Two D.C. men plead guilty to killing Vietnam veteran over cigarettes

Two District of Columbia men pleaded guilty to the 2011 murder of a Vietnam veteran who was killed in his apartment while trying to protect his wife from several attackers.

Seventy-one-year-old Solomon Reese was known as “cigarette man” around his Southeast Washington neighborhood because he supplemented his retirement income by selling cigarettes. He was known to carry his wares and earnings near an area bus stop.

On the evening of June 27, 2011, four men entered his eighth-story apartment in the 2300 block of Good Hope Road SE. Minutes later, Reese’s wife entered the apartment after stepping out to take out the trash, and heard a scuffling sound. She screamed, and one of the men, James Brewer, 27, pulled her back into the apartment and threw her into the front room sofa. As she continued to scream, another man, 25-year-old Anthony Thomas, threw a blanket over her mouth.

Reese, who was struggling over a gun held by another assailant, 20-year-old Stephen Page, turned and grabbed his wife’s attacker. Page ordered Reese to let go of Thomas. The Vietnam veteran reached for his pocket, and Page shot him multiple times, with bullets hitting him in the chest, abdomen and thigh.

Brewer, Page and Thomas left the apartment, taking two bags containing cigarettes and travelers’ checks.

Reese was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department obtained surveillance video showing Brewer, Page, Thomas, and the fourth man entering the building and getting onto the elevator. Footage from about seven minutes later showed the same three men leaving out of the stairwell, with Brewer carrying two bags.

Several weeks later, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Brewer in Newport News, Va., and transported him back to D.C. While awaiting presentment before a D.C. Superior Court judge, Brewer swapped identification armbands with another arrestee and pretended to be that person. He then signed release papers under the other man’s name and left the courthouse.

Marshals caught up to Brewer the next day.

On Wednesday, Brewer and Page, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Thomas pleaded guilty earlier to a charge of voluntary manslaughter and is awaiting sentencing.