Judge says no to change of venue request for Morva

Judge Ray Grubbs ruled Wednesday that William Charles Morva’s murder trial will not be moved from Montgomery County despite the defense’s request for a change of venue.

Grubbs also decided no memorial insignias allowed in the courtroom and police officers not on duty during the trial will not be allowed to wear uniforms in the courtroom.

Grubbs stated that memorial insignia and police uniforms have never been allowed in Montgomery County courtrooms.

Morva’s trial will begin Sept. 17.

Morva was charged with two counts of capital murder and attempting to use a firearm to commit murder. His charges are in relation to the manhunt that occurred in August 2006 that resulted in the shooting deaths of Montgomery County Sheriff’s Corporal Eric Sutphin and hospital security guard Derrick McFarland, which led to the lockdown of Tech’s campus on August 21.

Defense Attorney Tony Anderson of Roanoke requested a change of venue for Morva’s double murder trial Monday, July 16.

Anderson said that Morva’s defense has planned on requesting a change of location since Morva’s arrest Aug. 21 and the renewed publicity since April 16 has increased the need for a change.

Anderson said that the combination of pre-trial publicity of the Morva arrest and the tragedy that occurred on April 16 at Virginia Tech in which 70-some separate news pieces have aligned Morva’s name with the investigation of Cho at Virginia Tech, make it impossible for Mr. Morva to receive a trial from an impartial jury.

Many local news sources mentioned Morva in news stories related to the April 16 shootings.

During the hearing where Anderson requested a change of venue, print publications, television clips and scripts from conversations in Internet chat rooms were presented as examples by Morva’s defense.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Brad Finch said, “We can see an appropriate jury here in Montgomery County.”

Last month, Morva was sentenced to 38 years in jail for the six charges accumulated before he allegedly escaped police custody in August. Morva was found guilty of conspiracy to commit grand larceny, conspiracy to commit statutory burglary, statutory burglary, attempted grand larceny, attempted robbery, and attempting to use firearms to commit a felony.