Woman charged in hotel slaying of BigLaw attorney responded to his Craigslist ad, filing says
A woman charged with murdering a BigLaw attorney in a Washington, D.C., hotel room admitted to police that she went there intending to rob David Messerschmitt, according to a court filing. Jamyra Gallmon, 21, allegedly said she stabbed him when he grabbed her arm to try to stop her from leaving and that caused a flashback to a prior assault.
But a lawyer for Gallmon said at a Thursday court hearing that she is not admitting to these alleged facts, may have been coerced by police and is claiming “imperfect self-defense,” according to the Associated Press/WJLA and the Legal Times (sub. req.). Gallmon pleaded not guilty in the District of Columbia Superior Court first-degree felony murder case, and a magistrate ordered her held until an April 10 court hearing.
Attorney Matthew Davies declined to discuss the case further with the media following Thursday’s hearing. However, charging documents say she responded to a Craigslist ad posted by the 30-year-old attorney that was “soliciting responses from other men.” Gallmon’s response, as “chrissanchez0906,” was linked to her phone and email address, police said.
Messerschmitt practiced intellectual property law at DLA Piper. He texted his wife at 7:34 p.m. on Feb. 9 and said he would be home in about an hour, but never returned. She reported him missing at 1:50 a.m. on Feb. 10, leading to the discovery of his body at the hotel. A surveillance tape showed a woman leaving.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Woman charged in hotel slaying of BigLaw attorney; was robbery the motive?”
