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Montgomery
White |
The man accused of abducting 24-year-old deliveryman Yong Hui Zhang, was charged yesterday with capital murder in Spotsylvania County and Commonwealth's Attorney Bill Neely said he will seek the death penalty.
Jermaine Lamonte Montgomery, 34, is charged with stabbing Zhang to death July 3 after abducting him from an abandoned apartment during a delivery for the Zhang family restaurant, China Express.
Yesterday, Neely announced at an afternoon press conference that the charges against Montgomery, 34, came in direct indictments, returned by a special grand jury.
Montgomery was indicted on capital murder, abduction and robbery charges in Spotsylvania.
Neely said new evidence was received in the past week that ties the slaying to the Four-Mile Fork area of Spotsylvania County and the evidence points to Montgomery as Zhang's sole killer.
Zhang was found beaten and stabbed to death July 6, three days after he was reported missing by his family.
His ear was cut off and his eye gouged out. A large pool of blood and his shoe were found at the Fredericksburg spot where he was believed abducted.
Montgomery is expected to appear Wednesday in Spotsylvania court for a hearing on the status of his attorney.
Montgomery had previously been charged with similar counts in Fredericksburg, but was never charged with murder in the city.
Neely said yesterday that Montgomery's Fredericksburg charges will be dropped.
Montgomery's girlfriend, Marcey Odessa White, 36, however, is charged in Fredericksburg with abduction, carjacking and credit card theft. She wasn't charged yesterday in Spotsylvania, and no murder charges are expected to be brought against her.
Neely said White has been cooperative, and he anticipated a guilty plea from her on her Fredericksburg charges before she would testify against Montgomery in Spotsylvania.
He said at the conference though, "she has been promised nothing," and that there is no pending plea agreement.
Fredericksburg's Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, LaBravia Jenkins, who is handling the case in the city, said White has been helpful and has talked with her personally.
"She is remorseful," Jenkins said during the press conference.
White is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Fredericksburg today, but is expected to waive that hearing.
Montgomery and White were accused of abducting Zhang from
Zhang had gone to the apartment for a delivery order to the address.
Montgomery and White were seen hours later on a security camera using Zhang's credit card at a Spotsylvania convenience store where they bought beer and cigarettes.
The next day, they were arrested at a Wal-Mart in Franklin, where they were again using the credit card, authorities have said.
Zhang's body was found the following Sunday, July 6, in a remote area of Sussex County and his car was located nearby.
Fredericksburg Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Sharp said last month that the murder trial wouldn't be in the city.
Neely wouldn't confirm yesterday that information from White led to the direct indictments, but he said for people to "draw your own conclusions" about the fact that she is expected to be a key witness to the murder.
Ellen Biltz: 540/374-5424
Email: ebiltz@freelancestar.com
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July 3, 10:45 p.m.: A man is seen on a security camera using Zhang's credit card at July 4: Police say Zhang was abducted from an abandoned apartment complex at 202 Charles Street, where he had gone to make a delivery. July 5: Marcey White and Jermaine Montgomery are arrested in Franklin after Zhang's credit card was used there at a Wal-Mart. July 6: Zhang's body is found in a remote area of Sussex County and his car July 14: Fredericksburg Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Sharp announces that Zhang was not killed in the city and more evidence is needed to determine the location of the slaying. Aug. 25: Spotsylvania Commonwealth's Attorney Bill Neely announces direct indictments returned by a special grand jury charging Montgomery with capital murder. |
