D.C. Council Staffer Found Dead

Desi Deschaine's body found in Baltimore Harbor

A popular staff member on the D.C. Council is dead after a Sunday boat outing in Baltimore Harbor.

Desi Deschaine, 29, the press secretary to Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans, was in Baltimore for a gathering of 10 friends on a private boat Sunday, according to sources, who said Deschaine's disappearance was not reported to police until the following day.

Deschaine was reported missing after he failed to show up for work Monday morning.

"The boat was tired up; he stepped off the boat," said J'aime Huret, the owner of the boat, who identified himself as Deschaine's boyfriend. "He'd been drinking, and took a few steps down [toward other boats]. We have lots of friends at the dock; I didn't think anything of it," said Huret.

The sources said D.C. and Baltimore police are questioning anyone involved with the boat outing. It wasn't immediately clear what time they returned to shore.

Deschaine had been a well-known and well-liked staff member on the D.C. Council and is a former community worker for then-Mayor Anthony Williams.

"Desi Deschaine was a bright, bubbly, enthusiastic, and wonderful person who you just could not help but love," Evans said in a statement. "I had the great pleasure of knowing and working with him not just on my staff, but on my campaigns, and over the years with Mayor Williams’ staff, the [Washington National] Opera and numerous other capacities and roles. He brought his passion, energy and good spirits to everything and everyone he touched over the years. My staff and I share the grief of and extend our condolences to Desi’s family and friends, and deeply mourn his untimely loss."

Deschaine served as a liaison to the Ward 2 community. He also served as a vice president of the Logan Circle Community Association, as a national committee representative for the D.C. Young Democrats and as a voting member of the D.C. Democratic State Committee, as well as a member of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club. He also worked with the Washington National Opera. He was a graduate of The Catholic University of America.

Contact Us