Washington DC teens Jailen Lucas Kelvin Thomas match DNA found on shell casings in Congressional intern death

DNA evidence has linked two teenagers to the shooting death of a University of Massachusetts student who was working as a congressional intern in Washington, DC, last summer. Prosecutors revealed that testing on shell casings recovered at the scene matched Jailen Lucas and that DNA also connected Kelvin Thomas to the shooting.

Both suspects, who were 17 at the time of the incident, are facing charges as adults for first-degree murder in the killing of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old student from Granby, Massachusetts. Two rounds of DNA testing have been completed, with additional expert testimony expected at trial on DNA analysis, ballistics, and fingerprint evidence.

Tarpinian-Jachym, a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was shot on June 30 near the intersection of 7th and M Street NW in Washington. He was interning for Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican from Kansas, at the time of the tragic event.

Following the shooting, Lucas and Thomas were arrested on September 5. Later, on October 31, a third suspect, identified as 18-year-old Naqwan Antonio Lucas of the District of Columbia, was apprehended in Montgomery Village and also charged in Tarpinian-Jachym’s murder.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for May 15, with the trial set to commence in February. Tarpinian-Jachym’s mother declined to comment when contacted by Fox News Digital.

The case has garnered significant attention due to the nature of the crime and the victim’s promising future as a congressional intern. The use of DNA evidence in linking the suspects to the shooting highlights the importance of forensic technology in solving crimes and delivering justice to victims and their families.