The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) has charged 31-year-old Darrel David Nixon of Silver Spring with involuntary manslaughter in connection with a February assault outside a Bethesda lounge that led to the death of 44-year-old Morgan Andrew Hippchen Stone.
According to MCPD, “On Saturday, February 15, 2025, at approximately 2:37 a.m., Montgomery County Police officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel responded to the 4900 block of Cordell Avenue, outside La Catrina Lounge, for the report of an assault. Upon arrival, officers found an adult male, identified as 44-year-old Morgan Andrew Hippchen Stone, unconscious and unresponsive in the street. He was transported to an area hospital with severe head trauma.
Detectives from the Major Crimes Division were notified and assumed the investigation. Surveillance video from the area showed Hippchen Stone in an argument with an unknown male. During the argument, the suspect allegedly punched Hippchen Stone, causing him to lose consciousness and fall to the ground.
Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified 31-year-old Darrel David Nixon of Silver Spring as the suspect.
Hippchen Stone died from his injuries on Sunday, March 9. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide on Tuesday, April 22, citing complications from blunt force head injuries as the cause.
On Saturday, June 21, detectives obtained an arrest warrant charging Nixon with involuntary manslaughter, and he was arrested on Tuesday, June 24. Nixon was transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he was served with the arrest warrant and later released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.”