A 37-year-old man in Washington, D.C., will spend decades in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend, who was shot in cold blood moments after getting into the passenger seat of her best friend’s car.
Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt has sentenced Idrissa Fall to 50 years in a federal correctional facility for the 2021 murder of Dara Northern, authorities announced.
In January, a Superior Court jury unanimously found Fall guilty of one count of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a violent crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition to his incarceration, Fall will have to serve five years of supervised release.
Inmates in federal prisons are not eligible for parole.
According to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the incident occurred early Sunday morning, July 18, 2021, in front of Northern’s home in Northwest Washington.
Northern’s best friend arrived at her home on the 6100 block of 4th Street, NW, around 1:30 a.m. to pick her up for a “night on the town,” according to prosecutors. But Northern had no idea that Fall, whom she had recently kicked out of the house after ending their relationship, was waiting for her outside.
Prosecutors claimed that as Northern approached her best friend’s car, Fall attempted to stop her, but she continued.
“As Northern got into the front seat of her friend’s waiting vehicle, the defendant started reaching for his waistband,” according to the announcement. “As Northern closed the door, the defendant shot her in the head as she sat next to her best friend before fleeing. Northern sustained one gunshot wound to her right eye.
Northern was rushed to a local hospital for treatment, but he was pronounced brain dead. She succumbed to her injuries and died later that day.
Prosecutors told jurors that Northern had planned a “perfect day” with her best friend to celebrate her breakup with Fall, and that after the split, she felt “light and happy,” according to D.C. Witness, a local news website.
“She never saw it coming,” the prosecution allegedly stated during opening statements.
Northern’s best friend told investigators that Fall said “something about gay s—” shortly before pulling the trigger, implying that he thought Northern, like many of her friends, belonged to the LGBTQ+ community, according to the D.C. Witness.
Authorities claimed that Fall had disabled security cameras at Northern’s home prior to the shooting, but he was seen running away from the scene on neighbor cameras. Two weeks later, investigators located Fall and arrested him for Northern’s murder. He remained detained until his trial.
Fall faced a possible life sentence in prison.