Man Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Killing of Kentucky Teacher at Catholic University

I’m guilty for the death of your son.

More than three years after a Kentucky teacher was shot and killed on Catholic University’s campus, Jaime Macedo pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed, bringing an abrupt halt to legal proceedings that had already survived one mistrial. The July 5, 2023, killing of 25-year-old Maxwell Emerson, who was visiting Washington, D.C., from Kentucky, came to a legal turning point Friday in D.C. Superior Court before Judge Neal Kravitz.

The guilty plea follows a tumultuous courtroom history. A jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on homicide charges earlier this year, resulting in a mistrial, though jurors did convict Macedo of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person with a prior conviction. In September, Judge Kravitz rejected a previous plea agreement after questioning whether the facts established that Macedo consciously disregarded the risk of death or serious injury.

During Friday’s hearing, prosecutors detailed how the fatal encounter began around 7:30 a.m. outside the Brookland-CUA Metro station. Macedo approached Emerson carrying a loaded handgun without a safety and demanded money. As the two walked toward Catholic University’s campus, Emerson raised both hands in the air on two occasions. Surveillance video captured Emerson walking next to Macedo with his hands raised during the roughly 30 minutes Macedo kept him under control.

Man pleads guilty in killing of Kentucky teacher on Catholic University campus

The coercion continued as the pair reached a bench outside Father O’Connell Hall. At approximately 7:55 a.m., Emerson sent Macedo $300 through Cash App. Despite receiving the funds, prosecutors said Macedo continued pressuring him. Two minutes later, Emerson managed to send Snapchat messages to his mother indicating he needed help because he was being robbed at gunpoint.

Inside the Courtroom Admissions

When Macedo reached toward him, Emerson lunged and tackled him to the ground. The struggle caused Macedo’s handgun to discharge, striking Emerson in the abdomen and proving fatal. During Friday’s proceedings, Judge Kravitz questioned Macedo directly about his state of mind that morning, asking if he knew Emerson was growing increasingly afraid. Macedo answered yes.

More than three years after a Kentucky teacher was shot and killed on Catholic University’s campus, the man charged in his death pleaded guilty Friday, admitting he knew the victim was afraid and that his actions could have deadly consequences. READ MORE: https://t.co/fGGbF9odh5 pic.twitter.com/JLN5BlCDgf

— https://x.com/7NewsDC/status/2118855747324846470

Macedo acknowledged that continuing to pressure Emerson for money while armed created an extreme risk of death or serious injury. He admitted that his actions did not constitute self-defense and that the shooting was neither an accident nor a mistake. This marked a sharp departure from his stance during his first trial, where he testified that he never intended to shoot Emerson and claimed that Emerson was actually trying to help him.

Steve Emerson, the victim’s father, watched Friday’s hearing virtually. We have to admit it was a very bittersweet moment. Sweet in the fact that, after three years, we heard him say ‘I’m guilty for the death of your son.’ But also bitter in the same vein, that it came in a plea deal, that it wasn’t what we thought it was going to be, he said. Describing his son as a soft, kind human being, Steve Emerson noted that the admissions completely dismantled the narrative Macedo presented at trial. He added that the family plans to ask for the maximum sentence.

Man Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Killing of Kentucky Teacher at Catholic University — Photo: nbcwashington.com

Judge Schedules Sentencing Hearing for January

Judge Kravitz accepted the guilty plea following the exchange. The agreement stipulates a sentencing range of 12 to 15 years in prison. Macedo remains held without bond.

With the second trial—originally scheduled to begin January 4—now canceled, the court has set Macedo’s sentencing hearing for Jan. 15, 2027, at 2:15 p.m. Judge Kravitz will address both the manslaughter conviction and the earlier firearm conviction at that time.