In the early hours of May 5, 2013, a dispute outside of a Hampton, Virginia restaurant tragically escalated, ending the life of 27-year-old Charlie Moses Woodbury. The Black male was involved in a verbal altercation with several people in front of Jack's Restaurant on East Pembroke Avenue. As the argument unfolded, another man approached Woodbury, drew a firearm, and shot him in the upper torso. Police and emergency personnel responded to the scene around 1:53 a.m.
and found Woodbury lying on the ground. He was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries but was pronounced deceased at 2:23 a.m.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified a suspect. On August 7, 2013, authorities served indictments on Patrick Julius Roberts, a 22-year-old Hampton man. At the time, Roberts was already incarcerated in the Hampton City Jail on unrelated charges. The indictments against him in connection with Woodbury's death included one count of murder, one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In September 2014, Patrick Julius Roberts was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. During the trial, his defense team argued that he had acted in self-defense. They claimed that Woodbury had swung a knife at Roberts and his aunt during the altercation. However, Woodbury's family contested this portrayal, stating that he was not a violent person. The court ultimately found Roberts guilty of the charges against him. In March 2015, he was sentenced to serve 17 years in prison for his role in Charlie Woodbury's death. Following the sentencing, Roberts' defense team indicated they might pursue an appeal.
