ALBEMARLE CO., Va. β Day three of the sentencing hearing for former UVA student Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. wrapped up Wednesday as the defense has begun to make its case for how much time he should spend in prison for the 2022 shooting that killed three football players.
Jones pleaded guilty last year to the murders of D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr. and Devin Chandler and injured two others after a field trip in 2022. Two other people were shot but survived.
He faces a mandatory minimum of 23 years, but also faces a possible five life sentences. Prosecutors said the sentencing guidelines range from 32 years, eight months at the low end to 54 years, five months at the high end but are seeking life sentences for Jones.
The prosecution rested its case after two days of testimony. They called investigators, survivors from the shooting and family members of those killed who described the chaos of that night and the grief that has followed them since.
You can read a recap of day one here and day two here.
Watch: Video shows police arresting UVA shooting suspect Christopher Darnell Jones
The defense said they are seeking a sentence that mixes accountability with compassion.
They called a mixture of family, school administrators, and mentors who painted a picture of the Jones they knew β one who overcame childhood to have a bright future only to suffer a mental health decline before the shooting. But prosecutors countered with facts of Jones' life that the witnesses said they were did not know about.
Early Years
An uncle by marriage and Jones' cousin, the man's son, were the first to testify and Jones' early childhood was like a "war zone" filled with aggression because of the relationship between his mother and father included verbal and physical abuse towards each other and their four children.
They said Jones bore the brunt of the "whoopings" because he was the oldest child.
They said despite this, Jones became a good student and excelled at singing and football. His uncle said Jones saw football as a ticket to a better life. His uncle said he expected Jones to "do great things"
They said they began to see less of Jones when he moved from Varina High School in Henrico County to Petersburg High School for his senior year, where he lived with his grandmother who he adored.
Teachers and Mentors
Several witnesses then testified who met Jones after he transferred to Petersburg. This included the school's chief academic officer, Dr. Cyndee Blount, who said Jones sought her out in the summer before school started and expressed his desire for academic and leadership opportunities to build up his resume for college.
Blount added he fit in so well at the school he was selected as homecoming king by his classmates.
Blount also described how Jones kept to strict schedule of school, football practice, and then working at Taco Bell until 1 A.M. in order to help support his grandmother. The administrator said she was worried about Jones walking or taking the bus home at that hour and was able to secure a car for him for free from a local dealership and gave it to him on the day he committed to the University of Virginia.
Both the administrator and Jones began crying during this story.
Another witness was Xavier Richardson, who became a mentor to Jones during his senior year of high school, and said Jones had charisma and strong drive. He added Jones could get frustrated if things did not go right, but also when things did. He recounted Jones got frustrated when Richardson did nice things for him, not understanding why someone would when his mom and dad never did.
Richardson said he helped Jones with his transition to UVA and that Jones considered him a "stand-in parent". He said that the night of the shooting in 2022, police contacted him because Jones had listed Richardson as his parent in his school paperwork.
Issues at school and elsewhere
However, witnesses also discussed issues that Jones experienced once at school including a fight at a restaurant that left him with injuries above his eye. An assistant dean of students said he spoke to Jones about it, but Jones said he did not want to take the matter further even though he knew the person responsible.
The dean clarified the person was not of the victims of the shooting.
The dean added that at one point, Jones mentioned getting picked on by members of the football team after he left the team, but did not tell him their names.
During Richardson's testimony, he recounted how Jones was stopped near the campus of Virginia State University for a busted taillight and officers found a firearm in his car and served him with an outstanding warrant for a hit and run.
Richardson said the hit-and-run was Jones hitting a utility pole, blacking out, and ending up in the hospital for a week. When prosecutors asked if he was aware that before that, Jones had hit another car and fled and was drinking and taking pills that night, Richardson said he was not.
When asked if he knew that Jones had to give up his firearm for the VSU case but then bought two more (which were found by investigators), Richardson said he disapproved of guns, but had never been in Jones' dorm and did not know about the other firearms.
Richardson said Jones struggling to fit in at UVA and did not have the social network of football teammates after leaving the team.
He added he was aware he was robbed at gunpoint as well. But prosecutors asked if he knew that Jones was drug dealing and the robbery was on his was to a drug deal, which Richardson said he did not know that.
None of the defense witnesses who testified said they were aware of Jones' drug dealing or drug use.
2022
However, several who interacted with Jones in the spring and summer of 2022 said they were aware of a change in him.
His uncle met with him at a family gathering and said Jones "was different" and "more paranoid". His cousin said Jones "looked like he went through war" and kept looking over his shoulder and rambling about people were around the corner to get him.
The prosecutors asked both of them, and other witness, if along with the drug dealing and use around this time, if they were aware that Jones also had fears he was seen as a "snitch" in the drug dealing community because he had gotten out of prison. None said they were aware.
Another witness, a member of Jones' same fraternity who struck up a connection with Jones, said Jones had reached out and said people/coworkers were after him and he feared for his life. But, when he offered for Jones to come stay with him in Lynchburg, Jones declined -- which the fraternity brother said was odd considering the severity of Jones' claims.
Prosecutors also had the fraternity brother read a text that Jones had sent him at that time that said Jones would stand up for himself and would "either die or do 100-plus years" in jail.
Reaction to shooting and potential rehabilitation
All the witnesses said they were shocked and stunned to learn that Jones was responsible for the 2022 shooting. His uncle said he was "crushed" and never thought this would be the road Jones would be on.
Blount said of the 40,000 kids she's worked with in her three decades -- Jones would have been the "very last one" she would pick as someone to worry about.
Several witnesses also testified that they felt Jones was remorseful for what he did and would be able to give back to society if he is released several decades from now.
What is next
Jones' defense team indicated they would wrap up their presentation on Thursday, including from a mental health expert, and the prosecution said they would they have their own expert as a rebuttal.
Closing arguments are expected to happen Friday morning and the judge could issue her sentencing ruling some time in the afternoon.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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