RICHMOND, Va. — Opening statements have been delivered and witnesses have begun testifying in the trial of Xavier Brown, a man accused of killing two people in less than a week in Richmond.
The two sides laid out their versions of the case and their visions for what the jury will come away thinking. Both seem to hinge on the testimony of one of the co-defendants in the case.
Brown is accused in the murders of Cameron Cole and Ckristofer Tyler.
Prosecutors allege Brown and his girlfriend set Cole up under the pretext of having sex — only to rob and then kill him on April 28, 2023. The pair and another man then allegedly drove Cole's car and killed Tyler six days later. Brown is alleged to be the gunman in both cases.
Prosecutors admitted the girlfriend, Isabelle Battle, is a liar and murderer who pleaded guilty in another case in Brunswick County, but said her story will be backed up by other evidence.
The defense team says Battle is the only person linking Brown to these crimes, has told multiple versions of what allegedly happened to police, and is only trying to save her own skin and get a reduced sentence.
The first witness called has been Battle herself, who has so far only testified to Cole's murder. She said it was her idea to set him up and rob him, but that it was Brown who fired the gun while she was in the car.
The trial is scheduled to last five days.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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