‘This whole thing is a tragedy’: Man accused in Hopewell 8-year-old’s murder found not guilty of downgraded charges
VENN
HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) -- One of the three men accused in the 2022 murder of 8-year-old P’Aris Moore of Hopewell was found not guilty of downgraded charges on Tuesday.
The afternoon of Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, Moore was shot in the chest while playing in the front yard of a Freeman Street home. She was taken to a local hospital, where she later died, just a few days before her ninth birthday.
Per police, detectives learned that the deadly gunshot came from inside a passing light-colored sedan.
Three people were charged in connection with Moore’s murder in August and September of 2023: then-18-year-old Rayquan Latrel Harvell, then-20-year-old Jamari Antonio Taylor and then-17-year-old Brandon James Warner.
Both Warner and Taylor have already been convicted of their crimes. Warner pleaded guilty in March 2025 and was given a more than 20-year sentence in August 2025, while a jury found Taylor guilty in February. He will be sentenced in June.
Now-21-year-old Harvell, the third and final suspect, appeared in court on Tuesday, April 7.
Harvell, when he previously testified against Taylor, said he was the one behind the wheel the day Moore was killed. He said that Taylor told him where to drive and that he did not know of Taylor and Warner's plan. Harvell said when he heard the gunshots, he hurriedly drove away, thinking they were the ones being shot at.
According to Harvell, he and Taylor fought about the shooting before he dropped the two other men off. He said that he never told anyone about what happened because he was "scared."
During Tuesday's hearing, the Hopewell City Commonwealth's Attorney and the defense discussed an agreement to downgrade Harvell's charges.
Per the terms of this agreement, Harvell's first-degree murder charge and his use of a firearm in the commission of a felony charge were downgraded to accessory in a felony after the fact and making false statements to law enforcement.
Judge Wallace Brittle, Jr. found Harvell not guilty of both amended charges.
Our 8News team was in the room when this decision was handed down. Moore's mother, Brionna Taylor, was one of several individuals who had a strong emotional response.
We spoke with Harvell's defense attorney, Ericka Battle, after the hearing ended. She emphasized that this situation is horrible no matter what side of the legal proceedings you may stand on.
"We're happy with the outcome and my client is ready to move on," she said. "This whole thing is a tragedy."
