WASHINGTON — A man who was recently arrested for the death of his 71-year-old mother in Prince George's County has confessed not only to his mother's death, but to three cold case homicides in D.C. dating back as far as 1992, according to police officials.
Prince George's County Police arrested 53-year-old John Frederick Carrington after his mother, 71-year-old Johnetta Wormley, was found dead in her home during a welfare check Sunday.
Carrington was also charged in connection to a "domestic-related stabbing on Saturday in Clinton," and attempting to rob a gas station on Old Branch Avenue a few days later, according to police.
Now, detectives from D.C. Police said they believe Carrington is responsible for multiple homicides that have been cold cases for decades. Police said while interrogating Carrington about his mother's death, he confessed to the three other murders.
"I don't know what his motive for coming clean and telling us what happened, but it's a moment where we're happy to provide closure for these (victims') families. It's long overdue," as Asst. Chief Leslie Parsons, who leads the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigative Services Bureau.
The first cold case goes back to August 30, 1992, when detectives say 29-year-old Charles Boulware was stabbed to death just before 5:45 p.m. in Northwest.
The second homicide happened 15 years later on March 15, 2008, when detectives found 42-year-old Reginald Gaither shot to death in his car just before 10:30 p.m. in Northeast.
Two years later, officers discovered 25-year-old James Campbell suffering from a gunshot wound in Southeast. Campbell was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.
On September 1, just two days after the 29-year anniversary of Charles Boulware's death, Carrington was arrested in Southeast D.C. in connection to his mother's death.
In a charging document in Prince George's County, that a 911 caller told them "John John" had said he wanted someone to check on his mother "because he had strangled her."
Another witness allegedly told police that Carrington had told him that, "He f***d up. I think I killed my mother, I choked her, and stabbed Tasha."
"Tasha" is an acquaintance of Carrington's who police say is recovering from stab wounds at the hospital.
D.C. Police Department's Homicide Branch charged Carrington with two additional counts of First Degree Murder while Armed and one count of Felony Murder for the cold cases.
We have been unable to reach D.C. lawyer Thomas Healy, who is listed in court records as representing Carrington.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. said Carrington will likely be extradited to Maryland to face charges in his mother's death before he goes to trial in D.C. on the cold case murders.
Karen Lee Spencer's murder in Fairfax County had gone unsolved since 1972, Fairfax County police say.