Though the early August assault case involving Edward "Big Balls" Coristine got national attention due in part to his DOGE associations and Elon Musk demanding justice in the aftermath, there was another high-profile case that rocked the nation's capital this summer, one that also helped spur President Trump to federalize law enforcement in Washington, D.C.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, who was an intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS), was murdered in the late evening hours of June 30th, reportedly as he was stepping out to get some dinner.
In the aftermath of Tarpinian-Jachym's murder and the alleged assault on Coristine, interim United States Attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, went nuclear, calling for, among other things, the age of accountability to be lowered to 14, youth repeat offenders to stop being coddled by the family court system, an end to cash bail, and to "go after the D.C. Council and their absurd laws."
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The good news in all of this is that in Tarpinian-Jachym's case, Pirro announced two arrests on Friday:
Two 17-year-olds have been arrested in the murder of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Friday.
Investigators are still searching for a third suspect, who is also a juvenile.
Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was killed by stray bullets in Washington on June 30.
Jalen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr. are being charged with first-degree murder in the killing. They will be prosecuted as adults, she said.
The infuriating news is that, in addition to learning the alleged offenders in this case are - surprise, surprise - juvenile offenders, they also have violent criminal records, something an emotional Pirro went off on during her D.C. press conference:
“Eric didn't deserve to be gunned down, and the system failed him — the system that felt that juveniles needed to be coddled,” Pirro said. “This killing underscores why we need the authority to prosecute these younger kids, because they're not kids. They're criminals.”
JUST IN: US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro announces that 2 suspects have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after a congressional intern was shot and killed in the nation’s capital.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 5, 2025
Pirro say both suspects are juveniles with prior violent records in family court… pic.twitter.com/kB1n19G8zf
JEANINE PIRRO: "It's bad enough to be gunned down on any street, but to be gunned down in our nation's capital is an outrage." pic.twitter.com/eXJow9f7Uf
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 5, 2025
On X, DOJ Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote that "If convicted, they will face severe justice. We hope that this provides some measure of solace to his family."
On June 30th, Congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was senselessly murdered in Washington, D.C.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) September 5, 2025
Thanks to outstanding investigative work from @FBI, two of his suspected killers were just arrested. If convicted, they will face severe justice.
We hope that this provides…
That "severe justice" may include seeking a life sentence without the possibility of parole, but it will not include the death penalty, because it's not an option in D.C., though President Trump has called for it to be in murder cases.
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