Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk: “The Historical Online Portal (HOP) of the Circuit Court Clerk now includes historical deeds recorded before the American Revolution to the early 1900s. Among the deeds available for online inquiry is the Stolen Deed Book-Liber A (Stolen Historical Records Returned to the Prince William County Circuit Court (pwcva.gov).”
“Launched in early 2023, the HOP currently offers access to Deeds, Wills, and Lists of Heirs.”
The Office of the Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney: “On October 16, 2023, the Honorable Judge Kimberly A. Irving, Chief Judge of the Prince William County Circuit Court, found Desmond Daniel guilty of two counts of first-degree murder following his guilty plea to the charges. The Defendant will be sentenced on March 14, 2024. Members of the victims’ families will present victim impact testimony at that time. The Defendant faces a maximum sentence of two life terms in prison.”
“On November 16, 2022, Prince William County Police responded to Isle Royale Terrace, in [near Dumfries] after neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots. Police arrived at the scene to find two gunshot victims in the basement of the home. One victim, a 22-year-old Woodbridge woman, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other, a 24-year-old Woodbridge man, was taken to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead. A family dog was also located in the basement suffering from gunshot wounds and had to be euthanized.
“Through Ring camera footage recovered at the scene, it was determined that Desmond Daniel had shot through the basement window, entered through the window, shot in the direction of the victims, and left through the same window. The investigation revealed that Mr. Daniel was involved in a romantic relationship with the 22-year-old woman, who had broken up with him a few days earlier. The 24-year-old man that was killed was her friend. Investigation also revealed several posts on social media by Mr. Daniel displaying his firearms and making threats several hours before the shooting. Investigators, in partnership with Virginia State Police, were able to locate Mr. Daniel near Dulles International Airport following Mr. Daniel’s purchase of a one-way ticket to Panama.”
“Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth offered the following comment: “This case was such a horrible tragedy. Our community lost two young adults to senseless gun violence. We are grateful for the hard work done by the police who worked quickly to apprehend Mr. Daniel before he left the country. Excellent police work allowed us to resolve this case without putting the victims’ families through a trial. Mr. Daniel accepted responsibility for his actions by entering guilty pleas to two first-degree murder charges. He will face the consequences of his actions on March 14, 2024, at the sentencing hearing.”
“The Office of the Commonwealth Attorney would like to commend and thank the Prince William County Police Department, particularly Detectives Matthew Andersen and Shailee Davis, for their investigation and work that successfully resulted in convictions in this case. In addition, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney would like to thank Christy Reynolds, Case Manager for the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney Victim/Witness Program, for the assistance that she provided to the victim’s family. This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kathleen Bilton.”
Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth: “Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth announces the sentencing of Adrian Kendall Bryant on the first-degree murder conviction arising from the July 12, 2021, murder of a 17-year-old juvenile in Woodbridge, Virginia and the successful prosecution of Paul England for the February 2023 stabbing that occurred in Woodbridge, Virginia.”
“On July 12, 2021, at approximately 11 am, Adrian Kendall Bryant met with the juvenile victim, along with two other individuals at a location on Still Place in Prince William County. Several homeowners’ cameras captured the brief interaction between the juvenile and Mr. Bryant, who produced a handgun and fired three shots at the juvenile victim, hitting him twice.”
Jacqueline C. Smith, the Clerk of Circuit Court for Prince William County, announced Seals on Wheels on August 30, 2023.
Seals on Wheels is a mobile, fully operational clerk’s office. It can provide every function regularly done at the Clerk’s Office in the Judicial Center, except it on wheels.
Its purpose is to bring the basic rights of a Judicial Center to the residents of Prince William County. Usually, residents would have to take significant time out of their schedules to exercise their rights, given they have to travel to the nearest Judicial Center. This can inconvenience anyone, let alone those who utilize public transportation (which could take up to 3 hours each way).
Intending to help the county, Seal on Wheels makes their way around the Prince William area, stopping in a different community on select Saturdays. Seals on Wheels can issue marriage licenses, gun permit applications, copy deeds/ records, and more during these events.
Seals on Wheels has also partnered with 17 other agencies that can be found at those events to benefit the community better. View the full list of where Seals on Wheels will be stopping.
Any additional information regarding Seals on Wheels can be found online.
Circuit Court Clerk: “Circuit Court Clerk’s Office self-service kiosks are now available to the public at Prince William County government buildings.”
“The Circuit Court Clerk, Jacqueline Smith, has partnered with several Prince William County agencies to provide the public with self-service kiosks in the McCoart and Ferlazzo buildings in Woodbridge. The program is 100% funded by Virginia Technology grants.”
“Circuit Court Clerk Smith is pleased to announce the new kiosk locations that will provide residents with easier access to court and government services throughout the community. The self-service kiosks offer secure and quick access to Circuit Court Clerk services including marriage licenses, deed copies, case information, payments and more.”
“Additionally, through partnerships with several Prince William County Government Agencies, residents can access General District Court services, Voter Registration, Ticket and Tax Payments through self- service kiosks located at the two Prince William County Government Buildings. The kiosks accept all major credit cards.”
