UPDATE: Roanoke murder trial headed to jury

DAY 4, FRIDAY

The murder trial of Gene Brown is now in the hands of a jury.

Brown is accused of killing Steve Orange Jr. in July of 2011. Orange was working as a security guard at a Roanoke apartment complex when he was shot six times.

In closing arguments Thursday morning, Commonwealth’s Attorney John McNeil said that in order to convict someone of first-degree murder, you don’t have to know exactly who the trigger man is.

Brown’s defense attorney, C.J. Covati, was trying to prove earlier in the case that Brown’s half-brother, Will Wright, was the one who killed Orange. Covati said that Wright had been bragging that he was the trigger man. A forensic scientist testified Thursday that the DNA of Wright and Brown were found on the gun.

The jury will begin deliberations following a lunch break. The jury is made up of 11 women and two men.

WDBJ7’s Chris Hurst is in court, and will have more tonight at 5 and 6.

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DAY 3, THURSDAY

The commonwealth's attorney rested its case Thursday morning in a Roanoke murder trial.

Gene Brown faces life in prison for the shooting death of security guard Steve Orange in July 2011.

A forensic scientist testified Thursday that DNA found on the murder weapon belonged to Brown and his half- brother, Will Wright.

Earlier in the trial, Brown's attorney said that Wright was telling people that he was the shooter.

WDBJ7's Chris Hurst is in court, and will have more on the testimony tonight.

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DAY 2, WEDNESDAY

The cellmate of Gene Brown testified in court Wednesday that Gene Brown confessed to killing Steve Orange Jr.

Orange was working as a security guard at a Roanoke apartment complex in July of 2011 when he was murdered. Brown has been charged with Orange’s death.

In court Wednesday Carlos Jeune testified that he had been cellmates with Brown ever since Brown was arrested. Jeune had been in jail since 2010 on armed robbery charges.

Jeune testified that Brown originally told him that he didn’t kill Orange, but then later then confessed to the killing. Jeune also said that Brown provided details of the killing, including that Orange was shot in the neck and that the murder weapon was a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun.