'Left him there to die': 2 brothers shot and killed another man in ambush-style attack on front porch, police say

A brace of siblings successful Virginia is down bars implicit the ambush-style shooting and killing of different man, constabulary successful the Old Dominion say.

Re'Al Butler, 24, and J.C. Butler, 25, basal accused of 1 number each of murder successful the archetypal degree, conspiracy to perpetrate murder, usage of a firearm successful the committee of a felony, shooting into an occupied dwelling, and shooting a firearm wrong 1,000 feet of a school, according to the Hampton Police Division. The elder Butler is besides charged with 1 number of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The underlying incidental occurred successful June 2024 connected Old Buckroe Road successful Hampton — a ample metropolis located instantly southbound of Newport News — and resulted successful the decease of 26-year-old Martez Johnson Corey.

On June 1, 2024, astir 7:30 p.m., officers responded and recovered the unfortunate suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds. While Hampton Fire and Rescue Division unit attempted lifesaving efforts, Corey was pronounced dormant astatine the country of the crime.

The fatal shooting happened not acold from Robert R. Moton Elementary School, according to Hampton-based ABC affiliate WVEC.

The probe went connected for months with small nationalist progress. In March 2025, the Butler brothers were arrested and charged. The brace was formally indicted successful November of past year, Hampton General District Court records show. So far, instrumentality enforcement are keeping mum astir what tied the defendants to the attack.

As the defendants' proceedings approaches, details astir the shooting are inactive scarce — a constituent of consternation for the victim's family.

"There has been nary crushed for them to accidental wherefore they changeable him," William Corey, the victim's father, told Portsmouth-based NBC affiliate WAVY earlier this week. "They're inactive successful a spot of being successful denial, saying it wasn't them."

The grieving begetter said determination was nary denotation his lad adjacent knew the alleged assailants earlier the fatal shooting.

"I don't cognize immoderate narration they had," helium added. "Nothing astatine all."

On the nighttime successful question, the unfortunate was changeable portion sitting extracurricular astatine a residence. Several slug holes are inactive disposable successful the facade.

"He was sitting connected a person of the family's beforehand porch," William Corey continued. "It was a small hole. Martez couldn't get out, and arsenic helium tried to get up, they conscionable changeable him and near him determination to die, and by the clip the constabulary and paramedics got there, helium was dead…From what I heard, helium was changeable astir apt 8 to 10 times."

The authorities of his son's assemblage forced a closed-casket funeral, the victim's begetter added.

"I had to instrumentality his ashes and sprinkle them connected his mother's grave," William Corey went on. "So whenever I spell past that area, I ever conscionable spell retired to accidental hullo to him and his mom."

The Butler brothers are being detained successful the Western Tidewater Regional Jail. Their proceedings is slated to statesman connected March 24.