A man has been accused of murder following a horrifying incident where a woman, with whom he had a “nonexclusive romantic relationship,” was brutally killed in a hotel room in Washington, D.C., on Friday. The victim, identified as Romaine Maddox, aged 36 and hailing from Northeast D.C., was discovered deceased at the Ivy City Hotel located on New York Avenue. Court documents reveal that Maddox sustained severe injuries including multiple lacerations, blunt force trauma, and deformities to her head.
Surveillance footage obtained from the hotel depicted Maddox checking into the establishment the night before in the company of William Barrett, aged 59, also from Northeast D.C. Just three hours after the discovery of Maddox’s lifeless body, law enforcement apprehended Barrett in Northeast D.C., reportedly covered in blood.
During police interrogation, Barrett admitted to being in a relationship with Maddox for approximately a year, albeit nonexclusively. He recounted that an altercation erupted between them during their stay at the hotel, escalating into physical violence. Barrett confessed to choking Maddox with his belt and subsequently striking her face repeatedly with a ceramic toilet tank cover as she cried out for assistance, as per police statements.
William Barrett now faces charges of first-degree murder in connection with the tragic incident. The circumstances surrounding Maddox’s death paint a harrowing picture of domestic violence and the devastating consequences it can entail.