‘This is a life sentence for all of us’: Day 1 of testimonies ahead of sentencing for man who killed 3 UVA football players

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WRIC) -- Sentencing for the man who killed three University of Virginia football players is underway. Monday, Nov. 17, marked day one of five of testimony for the case against 26-year-old Christopher Darnell Jones, Jr.

In 2022, Jones killed D’Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. on a charter bus coming back from a school field trip in Washington D.C.  

The Commonwealth Attorneys called seven people to testify on Monday, ranging from survivors of the shooting, family members of victims and law enforcement who worked on the case.

Facts of the Case

On Nov. 13, 2022, around 27 UVA students headed to Washington D.C. by bus, leaving campus a little before lunchtime. They were going to see a play as part of their African American Theatre class taught by Professor Theresa Davis.

The first 911 call of shots being fired came in at 10:58 p.m. just as the students were arriving back on campus.

Jones fled the scene and wasn't arrested until around 11 hours later in Henrico County.

Twenty-two-year-old D’Sean Perry, 20-year-old Devin Chandler and 20-year-old Lavel Davis Jr. died on the scene, while Michael Hollins, also a UVA football player at the time, and Marlee Morgan, a student, were wounded.

Jones pleaded guilty to 10 charges on Nov. 20, 2024, including three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated malicious wounding and five counts of use of firearm in a felony. His plea deal includes the possibility of parole if given a life sentence.

Opening Statements

The Commonwealth opened by saying Jones is facing at least 23 years of mandatory time behind bars and that he'd be 46 years old when released. It's now up to the judge to decide how much time, if any, she will add on.

The attorney said over the next five days, the court will hear from "courageous survivors," and learn about more assault rifles and weapons found in Jones's room following the shooting.

Jones's defense team, led by Douglas Ramseur, said he's lived a life full of challenges and child trauma and that two of his family members will testify to this. They say Jones "unraveled" mentally during the summer of 2022 and fell into paranoia and delusion.

They say he "misinterpreted" the actions of others as hostile on the field trip and felt he was being set up to be killed.

Jones, who grew up in Petersburg and Henrico, was a walk-on for the UVA football team, but only played for one season due to an injury.

His defense team said the context of his life is crucial to understanding his actions, and that he "will regret that day for the rest of his life."

Jones was not taking Professor Davis's class at the time, but was invited to tag along for the trip.

Witnesses 1 and 2

The first two witnesses called on by the Commonwealth were two former UVA students who were on the bus the night of the shooting: Xuled Stiff and Megan "Cass" Dean.

Both Stiff and Dean said they did not remember seeing anyone messing with Jones and believed they would have if it actually happened. They both also said they would be comfortable telling someone to stop doing so.

Both recalled the bus ride to D.C. as "sleepy," but that on the way back after the play, it was a "joyful" and "happy" mood. The students were playing music and having a good time.

Stiff recalled talking to Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr., and said she joked about wanting their jerseys if they ever made it to the NFL, especially the Philadelphia Eagles.

Both Stiff and Dean recalled hearing the first gunshot right before the bus stopped, thinking it was a balloon or bag popping. The lights in the bus were off, but Stiff said she saw Davis fall to the ground in the aisle. He was wearing an orange sweatshirt and she could see blood staining it.

She then saw Jones jump over Davis's body.

She dialed the first 911 call, but was trying to hide the light on her phone because she feared for her life and didn't want to attract attention to herself.

The Commonwealth played the 911 call in court, sounding like a chaotic and confusing scene for those still on board not knowing who or how many people had been shot.

The bus driver had run off the bus, along with a handful of other riders and Jones. The door closed behind them, and the students left inside couldn't get out until someone clawed it open with their bare hands.

After she got off, Stiff was able to help Marlee Morgan receive medical treatment on the scene.

Dean recalled hearing Jones say "Y'all been f****** with me all day," following the first shot and then heard more shots. Dean watched Jones shoot Davis and tried to hide as well as possible in the bus seat.

Both said the impacts on their lives following the shooting have been challenging to navigate, detailing avoiding busses as much as possible, being shaken by loud sounds like fireworks and cars back-firing, and fearing someone will pull out a gun in public.

Witnesses 3 and 4

Michael Hollins and his mother, Brenda, testified about surviving the shooting and trying to heal.

Hollins, originally from Louisiana, was in his final semester as a football player at UVA. He wasn't enrolled in Professor Davis's class but had previously taken it and was invited by D'Sean Perry to come on the field trip.

Hollins agreed that Professor Davis was beloved by the students, and that there was a zero-tolerance for any sort of bullying like what Jones alleged.

