Virginia man found guilty of murdering ex-wife

Feb. 16—A jury on Thursday found a Virginia man guilty of first-degree murder for killing his ex-wife in January 2020.

The nearly two-week trial wrapped up on Thursday for Lemuel Lee Roberts, 34, of Winchester, who was accused of killing his ex-wife, Kaitlin Nichole Roberts, 31.

Kaitlin Roberts' body was found in Frederick on Jan. 11, 2020, in the area of English Muffin Court and English Muffin Way.

Deputy State's Attorney Kirsten Brown said in court that Kaitlin Roberts, who had children with Lemuel Roberts, was killed hours before her body was found.

Kaitlin Roberts body had 32 stab wounds and she had "sharp force injuries" to her face, charging documents said.

Frederick County Circuit Court Judge Julie Stevenson Solt scheduled sentencing for April 21

Brown told the jury Thursday during her closing arguments that Lemuel Roberts was losing control over Kaitlin Roberts, which filled him with enough rage that he killed her.

"She didn't need him, and there was no way he was going to stand for that," Brown said.

Lemuel Roberts' rage could be seen by his violent acts against Kaitlin Roberts, Brown said.

"To stab someone 32 times, that's rage," she said.

She said Lemuel Roberts constantly changed his story about what happened. For example, he gave three different versions of where he was the night of the crime, Brown said.

"Kaitlin can't speak for herself, but the evidence can," Brown said.

She took jurors through the entire timeline of the night of Jan. 10, 2020, as well as the next day. She showed surveillance footage, which lined up with cell records and other data that placed Lemuel Roberts at key places at key times, like the scene where Kaitlin Roberts' body was found, and a Sunoco gas station dumpster where several items related to the murder were found.

She noted that Lemuel Roberts' DNA was found on evidence that was discarded in the dumpster. His blood was on those items.

Lemuel and Kaitlin Roberts did share things and lived together at times, Brown said. But, she said, there's a difference between finding DNA from living with someone and finding DNA from blood in a dumpster after a murder.

"He dug himself a hole," Brown said. "The evidence has caught up to him."

In closing arguments, Tony Garcia, Lemuel Roberts' attorney, gave jurors an account of what he said happened.

He played surveillance video that shows a car stopping at the scene of the crime, and shows what prosecutors said was Lemuel Roberts dumping Kaitlin Roberts' body.

Garcia suggested, though, that there were two killers, based on what is seen in the surveillance video, not just one person dumping a body.

"There is reasonable doubt, because the state is saying he did it alone," he said.

But the biggest point that Garcia drove home on Thursday was the lack of DNA testing of samples.

The police only sent 13 items for DNA testing, he said, most of which were from the items found in the dumpster.

But, Kaitlin Roberts' body was swabbed, which would have some of Lemuel Roberts' DNA if he did kill her, Garcia said, and none of that was sent for testing.

Police also took the shower curtain where the state said Lemuel Roberts showered after the murder, and swabbed the sink where he washed his hands, but none of that was tested, Garcia said.

Kaitlin Roberts deserved a better investigation, Garcia said.

"The identities of the two people that killed her are sitting in a lab somewhere," he said.

There was also one key piece of evidence that was never found, Garcia said — the murder weapon.

Brown acknowledged that the murder weapon was never found. But she said it could be anywhere, given the distance between Winchester and Frederick, and all of the places Lemuel Roberts went between the two cities.

When the verdict was delivered, members of Kaitlin Roberts' family exclaimed.

After the verdict, Christopher Quasebarth, an attorney who is representing the family, said they would not have any comment.

After the verdict was announced, a member of Lemuel Roberts' family stormed out of the courtroom. As she was leaving, she said, toward Kaitlin Roberts' family: "She's going to stay dead. It doesn't f---- matter."

In a later interview, members of Lemuel Roberts' family said they were disappointed with the verdict, but "it was God's plan."

Brown said in an interview that she was relieved by the verdict and happy Kaitlin Roberts received justice.

Garcia said in an interview that Lemuel Roberts was disappointed and maintains his innocence.

"He loves her and he loves their children," Garcia said. "He will continue to fight for justice."

Follow Clara Niel on Twitter: @clarasniel