Judge Finds Rico Parker Competent for Murder Trial
DC Superior Court ruled the 44-year-old defendant mentally fit to stand trial in the fatal shooting of Marcus Little.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Violence
A DC Superior Court judge found Rico Parker, 44, competent to stand trial on charges including first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of Marcus Little. Defense attorney David Akulian had requested a second mental competency screening before the finding.
Why it matters
A competency finding determines whether a defendant can understand the charges and assist in his own defense, a threshold that must be met before the case can proceed to trial in Washington. The ruling clears a procedural step in a homicide case that has been pending since the November 2023 shooting.
Parker faces charges of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful firearm possession with a prior conviction. The case will reconvene on Feb. 5, 2027, and the defense has no further objection to the competency finding.
The players
Danya Dayson
Judge Danya Dayson presides over the DC Superior Court and oversees criminal matters including homicide cases in the District of Columbia.
Rico Parker
Rico Parker is the 44-year-old defendant charged with first-degree murder while armed and related firearm offenses in the killing of Marcus Little.
David Akulian
David Akulian is the defense attorney representing Rico Parker, who requested the second mental competency screening.
The details
Judge Danya Dayson found Parker competent on Sept. 23 based on a Department of Behavioral Health evaluation, then made the same finding on Nov. 4 after a second screening requested by attorney David Akulian. Akulian told the court he had no further objection to the competency determination.
Timeline
Nov. 13, 2023: Marcus Little, 52, was fatally shot on the 400 block of Ridge Road, SE.
Sept. 23: Judge Dayson first found Parker competent.
Nov. 4: Judge Dayson again found Parker competent after the second screening.
Feb. 5, 2027: The parties are scheduled to reconvene in court.
Legal Context
Competency-to-stand-trial determinations, which stem from due process protections recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court, are a routine threshold in serious felony cases and are often revisited through repeated evaluations. The Parker ruling follows that established procedure in a case where the defense sought a second screening before the court acted.
For Washington residents, the ruling means the homicide case in the 400 block of Ridge Road, SE moves toward trial rather than stalling on a competency question. The next court date will determine whether the case proceeds on the scheduled timeline.
The takeaway
Competency findings can be revisited through repeated evaluations before trial, and this case shows how a defense request can add a procedural step without changing the court's final determination. Readers following the case can track its progress at the February 2027 hearing.
What happens next
The parties are scheduled to reconvene in DC Superior Court on Feb. 5, 2027, when the case is expected to advance.
Further reading
For related coverage, see more Violence reporting from across Washington.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dcwitness.
