PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A Portsmouth jury took just one hour before finding Raymond Gore not guilty of all charges, after he had been charged with killing four people at a boarding house on Maple Avenue in Portsmouth in 2022.
Gore had originally faced 12 felony charges, including four counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of Ashley Merricks, Giorgio Lee, Oleisha Mears and Samuel Jones. However, defense attorney Nathan Chapman convinced Judge Brenda Spry to consolidate them so that the jury deliberated over just six charges including one aggravated murder charge that named all four victims.
During closing arguments, Gore’s defense attorney, Michael Massie, showed a massive Monopoly card that said “Get Out of Jail Free.” He was referring to the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Canty, who said he had been trying to make an arrangement on sentencing for recent probation violations. In the past 25 years, Canty has been convicted of more than a dozen felonies.
While Gore was found not guilty, Massie was asked whether someone, in fact, had gotten away with murder.
“At this point, at this point that’s exactly the case,” Massie said following the verdict, “but this case is big enough that, these are four innocent people whose lives were taken.”
Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Haille Hogfeldt said in her closing argument, at least Canty was consistent about naming Gore as the one who shot Merricks at the front door.
She said Gore ripped four people from their families — Merricks, Mears, Jones and Lee.
But Canty’s lack of credibility led to Gore’s acquittal.
Charges remain against Raymond Gore’s cousin, Antwann Gore. His case is set for June, at least for now.
Portsmouth’s Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, in a statement, defended its handling of the case even as it “respects the decision” of the jury.
“The Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office respects the decision of the Portsmouth citizens who served as jurors in this trial,” it said. “Our attorneys presented the evidence as it was revealed during the investigative process. Although the outcome was not as we hoped, our team will continue to stand by the families of the four innocent victims whose lives were lost to this horrendous crime that should never have happened and which must not be tolerated in our city. We are committed to remaining steadfast in our pursuit of justice for victims of violent crime.”
Friday’s proceedings
Friday, jurors took a field trip out of the courtroom and to the crime scene where four people were killed in June 2022. Prosecution witness Michael Canty testified that he saw — from a block away — Raymond Gore shoot Ashley Merricks in the front entrance of a Portsmouth boarding home at 1628 Maple Ave.
Canty, however, was standing on a corner a block away, at Randolph Street and LaSalle Avenue.
Massie, along with both prosecutors and Judge Brenda Spry, were also present.
Massie moved to strike all the evidence in his murder trial — essentially asking the judge to throw out the entire case.
The grounds for that motion were the same issue that has been mentioned several times this week — the credibility of Canty, the Commonwealth’s star witness.
Massie mentioned inconsistent statements Canty made to investigators, and that Canty was testifying only as a means of saving himself. Canty was caught texting about the trial on the stand during his testimony — and then denied that when asked by Spry.
“What added to the complication in this case was the issue where he was dishonest with the court about texting during his examination,” Massie said, “and then, in fact, texting about the case.”
Prosecutor Haille Hogefeldt said her star witness was consistent in naming Gore as the one who shot Merricks. Her body was found inside the front door.
Jones was shot at the top of the steps and would die a few days later, while Lee and Mears were shot to death in upstairs bedrooms.