ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. — It was a mixture of emotional and investigative testimony in the first day of the sentencing hearing for the former University of Virginia student who killed three UVA football players in 2022.
The hearing is scheduled to last five days.
Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. pleaded guilty in November 2024 to three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and two counts of aggravated malicious wounding.
He faces up to five life sentences plus 23 years.
Jones, a former member of the university's football team, opened fire on a charter bus as he and other students arrived back on campus after seeing a play and having dinner together in Washington, D.C.
Football players Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler were killed, while a fourth member of the team, Michael Hollins, and another student, Marlee Morgan, were wounded.
Opening statements
In his opening statement, Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney James M. Hingeley began with a quote from the sentencing memorandum which said Jones committed "unfathomable acts of harm" and said while he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 23 years, their evidence will show that "justice requires a life sentence" for the other charges.
Prosecutors said the sentencing guideline range from 32 years, eight months at the low end to 54 years, five months at the high end.
Hingeley added that Jones' actions throughout the night were "calculated and rational" and that while what he did on the bus was "unspeakable," survivors would speak about what they saw.
He finished by saying that the impact of the shooting went beyond just the victims and their families, but the entire UVA community which "experienced the terror."
In their opening statement, Jones' defense team did not mention and specific sentence they were seeking, but asked for one that mixed accountability with compassion.
They said that the killings were senseless, but they had to be understood in the context of Jones' life — which they said included a childhood where he was abused by his parents and witnessed domestic violence, only to have it downplayed or denied later. They said they will present character witnesses who will describe Jones as a kind, caring, and confident young man, but who descended into mental illness in the summer of 2022 and became delusional and lost his grip on reality.
They added that Jones is not just his "horrific action" and there is hope for his reintegration back into society.
Witness testimony from those on the bus
A total of seven witnesses were called by the prosecution on the first day.
The first two witnesses were students who also on the bus when the shooting happened. They described that as the bus was nearly stopped on campus, they heard a loud pop (which they likened to a balloon or a bag of chips being popped), followed by hearing someone yell "get down!".
The first witness said she saw Davis fighting with Jones before falling to the floor of the bus and noted his orange shirt was stained red.
Both said the event had a traumatic effect on them and were triggered by buses, seeing the numbers that the victims wore on the football field, or being in rooms where they can not see everyone or all the exits.
Another witness was Michael Hollins. He was also a member of the UVA football team and was shot by Jones, but survived. He said he was best friends with D'Sean Perry, one of the victims.
Hollins said he had walked to the front of the bus as they arrived on campus to help the teacher unload when he heard a popping sound. He said he turned around to see Jones standing over Davis.
Hollins said he got off the bus, but then turned around to go back on to check on Perry. He said that's when Jones got off the bus and pointed his gun at him. Hollins said he turned and tried to run, but Jones shot him in the back. Hollins said he ran and hid in a nearby parking garage for a while and came back to the bus to when he determined Jones was not following him. He said another student, who was premed, treated his injuries before paramedics arrived.
Hollins said while he is physically healing from his injuries, he still suffers from mental trauma and survivor's guilt — especially around the anniversary of the shooting.
But, Hollins finished his testimony by saying he was not going to dwell on the negatives of the event and said it has given him a new perspective on life, his faith, and the way he loves people around him. He said while Nov. 13, 2022, is a day that everyone would erase if they could, the families of both the victims and the survivors have become a tight-knit family themselves as a result.
Witness testimony from investigators
The longest testimony of the day was from Albemarle County Police Detective Mark Belew, who responded to the shooting as a member of the county's SWAT team and then transitioned into one of the lead detectives of the investigation.
Belew discussed text messages that Jones had sent throughout the day of the shooting. He said he sent messages to family members telling them he loved them as the bus went to D.C.
On the way home, Belew said Jones texted a mentor of his and told him to call Jones' former criminal defense attorney because he was "going to jail or Hell." Belew said Jones texted that he had been set up and members of the football team had been messing with him and "they're not getting off this bus."
Of note, none of the witnesses who were on the trip testified to ever seeing Jones get bullied by members of the football team who were also on the trip.
Belew also walked through a timeline of Jones' flight from the bus, including an interaction with a UVA police officer about five minutes after the shooting. In court, a body-worn camera video was played showing Jones deny knowing about a shooting and said he was not on a bus. He gave the officer his ID and lifted his shirt to show he had no weapons on him.
EXCLUSIVE: Video shows police arresting UVA shooting suspect Christopher Darnell Jones
But Belew said by this time, Jones had discarded his weapon. He noted that Jones could also be seen on video patting his pockets and he said he believed Jones still had the gun's magazine on him as it was not found in the firearm that was recovered by investigators.
Belew added Jones has also removed his jacket and put on a mask and therefore did not match the description that was going out on the radio to police.
During the video the court could also hear a description of the shooting come over the officer's radio to which Jones said "Oh my goodness, what?" which Belew said was an attempt at deception.
Prosecutors also played a rap video in court that Jones was a part of. Belew said it was filmed and posted before the shooting happened and said of Jones' lyrics, one that stood out was "Kill that b---- in his sleep. Never know it was me." because Chandler was asleep when he was shot by Jones.
Witness testimony from family members
The final witness of the day was Chandler's mother, Delayna Chandler.
She read from a prepared statement and called Chandler her "baby boy" and said that she will carry the pain of his murder for the rest of her life—calling Jones cowardly for showing him no mercy and killing Chandler in his sleep.
Delayna added she wanted her son to be remembered as more than a victim and said he was a person who people were drawn to because of his positive and upbeat attitude. She said he had dreams of playing in the NFL since he was 4 years old.
She said Chandler held the family together when his dad passed away from brain cancer when he was just a teenager.
She added that with his murder, she will never get to hear his voice or see him walk through into a room again, as Chandler will never get to experience many of life's joys like his 21st birthday, marriage, or having kids of his own.
Delayna said she suffers from PTSD, insomnia, and, as a self-described "football mom," no longer enjoys watching the sport.
She finished her testimony by saying that when Chandler's life was ended, their lives were changed forever and it has created a painful wound that will never heal.
Court resumes Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m.
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