA Piper law firm, was found stabbed to death Feb. 10 in Room 400 at The Donovan, a DC luxury hotel at 1155 14th Street NW, after his wife reported him missing, police said.

Gallmon, 21, arranged to meet Messerschmitt by replying as a man to a craigslist ad from Messerschmitt, according to police. She went to a DC hotel with the intent to rob him, but ended up stabbing him when she said she suffered from a flashback to an earlier assault incident, she told authorities.

“It is outrageous that a young man with such a promising future was murdered over a cell phone and a Metro card,” Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent Cohen Jr. said in a statement. “We can only hope that the rapid apprehension and conviction of those responsible for his death will help his loved ones find some sense of peace.”

Messerschmitt leaves behind a widow, Kim Voung.

Sentencing in the case is scheduled for August 14; Gallmon faces up to 40 years in prison, but prosecutors will seek a sentence of between 18 to 25 years, LegalTimes reported. Johnson faces up to five years in prison.