Fishersville man heads to trial on 2020 murder charge in killing of Staunton man
STAUNTON — Facing the possibility of life in prison with no chance of parole, Ja'Quez Brown of Fishersville will go on trial Thursday in Staunton on a charge of capital murder.
Based on evidence heard last summer during a preliminary hearing, it appears robbery could have been a motive in the slaying of 26-year-old Bruce Williams Jr.
Williams was shot to death the night of July 9, 2020, at the Springhill Village Apartments in Staunton, where he lived. He was shot numerous times, including in the head and torso, evidence at the preliminary hearing showed. Shot outside near the parking lot, Williams died at the scene. Police found 15 spent cartridges nearby.
Williams' girlfriend at the time of his death testified he began selling marijuana about a month before he was killed.
A witness at the prelim said the plan was for Brown, 18 at the time, and his cousin, Cameron E. Bahle, who was 20, to withdraw $240, buy marijuana from Williams and steal the money back. Bahle, who is scheduled to testify as a witness during Brown's scheduled two-day trial, is charged with first-degree murder.
A Staunton investigator testified Williams was still clutching $240 in cash when police arrived at the scene of the shooting. Another witness took the stand last year and said Brown told him he was going to kill Williams.
Following Brown's arrest, police seized his cell phone. An examination of the device showed its GPS put Brown at the apartment complex for six minutes on the night of the slaying, around the same time Williams was killed. Police pulled the same information from Bahle's phone following his arrest in Georgia, where he had fled to his brother's residence, according to evidence.
Brown, now 20, also faces charges of attempted robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to online records.
The trial begins Thursday at 9 a.m. and is expected to go into Friday. Court records indicate more than 35 witnesses have been called to testify.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Murder trial for 2020 killing in Staunton set to begin
