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  • Reno man charged with murder in Lassen County double homicide after highway shooting
Reno man charged with murder in Lassen County double homicide after highway shooting
Crime Virginia News

Reno man charged with murder in Lassen County double homicide after highway shooting

A.J. O'Leary Dec 12, 2025 0

The Lassen County District Attorney’s Office has formally charged a Reno man with two counts of murder in connection with…

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Missing woman last seen in Rockville 3 months ago
Virginia News

Missing woman last seen in Rockville 3 months ago

A.J. O'Leary Dec 11, 2025 0

Police are searching for a woman who was last seen nearly three months ago in Rockville. Xiaohong Lui, 64, was…

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Norfolk police investigate vandalism at Colley Avenue mosque
Crime Virginia News

Norfolk police investigate vandalism at Colley Avenue mosque

A.J. O'Leary Dec 11, 2025 0

Norfolk police are looking into a vandalism case at a local mosque that occurred on Sunday, December 7, around 9:20…

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Virginia students ask court to block Confederate names being forced on them
Virginia News

Virginia students ask court to block Confederate names being forced on them

A.J. O'Leary Dec 11, 2025 0

Attorneys for the NAACP Virginia State Conference and five Shenandoah County families are heading to trial this week, arguing that…

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North Carolina man sentenced after 10 kilos of cocaine intercepted en route to Portsmouth
Crime Virginia News

North Carolina man sentenced after 10 kilos of cocaine intercepted en route to Portsmouth

A.J. O'Leary Dec 11, 2025 0

A North Carolina man will spend the next decade in federal prison after investigators intercepted a package containing 10 kilograms…

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A Norfolk man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for shooting and killing 44-year-old Bradley Kristoffer Kortbawi outside a Ghent apartment building in the summer of 2024. According to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, 57-year-old Vandes Jackson received his sentence Friday after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of murder. The two-day trial took place in September, and jurors deliberated for about 30 minutes before finding Jackson guilty. The shooting happened shortly after midnight on July 6, 2024, on Core Avenue. Kortbawi had been outside an apartment building smoking a cigarette and talking with two friends — one of whom lived in the building — when Jackson, a neighbor, approached. Prosecutors said Jackson claimed he heard someone in the group use a racial slur he found offensive. Kortbawi and his friends told him no such comment had been made. As Kortbawi turned his head away, Jackson pulled a gun from his pocket, placed it against Kortbawi’s temple, and fired, killing him instantly. When one of the witnesses, shocked, said Jackson had just shot her friend, he allegedly replied, “Then call the police,” and walked away. Dispatch records show Jackson called 911 at 12:39 a.m. — before the shooting — asking for police assistance because of the alleged slur. The operator told him not to confront the group. Jackson ended the call by saying he would “handle the situation.” Jackson called 911 again at 1:17 a.m., telling dispatchers he had shot someone. When the first Norfolk officer arrived, Jackson returned, admitted to the shooting, and directed officers to Kortbawi’s body. He was taken into custody without incident. Jackson was initially charged with second-degree murder before prosecutors secured a direct indictment for first-degree murder. On Friday, Dec. 5, a judge sentenced Jackson to 40 years in prison, with another five years suspended on the condition that he maintains good behavior for life after release. Prosecutors requested a 39-year active sentence, while the defense argued for a shorter term. Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said the sentence reflects the brutality of the crime and the danger Jackson posed to the community. “Mr. Kortbawi did not do anything to deserve his death at the hands of Mr. Jackson, and Mr. Jackson’s sentence reflects the senselessness and cruelty of his crime,” Fatehi said. “I wish Mr. Kortbawi’s family and friends peace as they continue to cope with their loss.”
Crime Virginia News

Norfolk man sentenced to 40 years for killing neighbor outside Ghent apartment building

A.J. O'Leary Dec 11, 2025 0

A Norfolk man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for shooting and killing 44-year-old Bradley Kristoffer Kortbawi outside…

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Founded in 2019, the Union Star is a student community newspaper in Brookneal, Va., and is published every Wednesday. The Union Star, which has 3,000 readers each week, covers the Counties of Campbell, Halifax and Charlotte, including the towns of Brookneal, Phenix and Rustburg, as well as the communities of Nathalie, Gladys, Naruna and Long Island.

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