“Clerk Smith has further secured Virginia Technology grant funding for an additional eleven (11) self-service kiosks which will be deployed throughout Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. For more information about the self-service kiosks or Seals on Wheels, please visit pwcgov.org/department/circuit-court.”
Republicans are making Prince William County's skyrocketing crime and murder rates a key campaign issue.
At a press conference outside the county courthouse on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, Matt Lowery, seeking to unseat Democrat Amy Ashworth to become the county's top prosecutor, says Ashworth is not prosecuting crimes to the fullest extent of the law. Since winning the seat in 2019, violent crime in Prince William is up 70%, and the number of murders in the county doubled from 2021 to 2022 to 20 murders.
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“The Defendant will be sentenced on November 16, 2023. Members of the victim’s family will present victim impact testimony at that time. The Defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years in prison.”
“In the early evening hours of June 18, 2022, the Defendant, Gentil Mwenze Banze, was driving his motor vehicle westbound on Old Bridge Road. Witnesses described the Defendant’s vehicle as swerving in and out of his lane of travel, almost striking other vehicles, before veering to the right and leaving the roadway.”
“The Defendant’s vehicle entered the sidewalk and struck a pedestrian, Mr. Luis Alfredo Perez, Jr., 45, who had been out walking the family dog that evening. After the Defendant struck Mr. Perez, Jr. and his dog, he crashed into the utility pole located in the area of Cape Cod Ct, bringing down live power lines and causing an audible and visible explosion on Old Bridge Rd.”
“Investigator Chad Mason of the Prince William County Crash Investigation Unit noted that the Defendant had an odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his person, had a slight sway to his body as he was standing, had bloodshot and watery eyes, and exhibited signs of impairment in all three standardized field sobriety tests that he attempted.”
“The Defendant later admitted to drinking Guinness Beer prior to driving, and testing later confirmed the Defendant’s blood alcohol content to be 0.11g/210L of breath approximately three hours after the crash had occurred. Unfortunately, both Mr. Perez Jr. and his dog succumbed to the injuries they sustained as a result of the crash.”
“The Office of the Commonwealth Attorney would like to commend and thank the Prince William County Crash Investigation Unit, particularly Investigator Chad Mason, for their investigation and work that successfully resulted in a conviction in this case.”
“In addition, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney would like to thank Arturo Guzman, a Case Manager for the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney Victim/Witness program, for the assistance he has provided to the victim’s family in this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Sarah Sami.”
WRC-TV: “A Virginia man who pleaded guilty to killing a young Marine is free just two years after the shooting, and prosecutors in Prince William County blame investigators for failing to turn over key evidence in time.”
“But prosecutors said there were problems with some of the police evidence before the trial began. Midway through the trial, prosecutors say police suddenly mentioned a Ring camera video that had never been documented or turned over as required. The defense attorney filed a motion to dismiss.”
“’Absolutely, this is not something we wanted to do,” Ashworth said. “We wanted to prosecute him for first-degree murder. Our hands get tied when our partner agency doesn’t exactly cooperate and provide that information,’ said Ashworth.”
“They made a big mistake,” [the victim’s mother] said. “They let a monster walk.”
Ashworth, a Democrat, is on the November 7 General Election ballot (early voting begins Sept. 23, 2023), vying to serve a second four-year term as Prince William County’s top prosecutor.
Matt Lowery, a Republican, said voters should consider the outcome of this case when they cast their ballots this fall.
Lowery: “This is wildly inept management of the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney. Another killer is unjustly walking free among us because of the C.A.’s inability to properly run a prosecution shop. The fault for this entire situation lies squarely at her feet and no one else’s. (Not the family, not the cops, not the line prosecutors…just her.)”
Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney: “Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth announces today the sentencing of Robert Coltrain, 27, related to the murder of Brian Trotter which occurred in Prince William County, VA on or about October 17, 2020. Mr. Coltrain pled guilty to first-degree murder on June 28, 2022. On July 7, 2023, Mr. Coltrain was sentenced to 75 years in prison with 30 of those years suspended.”
“On October 17, 2020, Brian Trotter was reported missing by his family. Trotter had last been seen by his father getting into a vehicle with his friend, Robert Coltrain, to go to Washington D.C. Mr. Trotter gave his son a hug and said goodbye as Trotter left his residence with Coltrain. On October 26, 2020, while police in Virginia were investigating the disappearance, Florida Highway Patrol officers found a body decomposing in the trunk of a vehicle that was involved in a motor vehicle accident in the Miami-Dade area. Authorities were able to identify the body as Brian Trotter and immediately began an investigation of the death, leading them to the driver of the vehicle, Robert Coltrain. Mr. Coltrain was arrested by the Miami-Dade Police Department and eventually extradited back to Prince William County to stand trial for the murder.”
“This was such a troubling case because of the lack of motive and the friendship that the victim and defendant shared. My heart goes out to the Trotter family for the loss of their son. Although nothing will bring Brian back to his family, we can rest assured that justice has been served for his murder.’ said Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth.”
