2nd Man Arrested In Journalist's Killing

Relatives watched the hearing and one shouted, "I love you, Mike," as he entered and exited the courtroom.

A driver for the waste hauler Browning-Ferris Industries, Hamlin lives with his mother in an apartment on Alabama Avenue SE, near the police station he went to Thursday.

Hamlin was convicted of robbery in 2002 in Prince George's County and sentenced to a year in jail, but all but three days of the sentence were suspended, according to court records and a report compiled by the D.C. Pretrial Service Agency.

Neighbors said he had moved in with his mother about a year ago, several months after she moved there.

Thomas Williams, the resident manager, said Hamlin had never caused trouble. "He's a pretty small guy," Williams said. "I can't see him beating somebody."

Inquiries into the handling of the attack continue. Initially, police and emergency medical technicians did not realize that Rosenbaum had been attacked. No life-threatening conditions were detected, according to fire and emergency medical services officials.

As a result, Rosenbaum did not receive immediate care for his severe head trauma. Criminal investigation was also delayed.

At Howard University Hospital, Rosenbaum was not treated initially as an urgent case, and the D.C. Department of Health has been asked to assess his care there.

Staff writers Del Quentin Wilber and Martin Weil and staff researchers Bobbye Pratt and Meg Smith contributed to this report.