Beloved DJ Killed in Homicide, Police Say: Teens Awaiting Additional Charges in Death of Bryan Smith

Two teens arrested in connection with the brutal killing of beloved DJ and hairstylist Bryan Smith are facing upgraded murder charges after they allegedly beat the 39-year-old and left him for dead in Washington D.C. on Oct. 27.

The 16 and 17-year-old were initially charged with robbery, assault and unauthorized use of a vehicle, but The Washington Post reported on March 10 that prosecutors had decided to add charges including felony and second-degree murder for the teens.

Smith was found unconscious in the 500 block of T Street, Northwest on Oct. 27 by police. After being rushed to a local hospital with critical injuries, the DJ was ultimately transferred to a Virginia hospital, where he lingered in a coma until his family let him go on Nov. 7.

On Feb. 13, the Northern Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Smith’s cause of death was blunt force trauma and ruled the manner of death homicide.

The two teens, who have been held at a youth detention center since their arrest, both had previous run-ins with the law, according to The Washington Post, and police said they were linked to three incidents of assault and robbery on the same day of the attack against Smith.

The 16-year-old, whose attorney pleaded not guilty to the new charges, had at least six active cases that involved robbery or assault, according to a court officer, while the 17-year-old also had a probation revocation charge filed against him, indicating he was on probation for a previous conviction when he was arrested. If found guilty, the teens could face a maximum sentence of commitment until the age of 21.