Indictments returned against man charged with killing UVA football players

By Jerry Ratcliffe

On the eve of Virginia’s first home football game since the tragic murders of three players last November, the wheels of justice turned again Friday when an Albemarle County special grand jury returned 13 indictments against the man accused of the shootings, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr.

Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney James Hingeley revealed those indictments in a press release, showing one indictment each for the murder of Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler with the “willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of more than one person as part of the same act or transaction,” along with one indictment each for the killing of Chandler, Davis and Perry that charges the “willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of more than one person within a three-year period.”

The release also stated that “these alternate theories of guilt with different elements give the Commonwealth the widest latitude in presenting evidence, but ultimately the Commonwealth is seeking conviction of aggravated murder, not six.”

There were also seven additional charges:

One indictment charges aggravated malicious wounding of Mike Hollins.

One indictment charges aggravated malicious wounding of Marlee Morgan.

Five felony indictments charge the unlawful use or display of a firearm in committing a felony.

The indictments are the culmination of the special grand jury’s efforts since May. New charges supersede pending charges against Jones, which were certified to the October 2 regular grand jury.

Albemarle County Circuit Court will conduct a status review of the case on that Oct. 2 date.