NORFOLK, Va. — A former Norfolk City Jail inmate told a jury Thursday that his blockmate in jail confessed to killing William and Mary football player Nate Evans in 2019.
Keith Bryant is the man currently on trial for the murder, but the witness Thursday said it was a different man who confessed—Kri’Shawn Beamon.
Norfolk Police arrested Beamon, also known as ‘Pocket,’ shortly after the shooting at a house party near ODU. Detectives found Beamon’s phone at the scene and Beamon admitted to trying to buy marijuana from Evans that night.
The former inmate told the jury the two men were in cells near each other in the Norfolk City Jail in November of 2019.
He said Beamon, who he only knew as ‘Pocket,’ told him he pulled out a gun and “killed a guy from out of town” during a marijuana sale gone wrong. That witness is currently in prison serving four years on unrelated gun charges. During his testimony, Beamon denies that the conversation ever happened.
The jury also heard from the lead detective on the case, who testified two key interviews were not recorded due to technical difficulties, but were never redone.
Detectives brought Beamon in for an interview three years after the shooting after he told his attorney he was ready to share information. There was disagreement as to when he initially told detectives he wanted to talk to them because there was no documentation of that initial request.
In the detective’s testimony, she said Beamon sat for an interview at the Norfolk Police Department in 2022 and in that interview, he pointed the finger at Bryant. That interview was not recorded by the cameras in the interview room.
The detective said during the 45-minute conversation, she took a page and a half of handwritten notes but didn’t create what’s called a “memorialization” of the interview to turn over to the Commonwealth for two years.
She also testified Bryant’s initial interview with detectives was not recorded. In a video played in the courtroom, you see the lights click on in the interview room, then the video skips 30 minutes to Bryant sitting alone in the room with his head down.
The detective claims the Norfolk Police Department has had problems with different recordings in the past but had no indication the recording wasn’t working at the time of the interviews.
She said Bryant and Beamon’s interviews were the only two interviews that were not recorded in this investigation. They are the only two men charged in Evans’ murder.
According to detectives, the gun used to kill Evans was recovered a short time later in Suffolk during a shootout between two cars. The lead detective said Thursday none of the people in either of those cars were ever interviewed to determine how they got that murder weapon.
The jury learned Wednesday, that cell phone records placed Bryant near the scene that night in 2019. Beamon testified Tuesday and Wednesday and said Bryant confessed to him in a private conversation.
Witnesses in the case claim the night began when Evans met with Beamon to sell marijuana outside of a house party near ODU. Beamon testified he asked Bryant to watch over the transaction because he knew he had a gun.
Evans’ friend with him that night claims Beamon ran off with the weed and Evans chased after him. Beamon said he left the weed behind when he ran and was afraid Evans was trying to rob him.
Multiple people at the party that night say they heard three to four gunshots, but no one has testified to seeing Bryant or Beamon pull the trigger.
Both sides rested their case Thursday. Friday, the jury will hear closing statements and make their decision on Keith Bryant. 13News Now will be there when the decision comes in.
Kri’Shawn Beamon’s trial is set for June. He is charged with second-degree murder and robbery.