PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The second day of a Portsmouth murder trial for the death of four people at a home in the summer of 2022 ended with a key witness texting while on the stand.
Raymond Gore, 58, is facing several charges including four counts of aggravated murder.
On Wednesday, prosecutors presented their evidence on why they believe Gore is guilty of the June 7, 2022, killings.
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Jury trial underway for man accused of killing 4 people inside Portsmouth home
Their key witness at the end of the day was Michael Canty.
As Canty took the stand defense attorney, Michael Massie, called for a mistrial.
Canty was escorted into the courtroom by nine sheriff deputies.
Massie claimed the deputies being there suggested to the jury that the witness's life is in danger of Raymond Gore.
Those with the Commonwealth Attorney's Office said they did not ask the deputies to do this, and that it was a security concern brought on by the sheriff's office.
The judge, Brenda Spry, even said this is the most deputies she has seen in a courtroom, but ultimately denied the mistrial.
Once Canty took to the stand, he explained how he saw Gore knock on the door of the home on Maple Avenue and shoot Ashley Merricks when she opened the door.
Watch previous coverage: Jury trial underway for man accused of killing 4 people inside Portsmouth home
Canty told the jury he ran away from the area as soon as he heard gunshots.
He said he saw Gore a few days later at a store and heard him say to someone that he wasn't going to let anything happen to his family.
The defense argued that Canty's statements did not match up to what he told detectives when he was interviewed twice in August of 2022.
Right before the jury was to be released for a quick recess, Canty was seen texting on the stand.
Canty told the judge he texted his sister that he was still on the stand when the jury left the room.
Spry asked to see his phone and when she did both councels were called forward.
While it has not been said what Canty was texting, Spry let the jury go for the day just before 4 p.m., Wednesday.
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Before Canty's testimony though, the loved ones of the deceased were the first to take the stand to identify who the victims were for the jury.
The next witness was Portsmouth Police Officer, John Humphrey, who responded to the home on Maple Ave. and Randolph St. at the time of the shooting.
The prosecutor presented Humphrey's body camera footage to the jury.
In the video you can see Humphrey find Ashley Merricks body at the bottom of the stairs when he entered the home.
As he headed upstairs Samuel Jones was found with gun shot wounds but still breathing.
Georgio Lee was found in one room dead on a bed.
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Oleisha Mears was found shot to death in a closet in another room.
In the video Samuel Jones tells the officers the suspects were two young black men he had never seen before.
A member of the medical examiner's office was then called to the stand.
She said the cause of death for Georgio Lee was a gunshot wound to the chest and left arm.
She then said the cause of death for Ashley Merricks was a gun shot wound to the head.
Samuel Jones later died from seven gun shot wounds to the neck and extremities.
Oleisha Mears died from multiple gun shot wounds including three that penetrated the head and one that grazed her face.
During the trial, defense attorney, Michael Massie motioned to have the case dismissed due to a lack of information on other suspects police could have been looking for in this case.
That motion was dismissed by the judge after two detectives were questioned on the stand about other leads in the case.
Then Canty took the stand for his testimony, before he was caught texting on the stand.
The case will resume again on Thursday at 9 a.m.
