The Commonwealth’s Attorney says while Norma Jean Freeman and her son Allen Freeman were both fighting for their lives, Edward Marshall was having sex at a hotel.

Marshall’s murder trial started Monday in Amherst County.  10 witnesses took the stand after jury selection.  Testimony started with the two people Allen Freeman called for help when he woke up from the attack.  Witnesses that January night testified Norma Jean was alive and “pulling at her wounds” with blood everywhere in the bedroom.  She ended up dying at the hospital.

An investigator shared photos of her in court.  She was so badly beaten that she was unrecognizable and her brain was exposed.  Allen Freeman shared with the court his long-term injuries, including hearing loss, memory loss, difficulty speaking and putting sentences together, and psychological trauma.  He has no memory of the attack or ride to the hospital.

Police arrested Edward Leroy Marshall and Sheri Merrill the next day, after they spent the night in a hotel in Lynchburg.  The Commonwealth says Marshall was having an affair with Merrill at the time and gave her a Kroger gift card to buy lunch.  That gift card was traced to belong to Allen Freeman.

Police also collected a pair of jeans from Merrill’s house.  Merrill says Marshall left them there after they had oral sex.  The Commonwealth says both Marshall’s and Merrill’s DNA were found inside the jeans, and Norma Jean Freeman’s blood was found on the front of the jeans.

The trial is expected to last most of the week, and there are 40 more witnesses to testify.

Edward Leroy Marshall in behind bars without bond tonight for his alleged involvement in Thursday’s crime on Martin’s Lane.

He’s facing a burglary and grand larceny charges in Amherst County and a grand larceny charge and probation violation in another jurisdiction. According to court records, 43-year-old Marshall has had several run-ins with the law, including grand larceny. At this point he is not charged with murder. Sheriff Jimmy Ayers says they are waiting on the evidence to be analyzed and more charges are likely.

Marshall was arrested Friday morning in Campbell County and was held without bond on a grand larceny charge and probation violations before being charged in this crime here in Amherst County. Norma Jean Freeman, 81, and her son Allen were attacked early Thursday morning at their home on Martin’s Lane.

Allen was able to call a family member who called 911. He’s in critical condition. His mother died on Thursday.

Sheriff Ayers says this crime does not appear to be random. The suspect does know the family.

“All indications they knew this individual. To what extent we’re trying to determine that,” said Ayers. “Again after further interviewing with Mr. Freeman hopefully in the coming days, we can determine to what extent the Freeman family knew him. That is undetermined but obviously there has been some acquaintance over the last several months or year as far as we know.”

Ayers couldn’t tell ABC 13 exactly what was stolen from the Freeman home saying it’ll take several days because they are waiting on Allen Freeman to confirm everything that was taken. The sheriff says the 63-year-old Freeman is still in critical condition in the ICU as of Friday night and it’s tough to communicate with him. He’s better than yesterday, according to Ayers, but still has a long ways to go

Sheriff Ayers knew both of the victims in this case. He knew Norma Jean from church.

“When my kids [when they were younger] would sit [on the pew at church behind Norma Jean Freeman], she would spin around with that bag of hard candy to my two children as I’m sure she did for many young children on Sunday morning,” said Ayers. “She would always greet you with a smile. She was just a classy lady. She was a class act.

“She will be missed by her family, by her church family in this community and I hope our work has been pleasing to her.”

There will be a vigil for Allen Freeman and his mother Sunday night at Madison Heights Baptist Church.