WASHINGTON – James Callen, 42, of Washington D.C., was found guilty by a Superior Court jury today for charges stemming from an incident on July 13, 2024, where he stabbed his then-romantic partner multiple times, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Callen was found guilty of one count of assault with intent to kill while armed. In addition, the jury also found Callen guilty of one count of aggravated assault while armed, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and three counts of contempt. Sentencing will be scheduled before Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt.
“James Callen stabbed his girlfriend multiple times, following his previous history of physical abuse, and then from his jail cell, tried to convince his victim to take the blame for ‘accidentally’ injuring herself,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Let this verdict be a warning: if you commit violence against your partner, you will face serious consequences. If you contact that partner in violation of court orders, you will face the full wrath of this office.”
According to the government’s evidence, on July 12, 2024, Callen and the victim met at Callen’s brother’s apartment in southeast Washington, D.C., to hang out. Callen asked the victim to move in with him and became enraged when she said she didn’t want to live with him. In the early morning hours of July 13, 2024, Callen walked from the living room to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and returned to the victim. He proceeded to stab her multiple times, including slicing her neck, which lacerated her jugular vein. As the victim started to bleed out on the floor of the apartment, Callen panicked and called 911. When EMTs arrived, they immediately rushed the victim to the hospital before law enforcement arrived. When police officers arrived, Callen told them that the victim had arrived at the apartment already bleeding and injured. From September 2024 to February 2025, Callen called the victim numerous times from the D.C. Jail in violation of a court order to stay away from and have no contact with the victim. In those calls, Callen changed his story and attempted to convince the victim that she had accidentally injured herself.
During trial, the jury learned that this was not the first time Callen had assaulted the victim but instead was part of a pattern of abuse. Callen broke her leg in August 2023 and gave her two black eyes in January 2024.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Olivia Hinerfeld and Anne Cotter.
2024 FD3 006890
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — District of Columbia — U.S. Department of Justice press release.