HILLSVILLE — Most of the first day of Tyrus Miller’s trial for second-degree murder was taken up by jury selection, followed by witnesses describing their initial impressions of the scene of a fatal 2023 shooting.
The trial began Monday in Carroll County Circuit Court, with Judge Brett Geisler presiding.
Miller, 23, was charged last year following an April 23, 2023, shooting on Calloway Street in Galax that left David L. Richardson, 33, of Galax, dead at the scene. The two men exchanged gunfire during an altercation that stemmed from a personal disagreement.
Richardson died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the coroner’s report, as mentioned during the trial.
Miller was struck by Richardson’s bullets before the latter’s death. As a result, Miller was rendered a paraplegic and received wounds to his shoulder and liver.
Jury selection for the trial took the hours until lunch; opening statements were delivered quickly and matter-of-factly.
Defense attorney Jay Tompkins said that he was not arguing that Miller was not responsible for Richardson’s death, but that he acted in self-defense.
The crime scene was examined exhaustively in photos introduced by Carroll County Commonwealth’s Attorney Roger Brooks.
Both he and Tompkins spent the afternoon exhaustively questioning witnesses Cpl. Tyler Garcia, Detective Trevor Jefferson and Detective John Reavis, all of the Galax Police Department, about the disposition of the crime scene.
The prosecution and defense’s ultimate game plans were not revealed so early in what is expected to be a three-day trial.
Discussed in detail were which gun was used by which man — a black Taurus .38 special revolver by Richardson; a black and red Taurus 9mm by Miller — as well as the wounds received by each man and where everything was placed when police first arrived on the scene.
Owing to the lengthy questioning planned for the fourth witness — Galax Deputy Police Chief James Cox — Geisler dismissed the courtroom at 4;36 p.m. on Monday, to reconvene fresh on Tuesday morning.
See Friday’s edition of The Gazette for continuing coverage of the trial.
