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Cousin charged with murder in shooting death of former Westmoreland basketball player and James Farmer scholar Date published: 7/22/2008
BY FRANK DELANO A 22-year-old Westmoreland County man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his 19-year-old neighbor and cousin. According to Capt. Steve Smith of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, O'Prentiss Ball died shortly after 1:30 a.m. Sunday after being shot near Farnham on his way home in a car from a party in Lancaster County. Smith said deputies charged Jerrell Jackson, 22, with second-degree murder. Smith said Jackson and Ball had apparently attended the same party. Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting, Smith said yesterday. Jackson and Ball lived across Tavern Run Road from each other in the Burton's Corner community. A neighbor called Ball "one of the sweetest, most polite young fellow left around here." Ball was a 6-foot-5 varsity basketball player at Washington & Lee High School. From seventh grade until he graduated from W&L last year, he also was a James Farmer Scholar. The University of Mary Washington program offers area black students who have the "Everybody knew him and liked him," said Leah Cox, director of the program. "He was jovial, charismatic and had lots of personality." "He was fun-loving, always laughing and joking," said Ball's grandmother Shirley Bea. She said Ball matriculated at Virginia Union University last year but didn't like it and dropped out. He was working as a maintenance man for King George County and planned to attend Rappahannock Community College this fall, Bea said. "He was just beginning to live," she said. Jackson remains at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw pending arraignment Friday in Richmond County General District Court. Smith said Jackson and others in the car may face indictments on additional charges when a grand jury meets later this month. Frank Delano: 804/333-3834
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