NORFOLK, Va. — New evidence took center stage Tuesday in the trial of Cameron Brown, the man accused of killing Norfolk State University student Jahari George in 2023.
A Norfolk Police homicide detective, called to the stand by prosecutors, was the first witness to testify on day two, describing how investigators tracked a blue Dodge Charger before and after the deadly shooting on Sept. 2, 2023. The detective said the vehicle, which had a fake Maryland temporary tag, was spotted in the area of Ballentine Boulevard and I-264 shortly after the shooting and later appeared at a Walmart on Princess Anne Road and Ingleside Road.
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Using Flock license plate readers and surveillance video, detectives followed the Charger as two people made stops at that Walmart and a nearby Wawa. One person was seen withdrawing money inside the store, while another went in to make a transaction that was never completed. The detective identified that second person as Cameron Brown.
Six days later, on Sept. 8, investigators said the same blue Charger re-entered Norfolk, where officers followed it back to that same Walmart parking lot. That’s where police arrested Anthony Pugh — another man connected to the case. Investigators later found a gun and a magazine full of rounds in the floorboard of the vehicle.
Pugh is expected to testify on Wednesday. He is not charged in connection with George’s death, though the defense has said Pugh is testifying to benefit himself in another case.
The defense objected several times to Tuesday’s testimony, arguing the detective did not initially identify Brown as one of the men seen in the Walmart footage and that earlier reports made no mention of him. Defense attorneys Eric Korslund, Michael Massie, and Nathan Chapman questioned whether detectives could have known Brown’s identity at the time of the arrest.
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Jurors also watched security video from a nearby medical office building that captured the sound of gunfire the night George was shot and killed near Gate House Road and Majestic Avenue — just off the Norfolk State campus.
Court ended early Tuesday afternoon after testimony from records custodians representing AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. They explained how law enforcement requests cell phone data, how that information is obtained, and how call records and location data are stored.
Monday’s testimony focused on emotional eyewitness accounts, including George’s girlfriend, who broke down on the stand describing how she and three friends were sitting in a parked car after the NSU–Virginia State football game when shots rang out.
Prosecutors Phil Bailey, a senior assistant with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, and assistant attorney Tony Comento are leading the case for the state. They told jurors they plan to rely on surveillance footage, cell phone data, and physical evidence to prove Brown was responsible for firing the shots that killed George.
Brown faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and firearm-related offenses.
Back in July, another man, Camari Warren, was acquitted of first-degree murder and numerous other charges he faced in connection with George's death.
The trial is expected to continue through the week with testimony from police investigators, forensic experts, and the Norfolk medical examiner.
