A 29-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering his roommate by shooting him in the head as he left for work in the West End.
Dontae Lashaun Drumgold was convicted of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a murder in the 2022 death of 25-year-old Elijah Williams.
Williams was shot dead and found by police on the sidewalk in the 4500 block of Raleigh Avenue at around 5:45 a.m. on March 23, 2022. He was shot in the head by a small caliber bullet.
Drumgold was arrested more than a month later in a neighboring jurisdiction.
Before the shooting, Drumgold failed to pay rent that month and was told that legal action was going to be taken against him, according to court records.
According to the office of Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter:
Text messages located on the defendant’s phone indicated that in the days leading up to the murder he was angry and wanted out of the lease. The evidence showed that the defendant, who was familiar with Williams’ regular work schedule, waited outside the building the morning of March 23rd and shot Williams as Williams was leaving for work.
The Commonwealth also admitted Drumgold’s journal into evidence, revealing that he fantasized about murdering someone by shooting them in the head.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Meredith Burke and Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Jessica Best Smith.
Drumgold is being held without bond in the Alexandria jail and will be sentenced on August 22. The maximum penalty for first degree murder is life in prison without parole, and there is a minimum three-year sentence for the use of a firearm in commission of a murder offense.
