NORFOLK, Va. — Court recessed Tuesday after dramatic testimony from a once-close friend of defendant Cameron Brown, the man accused of killing Norfolk State University student Jahari George in 2023.
The Commonwealth's key witness, Anthony Pugh, was 17 years old at the time of the shooting that killed George. Pugh testified about what he witnessed on campus that day and claimed Brown later confessed to the shooting.
According to Pugh's testimony, someone told him there were people by his car. Security cameras captured Pugh pulling out a gun on campus, and moments later, shots were fired.
Pugh said he left campus with friends and met up at another friend's house. That's where Pugh claims Brown confessed to the shooting, allegedly telling him he had shot at the car and showing the weapon he used.
The defense challenged Pugh's credibility, pointing to his 11 pending criminal charges as possible motivation for his testimony. They also highlighted a crucial detail: Pugh told the defense he never saw Brown driving a blue Charger on or near NSU's campus the day George was killed. That same blue Charger is the vehicle from which someone fired the fatal shots.
The defense exposed inconsistencies between Pugh's police statements and his courtroom testimony.
A detective also took the stand, revealing that days after the shooting, Pugh was arrested in a blue Dodge Charger where investigators found a weapon and shell casings.
Wednesday could be the final day of testimony, but there's a major hurdle ahead. The Commonwealth tried to introduce DNA evidence, but the defense raised serious concerns about the chain of custody, arguing that evidence should be excluded entirely.
All evidence is expected to go to the jury for deliberation Wednesday.
