While White Mother and Son were Fighting for Their Lives Black Murderer was Having Sex

WSET
August 28, 2015

The Commonwealth’s Attorney says while Norma Jean Freeman and her son Allen Freeman were both fighting for their lives, Edward Marshall was having sex at a hotel.

Marshall’s murder trial started Monday in Amherst County.  10 witnesses took the stand after jury selection.  Testimony started with the two people Allen Freeman called for help when he woke up from the attack.  Witnesses that January night testified Norma Jean was alive and “pulling at her wounds” with blood everywhere in the bedroom.  She ended up dying at the hospital.

An investigator shared photos of her in court.  She was so badly beaten that she was unrecognizable and her brain was exposed.  Allen Freeman shared with the court his long-term injuries, including hearing loss, memory loss, difficulty speaking and putting sentences together, and psychological trauma.  He has no memory of the attack or ride to the hospital.

Police arrested Edward Leroy Marshall and Sheri Merrill the next day, after they spent the night in a hotel in Lynchburg.  The Commonwealth says Marshall was having an affair with Merrill at the time and gave her a Kroger gift card to buy lunch.  That gift card was traced to belong to Allen Freeman.

Police also collected a pair of jeans from Merrill’s house.  Merrill says Marshall left them there after they had oral sex.  The Commonwealth says both Marshall’s and Merrill’s DNA were found inside the jeans, and Norma Jean Freeman’s blood was found on the front of the jeans.

The trial is expected to last most of the week, and there are 40 more witnesses to testify.