From Staff Reports

Day 2 of witness testimony in the sentencing of Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., who murdered three University of Virginia football players in November of 2022 ended with the prosecution resting its case on Tuesday.

The defense is scheduled to begin presenting its case on Wednesday.

Jones, who accepted a guilty plea in November of 2024 for the murders of Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler, in addition to shooting and wounding another football player, Mike Hollins Jr., and another student, Marlee Morgan, faces up to five life sentences or possibly a minimum of 23 years. Prosecution has requested for a sentence above the minimum.

Among Tuesday’s witnesses were a special agent from the Virginia State Police and several family members of the players, but the most gripping testimony came from Morgan, who said she was sitting alongside Lavel Davis, who was in the window seat of the bus on the return trip to campus from a drama class trip to Washington, D.C.

Morgan testified that Jones was sitting in the row in front of them, that at one point during the return, Jones asked them both if they enjoyed the play and asked Davis about a video game.

She described how things unfolded as the bus slowed down upon the return to campus when Morgan said she heard the first shot, which came between the seats in front of her and saw Davis holding his ears because of the sound and looking confused.

Morgan said she then heard Jones yell, “B–a-n–.”

After hearing more shots ring out in the bus, Morgan said she moved toward the back of the bus and huddled with another student, who she didn’t know, but that the two exchanged squeezes after each shot to assure each other that they were alive.

All the while, Chandler was in the seat directly in front of them as the shots continued.

Morgan testified that once Jones exited the bus, she eventually made her way off and saw Chandler slumped over in the seat and had to step over Davis’ body lying in the aisle.

After escaping the bus, Morgan said she discovered she had been shot in her left hip, with the bullet exiting her buttock. She received medical attention and was then transferred to the hospital for a three-day recovery.

The aftermath of the shooting was a nightmare for Morgan, she said, noting that her grades dropped from 3.7 to 1.7 because she was terrified to return to class and that she has suffered from paranoia and the unpredictability of crowds.