Day Three of 1988 Murder Trial

If the prosecution has a smoking gun to prove Alvin Morris shot the man whose wife he would eventually marry, Commonwealth's attorney Denise Lunsford kept it under wraps Wednesday.

[Animal Lover in Albemarle]

Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture? I know one is not supposed to judge people but it does seem a little strange that Mr.Shifflett's wife would marry Mr.Morris shortly after his death and is currently still with him even though she realizes that he could have possibly murdered her husband?? I do believe this leaves one to question....

[citizen]

I hope the double wife gets questioned. Love triangles, especially those that have money angles to them, are always complicated.

Love makes every bar association go around.....

[citizen]

regardless of guilt, our constitution states that the evidence must prove without a doubt that someone is guilty. I have served on 3 Juries and it is not easy you can't let your personal feelings or anything else infulence your decision. You must remember that this is a person's life and many people have gone to prison and been innocent. I think it's very easy to jump to the conclusion of guilt since he married the wife but they were having and affair and the dead man was also having an affair which has not been talked about. There could be other suspects that I don't think the police investigated just because of a butt. So I choose to let the court play out and if he is guilty so be it. I just think there is not enough evidence to prove the case

[Thinking]

Its astonishing after so many years this case has come back open. I wonder how the children feel. They have gone through life thinking a black man murdered their father and to dislike blacks becasue of it. Now to find out that the very man who helped their mother raise them may have been the one to pull the trigger and rob them of a relationship with their father.

[citizen]

I think this entire case is rubbish. When was the last time you heard of someone being on trial for first degree murder and being out on bond; able to go home every night after court? Let's face it, the commonwealth has no hard evidence...a butt found in the parking lot.....oh yeah that should prove something.....give me a break! The only reason this has gone to court is because they had Morris arrested and now can't back out of it. They have to proceed even if they don't have anything....which they don't.

[Taxpaying Citizen]

Our tax money at work!!!! No further comment needed.

[Charlottesville]

Well Mrs. Shifflett and Mr. Morris are the only one who knows the truth and they will be judge by the one who really matters. If Mrs. Morris I should say did have something to do with this I hope her children do learn the truth because she took a father from their sons and that to me is the most selfish act there is. It makes me sick how people think about themselves and not their children I hope the truth does come out and they spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

[citizen]

HOW DOES POLICE KNOW THAT THE CIGAREETTE WAS THROWED OUT AT THE STORE ON DAY OF THE MUDER AND AT THE TIME OF THE MUDER TO PLACE

[cookie]

I think this whole dog and pony show is a joke and a stupid expense for taxpayers too. This court case appears to have been staged from the get go. Perry Mason is laughing in his grave.

[citizen]

I don't think this is a joke, wouldn't you want to see the person or person's that killed your loved one prosecuted and put in jail? Think about it!!! His children need to know the truth about who killed there father. The truth will come out.
They have the right person. Mr. Shifflett didn't have to be killed over this!

[concerned]

charlottesville citizen, if you KNEW that Mr Morris was guilty 20 years ago, why didn't you go to the police then? You are a very prejudice person to think someone is guilty without any evidence and a cigarette but in the parking lot is not sufficent evidence to convict on 1st degree murder charges. Are you a Shifflett?
AND I think this is a dog and pony show for Denise Lunsford to show she is doing her job...even if it is baseless.

[WOW]

All they have is a cigarett butt from the parking lot. They said he visited the store frequently. How do they know its from that day. What a joke this is.

[im not the judge]

i agree with northbrook, illinois; Mr. Morris and Mrs. Shifflett Morris will be judged ultimately by the one that counts!! If I found out my 2nd husband could have murdered by 1st husband I would not/could not stand to be anywhere near him, unless I too was involved. Was probably alot of butts in the parking lot,(can't go in the store smoking) doest that mean everyone that throught a butt in the parking lot that was collected is s "suspect" I hope they have more evidence than that on Mr. Morris. Like his fingerprint on the bullet.

[Fluvanna Reader]

WOW wrote:

All they have is a cigarett butt from the parking lot. They said he visited the store frequently. How do they know its from that day. What a joke this is.

Maybe it was still hot and had some burning ashes on it!

[citizen]

Time will tell---and this case will be over soon. Bad spelling and grammar in these blogs will remain long after this case is decided.

[citizen]

There appear to be several "citizens" chipping in on this one.

[cookie]

I just don't think this court case has been set up for a conviction. If all they have is an old cig. butt and stories of drinking and infidelity, then Morris should sue them for jailing him earlier. Unless there is more evidence than I've heard, no sensible jury will convict. Believe me, this jury was screened very carefully.

[Guilty as sin]

Are you kidding? This guy is SO guilty. The fact that you were on 3 juries scares me. How do you know that Roger Shifflett was having an affair? You full of it. This was cold and calculated MURDER and Butch is the killer.

[Citizen Cain]

Did this guy take a lie detector test? Lets put him on Dr. Phil

[taxpayer]

why did police waited until 2006 to do A DNA----WHY WASN'T IT DONE 1994--MY QUESTION ON THE CIGARETTE BUTT