Woodbridge Homicide Caught On Surveillance Cameras Leads To Conviction

WOODBRIDGE, VA — A Woodbridge homicide caught on home surveillance footage has led to a conviction by a jury in court, according to the Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney's office.

Elijah Hadley, 19, who was a teen at the time of the homicide, was found guilty on charges of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and gang participation. Sentencing is set for June 5.

The homicide happened in the 16600 block of Georgetown Road on July 20, 2022. Police found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds to the abdomen, arms and legs. Brian Darnell Marshall II, 21, was identified as the victim. Another victim had a non-fatal gunshot wound to the hand.

Police obtained Ring Camera footage from a resident in the neighborhood. The footage showed two suspects wearing ski masks and hooded sweatshirts walking toward the scene with guns and opening fire, according to prosecutors. Police said the suspects approached the victims, who were standing on the sidewalk. The suspects ran away from the scene after the shooting.

See the full footage from the police department.

Police later arrested one suspect, who was 17 at the time. According to prosecutors, Hadley was arrested for an unrelated matter. However, police found he had a gun, and testing showed the gun was used in the killing of Marshall on July 20, 2022. In addition, prosecutors say his DNA was found on several cartridge casings at the scene. During a search warrant of the suspect's house, police found clothing matching that of one suspect in the surveillance video.

Despite police offering a $5,000 reward, there has been no word of the second suspect being identified.

"The evidence in this case was initially too weak to proceed to justice," said Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth in a statement. "The surviving victims were not cooperative, and one witness retracted her identification of the alleged shooter. It’s important to remember that because of the double jeopardy laws, the prosecution only has one chance to try someone for a crime and we must make sure that we have all of the necessary evidence to be able to successfully prosecute someone."