Judge Shannon appoints third lawyer for Woodburn murder defendant

Prosecutors in Fairfax County told the court that the appointment of a third defense attorney for Tylen Jennings is a strategy to delay his murder trial. The move comes as the 32-year-old Maryland man faces charges for the 2024 killing of Anesha Isaacs near the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus in Woodburn.

Judge Stephen Shannon appointed Thomas F. Koerner Jr. to represent Jennings on Monday, Oct. 26. Jennings is charged with first-degree murder, using a firearm in a felony, and abduction. He remains held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. The court has scheduled a status hearing for Friday, Oct. 30, to address the ongoing proceedings.

The defense team has changed twice in the past year. Jennings' first attorney withdrew in September 2025, citing a deteriorated relationship and a lack of confidence from the defendant's family. A second attorney was appointed later that month but filed a motion to step away on Oct. 7, citing professional and ethical obligations. Prosecutors objected to the dismissal of the second lawyer, arguing the changes were intended to slow down the case.

Police describe the shooting as a confrontation between former partners. Isaacs, a 30-year-old medical worker, was leaving work when Jennings blocked her car. She was on the phone with emergency dispatchers when Jennings opened fire from his vehicle. Witnesses noted that Isaacs held a protective order against Jennings, and Maryland courts had issued arrest warrants for him at the time of the incident.

Jennings was found and arrested in Prince George's County, Maryland. A gun was recovered from his vehicle. In a recorded phone call from jail prior to a previous hearing, Jennings allegedly told someone he would feign ignorance of the charges. Prosecutors used this recording to support their argument that the current counsel change is a ploy to delay the trial.