18-year-old found guilty of murdering athlete Lonnie Andrews

CHESAPEAKE

An 18-year-old Chesapeake man is expected to be sentenced Aug. 7 for last summer's fatal shooting of Lonnie Aaron Andrews Jr.

A jury found Marvin Knight Jr. guilty Friday in Chesapeake Circuit Court of murdering Andrews, an 18-year-old who was shot July 1 in South Norfolk during an altercation. Knight, who was 17 at the time, was prosecuted as an adult.

The jury found him guilty of murder and use of a firearm in the crime. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorneys Karen Brown and Diallo Morris prosecuted the case, which began Monday with jury selection.

Andrews was shot in the pelvis during the early morning hours of July 1. He ran from Clark Court before collapsing in a yard in the 800 block of Lindale Drive off Campostella Road in South Norfolk, according to Montrel Joyner, who testified during the trial.

Joyner, a friend of the victim's who lived near the crime scene, said he ran to Andrews after he was shot and asked who did it.

The victim spoke a few words while on the ground before he appeared to die, Joyner testified.

Knight called a friend that morning and went to his home. Andrew Johnson testified that he was asleep when he got the call from Knight.

Then Knight showed up at his door; h is face was swollen and he had ice on his hand, Johnson testified.

"He was just telling me what happened," Johnson said.

Knight told Johnson he was in a fight with Andrews and asked Johnson if he w ould keep his two guns, Johnson said.

Hours later, Knight called Johnson again after learning of Andrews' condition, saying: "He died. He died. He's dead."

Andrews had recently graduated from Oscar Smith High and was planning to attend Virginia State University on a full athletic scholarship in the fall.

Knight was also a student at Oscar Smith.

John Hopkins, (757) 222-5221, john.hopkins@pilotonline.com