Non-fatal stabbing case postponed pending decision on jurisdiction in murder case

By Lily Engel and Lourdes Camarillo – July 2, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Knife Attacks |

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro agreed on July 2 to postpone a status hearing in a nonfatal stabbing case until the defendant's competency is determined in a murder case.

Larry Odoms, 62, is charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly stabbing two people at a group home where he lived in the 5000 block of H Street SE on July 28, 2019. One victim was stabbed in the chest, the other was stabbed in the neck. Both victims survived.

In a separate case, Odoms is charged with second-degree murder for his alleged involvement in the fatal beating of 81-year-old Dennis Stroy. Odoms' metal status is being evaluated in that incident, which occurred Feb. 21, 2022, at Deanwood Rehabilitation & Wellness Center in the 5000 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE.

Before his 2022 murder arrest, Odoms had been found “mentally unfit to stand trial” in a September 2020 stabbing case.

Judge Di Toro adjourned her hearing, saying she wanted to determine the mental competency determination in the murder case before moving on to the stabbing case.

The parties will meet again on July 15.

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