Second arrest made in gay murder case

D.C. police have made a second arrest in the Jan. 10 shooting death of gay Maryland resident Gordon Rivers.

Police identified the second suspect as 22-year-old Anthony Hager of Temple Hills, Md., and said he was arrested Feb. 25. It follows the Jan. 28 arrest of 17-year-old William Wren, who was charged as an adult.

Both men have been charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with Rivers’ murder. Police said the murder occurred about 5:30 p.m. on the 2600 block of Naylor Road, S.E.

A police affidavit released at the time of Wren’s arrest says he and an accomplice planned to rob Rivers inside the man’s car after Wren telephoned Rivers and invited him to meet Wren in a location near where 17 year old lived.

It could not immediately be determined if Hager is the unidentified accomplice described in the affidavit for Wren’s arrest.

Police and the U.S. Attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, have declined to say how Rivers and Wren met. The affidavit says Wren told police he and Rivers knew each other prior to the time of the murder. Authorities have also declined to disclose whether Rivers’ sexual orientation was a factor in his murder.

Wren told police he accidently shot Rivers after the two struggled inside Rivers’ car following a botched robbery. Wren told police the gun belonged to Rivers, but a witness told police that he saw Wren bring the gun into Rivers’ car minutes before the fatal shooting.