Mother Allegedly Hindered Prosecution, Tampered with Evidence
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of KHAEIR SPENCER, 20, and his father, DANIEL SPENCER, 47, for allegedly murdering 43-year-old David Brown in Harlem in December 2024. D.A. Bragg also announced the indictment of TETIKWA HORACE, 42 – K. SPENCER’s mother and D. SPENCER’s ex-girlfriend – who was dating Mr. Brown at the time, for allegedly helping the two men gain entry to Mr. Brown’s apartment and tampering with evidence, hindering the prosecution of the case. [1]
“As alleged, this father-son duo murdered David Brown in his own home,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Disturbingly, Mr. Brown’s girlfriend – the mother of one of the accused – allegedly helped by tampering with evidence and hindering the prosecution of this case. We will seek full accountability for this terrible act of gun violence.”
According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, on December 14, 2024, HORACE walked with her son K. SPENCER and his father D. SPENCER to the apartment in NYCHA’s Polo Grounds where she had been living with her boyfriend, Mr. Brown. Once HORACE gained entry, she left the door open for K. SPENCER and D. SPENCER to enter wearing masks and head coverings. HORACE immediately left the apartment, ripped the surveillance camera off the front door, and took it with her.
Two minutes later, K. SPENCER and D. SPENCER ran out of the apartment, leaving Mr. Brown with three gunshot wounds to the torso and leg. NYPD officers arrived soon after and took Mr. Brown to Harlem Hospital where he died of a result of his wounds.
D. SPENCER was arrested on January 16, 2025, but K. SPENCER left the City with the help of his mother, HORACE. He was eventually arrested in Sullivan County, New York, on March 4, 2025. After allegedly lying about the events to police in an attempt to hinder her codefendants’ arrest and prosecution, along with taking other actions to assist them, HORACE was arrested on March 17, 2025.
Assistant D.A. Heather Pearson and Katherine Sullivan are handling the prosecution of the case under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Siobhan Carty (Chief of Trial Bureau 80) and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division). Valuable assistance is being provided by Trial Preparation Assistant Andrea Cipriano, Senior Investigative Analyst Devery Kerr, Victim Services Advocate Alena Klee, and Senior Digital Forensic Examiner Boris Vestfrid.
District Attorney Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly Detective Cristian Balbi of the 32nd Precinct Detective Squad, and Detective Michael LeClair of the Warrants Squad.
Defendant Information:
KHAEIR SPENCER
New York, NY
Charges:
- Murder in the Second Degree, a class A felony, one count
- Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a class C felony, one count
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C felony, two counts
- Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count
DANIEL SPENCER
New York, NY
Charges:
- Murder in the Second Degree, a class A felony, one count
- Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a class C felony, one count
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C felony, two counts
- Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count
TETIKWA HORACE
New York, NY
Charges:
- Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree, a class D felony, two counts
- Tampering with Physical Evidence, a class E felony, one count
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[1] The charges contained in the indictments are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.