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After three days of testimony and three hours of deliberation, a jury found Jonathan Armstrong Watkins, 36, of Natural Bridge, guilty of murder in the second degree and the use of a firearm in the commission of murder in the death of Katrina Leeann Dudley on Dec. 10, 2021. The verdict came Friday afternoon, concluding a week-long trial.
Rockbridge County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jared Moon said that he felt “very good” about the verdict and that “the family does as well.”
“We are very pleased that Mr. Watkins will be held responsible for his actions, and we are looking forward to his sentencing hearing and to see exactly how much justice will be exacted in this case,” he said.
The sentencing hearing will be scheduled on Monday for later this year, following a pre-sentence report. Moon told The News Gazette that members of Dudley’s family will testify at the hearing.
For full details about the trial, see the July 26 edition of The News-Gazette.
