In the quiet, early morning hours of July 29, 2023, the calm in Lunenburg County, Virginia, was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of 19-year-old Sa-Juan Kentrel Nicolson. A Black male and former resident of Blackstone, Nicolson was discovered by authorities shortly after 1:00 a.m. in the 13000 block of Oral Oaks Road, a rural area situated between the towns of Kenbridge and Victoria.
Responding to a call about a shooting, deputies from the Lunenburg County Sheriff's Office, along with officers from Victoria and Kenbridge, found Nicolson unresponsive at the scene. It was determined that he had died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the death of Sa-Juan Kentrel Nicolson was swiftly launched, with the Virginia State Police being called in to assist the local sheriff's office. Authorities sought to reassure the public by stating that they believed the shooting was an isolated incident and not a random act, suggesting there was no immediate danger to the wider community. As the investigation progressed, law enforcement officials urged anyone with information to come forward and contact the Lunenburg County Sheriff's Office or Crime Solvers to help bring those responsible to justice.
A significant breakthrough in the case came on September 7, 2023, with the arrest of 20-year-old Cameron Kates of Victoria. He was taken into custody without incident, a result of the collaborative efforts of the Lunenburg County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshal's Service, and local police departments. Kates was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The legal proceedings that followed saw a change in the initial charges brought against Cameron Kates. In Lunenburg Circuit Court, the first-degree murder charge was reduced. Ultimately, Kates, then 22 years old, was sentenced to four years and ten months in prison for his role in the shooting death of Sa-Juan Kentrel Nicolson.
