The woman accused in the fatal stabbing of a D.C. lawyer inside a upscale hotel told authorities she went to the hotel intending to rob the victim after corresponding online via Craigslist.
Jamyra Gallmon, 21, was arrested Wednesday in the murder of a lawyer found stabbed to death at the Donovan Hotel in February. Authorities say she admitted to stabbing the victim, 30-year-old David Messerschmit, during an altercation that ensued.
According to charging documents obtained by News4 on Thursday, Messerschmit published a post on Craigslist on Feb. 9, seeking responses from other men.
The document said Gallmon, a Southeast D.C. resident, used a man's name to respond to the post, and Messerschmitt provided his room number at the Donovan Hotel in Thomas Circle, asking to meet between 7 and 7:30 p.m. that evening.
Authorities say the fake Craigslist username is associated with a Yahoo email address, which in turn is linked to Gallmon's cellphone number. Police want to talk to anyone familiar with the email chrissanchez0906@yahoo.com.
According to the charging document, Gallmon told police that when she got to the room, the door was open and she went inside, but when she turned to leave, Messerschmitt rose from the bed and attempted to stop her.
Gallmon allegedly told police that Messerschmitt grabbed her arm, causing her to "flash back" to a memory of a past assault, at which point she and the victim got into a physical altercation, and she stabbed him.
She said that as the fight continued, she stabbed him again before he fell to the floor, at which point she stabbed him again.
Messerschmit's wife reported him missing in the early-morning hours of Feb. 10.
Just hours later, his body was found inside the hotel room. Messerschmitt had been stabbed at least seven times and had multiple defensive wounds to his hand and finger, according to the charging document. He also had small, multicolored zip ties attached to each other and to his fingers, appearing to be makeshift handcuffs.
Detectives found an HP computer, condoms, lubricant and an enema in the room, among other items.
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Authorities said they identified Gallmon through online and cellphone records, and searched her apartment Tuesday. During their search, they found a folding pocket knife, black boots, black gloves and multicolored zip ties.
Gallmon told detectives that she stole Messerschmitt's SmarTrip card, cash and cellphone, but threw his cellphone into a trashcan.
She also told detectives that she did bring colorful zip ties to the hotel, but denied using them. She said she put her bloody clothes into a bag and threw them into a sewer in Southeast D.C., according to the charging document.
Gallmon is charged with first-degree felony murder while armed, detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department said.
Police said Gallmon was the individual captured on the surveillance video released by police shortly after the stabbing, showing a "person of interest" walking into the hotel around 7:40 p.m. the night before Messerschmitt's body was found.
That person hit the elevator button but then decided to take the stairs, slowly covering up her face as time went on.
Gallmon's mother told News4 that Gallmon had never been in trouble before and planned to join the military.
