WYTHEVILLE, Va. – A Wytheville man, Chad Nelson Hawks, age 50, is currently on trial for second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, reckless handling of a firearm, and discharging a firearm inside of an occupied dwelling.
On January 23, 2025, 44-year-old Victoria “Vicki” Rose Howell was killed by a single gunshot wound in the living room of her house, which she lived in with Hawks.
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After spending the day together, the pair went back to their home. Hawks began listening to music in his dining room while Howell was doing laundry. When Hawks went to bed, he closed and possibly locked a glass sliding door that separates the laundry room from the rest of the house. Howell had previously been accidentally locked out of the sliding door by Hawks.
Hawks was woken by a loud “crash” at approximately 1 a.m., believing it to be an intruder, he then retrieved his firearm and started going room to room. While on the witness stand, Hawks said he “Was the most scared that he has ever been.” When he entered the living room, he saw a shadow in his periphery. Hawks then pulled the trigger, and the resulting muzzle flash was when he realized it was Howell.
The two had been on and off dating for years, and despite living together, they were not a couple at the time. They allegedly had a big fight roughly a week before the shooting. The argument revolved around Howell’s lack of employment and other household squabbles.
The amount of light in the living room at the time of the shooting has been a major piece of the case. Hawks asserts that he was disoriented from his sleep, and the room was so dark that he could not recognize Howell until the muzzle flash illuminated. However, the Commonwealth has pointed to several light sources that were on at the time of the shooting, which was verified by body cam footage.
Another part of the case is the location of the shell casing that was ejected from Hawks 9mm pistol when he fired. It was discovered on the opposite side of where the shell should have been ejected to.
While on the witness stand, Hawks was often slumped over with his head down, visibly shaking. Saying he was in shock and his memory is like a series of still images, he does not remember contacting 911.