Hollins and Perry were roommates and best friends. Hollins said besides his mother, Perry was the first and last person he talked to everyday.

He was wearing Perry's jersey number, 41, while testifying.

They sat together on the bus to and from the field trip. Hollins said he noticed Jones on the bus, but didn't know him or interact with him.

On the ride back to campus, Hollins said Perry stretched out and fell asleep with noise-cancelling headphones on while Hollins bounced around the bus and socialized. Authorities have also confirmed Devin Chandler was asleep with headphones on during the shooting.

Hollins said he was toward the front of the bus next to Professor Davis when he heard the first shot and watched Lavel Davis fall. The doors of the bus opened and he ran off, but turned around.

"I didn't leave with who I came with, I left my brother back there," Hollins said talking about Perry.

As he was heading back to the bus, Jones was coming off. Hollins began to run away and Jones shot him in the back. He said he kept running to a nearby parking garage where "by the grace of God" another student was there to help him until an ambulance arrived.

Since then, he has grappled with "survivor's guilt," often questioning why he was spared from dying.

When Hollins arrived at the hospital, he was conscious enough to give a nurse his mother's number. She immediately got on a plane there.

She said she was frustrated with the school for not having more answers about what happened and watching Hollins struggle with nightmares.

"This is a life sentence for all of us," she said.

Witness 5

The fifth witness the Commonwealth called was Albemarle County Detective Mark Bleaw.

After Jones was arrested, authorities obtained and searched his phone. They found texts he sent the day of the shooting, including "Might [siren emoji] today, love you..." to his brother at 1:11 p.m., "Tonight I'm either going to hell or jail," and "I'm not fighting or leaving my life to chance to five guys," to a mentor.

Bleaw said they used surveillance video and cellular data to track Jones down after he fled the scene. In a cryptic body-camera video on a UVA officer, Jones can be seen taking off and hiding the red jacket and he was wearing during the day. He pretended to be shocked when hearing what had happened over the officer's radio. He was eventually deemed to not be involved, and allowed to walk away from the officers.

Bleaw said Jones had also discarded the glock handgun he used on the bus in a bush near the fine arts building. Nine casings were found on the bus that matched the gun.

The school was on lockdown and on a "shelter in place" for nearly 12 hours, and the public and some private schools in the area closed before Jones was found and arrested in Henrico.

Bleaw said they also searched Jones's room, where they found additional firearms and accessories, including an AR-15.

Authorities found a low-budget music video in which Jones was rapping that was posted a year prior to the shooting. Lyrics included "I'm f***** in the head...kill...in his sleep, never know it was me."

Bleaw also said Jones's search history on his iPhone included "Gun range in Charlottesville," and "How to disassemble AR-15 trigger."

Witness 6

Bradley Todd Richardson was called by the Commonwealth and has worked for the emergency communications center in the area since 1996. He said through the nearly 11 hours before Jones's arrest, they received 5-to-600 calls from witnesses of the shooting, students sheltered in place and family members of students.

Witness 7

The final witness of day one was Dalayna Chandler, Devin Chandler's mother. Over a dozen friends and family members were in court to support her.

"My heart has been broken in a way it can never be repaired," she said.

She remembered her son for his kindness and being loved by his teachers and coaches. She said if he wasn't on the football field, he was on the sidelines cheering everyone else on.

Chandler said they lost her husband, Devin's father, in 2018 at 47 years old to stage four glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. Devin was barely a teen, and his older brother Quinton was going on to serve in the Navy. Devin's father was also a Navy veteran.

Chandler said when she lost her husband, she leaned on Devin for laughter and strength.

"He wasn't just my son," she said. "He was the strong link that held us together."

She said he received 13 offers to play wide receiver in college and always dreamed of playing in the NFL and eventually doing sports commentary.

Devin had just turned 20 when he was shot while sleeping on the bus.

"No chance to defend himself," Chandler said. "What a cowardly decision."

She said she can't watch a single play of football anymore and that every player reminds her of Devin.

The defense did not ask any of the seven witnesses any follow-up questions.

Proceedings will continue on Tuesday, Nov.18.

Family members did not want to speak on camera today, but one of the attorneys representing them, Kim Wald, said they've waited a long time for justice.

"I think one of the most profound things that we heard today is that these families themselves are suffering a life sentence," she said. "What this man did took away so much more than their loved ones. This took away their safety, their security, their entire being. These families have been waiting for this day for three years to get to this point and they're finally able to tell their story and to get justice for their loved ones."