Pittsylvania County double homicide trial continues today

CHATHAM — The jury trial began Monday for a man accused of being involved in a double homicide connected to a drug deal gone bad two years ago in Ringgold.

Marcus Jay Davis faces a dozen charges, including two counts of murder, in connection with the shooting that happened in the early morning hours of May 9, 2007, at Virginia-Carolina Homes on U.S. 58 in Ringgold. Zachary Titus, 23, and Mark Hopkinson Jr., 24, were both shot and killed.

A grand jury indicted Davis in October 2007.

In Pittsylvania County Circuit Court on Monday, a state assistant chief medical examiner described the shooting injuries that killed Titus, the driver of one of the two cars in the incident, and Hopkinson, Titus’ front-seat passenger.

It was a shot to the head that killed Titus, while a second shot grazed his right shoulder, said Dr. Bill Gormley, an assistant chief medical examiner for the state of Virginia. The inside of Titus’ skull was like “a broken egg shell,” he added.

Hopkinson suffered four gunshot wounds, with two grazing him and the other two lethal, Gormley said. One entered his back, perforated and collapsed his lung and destroyed his liver before exiting his abdomen. Another entered the left pelvis area, destroyed and passed through the kidney and bladder before exiting the left thigh, he said.

April Wooten, a witness who was injured in the shooting, testified that she had helped arrange the drug deal between the shooters and the victims. Wooten said Hopkinson asked her if she knew where he could get a large quantity of drugs.

She said they met with J’Raad Amajh Simpson in Milton, N.C., two days before the incident to discuss the deal. She said cocaine was offered for $550 and Hopkinson became excited because it was “so cheap.”

When the parties met at Virginia-Carolina Homes on May 9, Hopkinson and Wooten walked over and sat in the back seat of the other car where Davis was in the front passenger seat, Wooten testified.

Hopkinson brought $3,000 to the deal, she said. Everyone introduced themselves and shook hands. Davis started shuffling around a bag and “all of a sudden, boom! boom! boom!” Wooten said.

Wooten said she and Hopkinson jumped out of the car and ran.

Davis then went to the other car that Wooten had run to and slammed the door onto her arm, testimony revealed.

“He grabbed me and said, ‘Where is the money b——?’” she said.

Wooten said Davis threw her in the back of the car, looked her in the face, gritted his teeth and shot her in the arm.

When Davis left, Titus was dead and Hopkinson was on the ground dying, she said.

“He was saying, ‘April help me, April help me,’” Wooten said.

During cross-examination, Davis’s attorney, Brian Turpin, pointed out dozens of inconsistencies between Wooten’s testimony and what she initially told investigators shortly after the shooting.

Turpin pointed out that Wooten had told deputies she didn’t look at Davis when he shot her, and that she has a criminal record, including previously being charged of conspiracy to commit robbery in New Jersey.

Wooten admitted lying to investigators out of fear that the shooters would come back to kill her.

“I was scared for my life,” she said.

Wooten was uncooperative at times while on the stand and at one point, Judge Charles Strauss threatened to hold her in contempt of court.

The trial is scheduled to continue today.

• Contact John R. Crane at or (434) 791-7987.