Mary Alice Pratt
The eleven year old murder of Mary Alice Pratt has been solve as reported first by Fox 5 News, Paul Wagner, reported the case was closed without making a arrest in what police list as an adminstrated clousure. In this case police say there was enough evidence that Debbie Sivells a former neighbor, who lived on the same block as Mrs. Pratt was responsible for the murder. Ms. Sivells according to Detective Mitch Cradle of the sixth district in a telephone conversation , confirmed that the motive was robbery and said earlier reported news that Mrs. Pratt may have been sexual assaulted were incorrect, he did not ruled out that another individual could have been involved.
Earlier this month this site had more hits them normal , searching for information on Mrs. Pratt, we check the police web site and saw that there was no change in listing Mrs. Pratt as a cold case, we had not seen the usual press coverage of the Mayor, Police Chief stating the closure of what we view a important closure after going unsolved for nearly twelve years, then I received a call from a relative who informed me, they had seened the report on fox 5 News, after checking, we made calls to the sixth district and later received a call back to called Detective Cradle which I did. Detective Cradle, first stated he could not give information until he got permission from his Sargent, we contacted his (James Young) Sargent and later Detective Cradle confirmed the closure with us, we are thankful that Mrs. Pratt family has some closure. We will report new information as we receive it.
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Woman Found Beaten to Death
An elderly woman was found beaten to death last night in her home in Northeast Washington, D.C. police said. Police were called to the woman’s home in the 1300 block of Emerald Street NE about 11:30 p.m. Once inside, they found the woman partially clothed and suffering from blunt force trauma, police said. She was dead at the scene, police said.
Relatives at the scene identified the woman as Mary Alice Pratt, who was in her late eighties and who had lived on the quiet street of neat brick row houses for more than 20 years. Dozens of people who said they were relatives converged on the scene and kept vigil into this morning. Many wept when police told them Pratt had been killed. One relative said officials told the family that Pratt had been robbed and possibly sexually assaulted.
A relative of Pratt’s said another elderly neighbor on the street was attacked at home earlier this week.
The woman was found partially clothed, wearing a nightgown, and the first floor of the home was in disarray, police said. She was discovered by a family member who forced entry into the home after receiving no answer at the door.
Police said they were looking at several motives, but early this morning they offered no explanation as to why the woman may have been attacked. No arrests had been made as of early this morning, police said.
Credit: Compiled from reports by staff writers Maria Elena Fernandez, Brian Mooar, Avis Thomas-Lester and Katherine Shaver.
The Washington Post
June 4, 1998
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
Shot to death in front of 920 H St., NW
