A monthlong federal armed robbery trial in Washington, D.C., took an extraordinary turn when jurors discovered potential evidence hidden inside the defendant’s clothing that investigators, prosecutors and defense attorneys had apparently overlooked.
Jurors were deliberating in the case of Shamell Naquan Joyner, who was accused of a series of armed robberies at 7-Eleven stores and gas stations, as well as car thefts and a carjacking in the spring of 2023, DB reported.
During deliberations, jurors examining Joyner’s jacket found a Chinese yuan bill inside a pocket. They also discovered a folded piece of paper containing what appeared to be a white powdery substance.
The items had not been identified as evidence during the trial.
The jury foreperson described how one juror reached into the jacket’s breast pocket and found what initially appeared to be a receipt containing a white substance.
“Some of it, kind of, spilled out a little bit,” the foreperson said, before the jurors returned the item to the pocket and placed the jacket back in the evidence bag.
A subsequent search of a sweatshirt uncovered a crumpled Chinese yuan bill.
The discovery stunned U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, who said the court shared Joyner’s “amazement” at law enforcement’s failure to uncover the items.
Contreras questioned the jurors individually and told them the newly discovered objects were not part of the evidence presented in the case. The jurors confirmed they could put the discovery aside and continue deliberating.
The unusual incident did not prevent the jury from reaching a partial verdict.
Jurors convicted Joyner on 13 charges connected to five armed robberies and a carjacking, but deadlocked on 15 of the 28 counts after disagreeing over whether prosecutors had proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the convictions mean Joyner faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 31 years in prison.
The case highlighted an extraordinary lapse in the handling and examination of physical evidence, with the crucial discovery coming not from investigators or attorneys but from jurors themselves as they considered their verdict.
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