Chesapeake, USA - A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder and other counts in the shooting death of an LDS missionary from Utah and the attempted slaying of his companion.
Prosecutors today charged James Rickey Boughton Jr. with one count each of first-degree murder, third-degree malicious assault, fifth-degree malicious assault and three counts of using a gun during the commission of a felony.
All charges are felonies in Virginia. Boughton, whose initial court appearance has been pushed back to Jan. 21, has been jailed without bail.
The arrest comes three days after Morgon Winslow Young, 21, of Bountiful, was shot to death while knocking on doors in the Deep Creek suburb. His companion, Joshua Heidbrink, 19, of Greeley, Colo., was also shot, but has been released from the hospital.
Charging documents obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune and police reports show that Broughton is charged with malicious assault charge for shooting at another man, Gregory Lamont Banks Jr., apparently during a drug deal.
The two missionaries apparently witnessed that shooting, leading police to rule out any motives related to race or religion.
Police spokeswoman Christine Golden declined to release any other details about the shooting and the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office also refused comment.
Police recovered the handgun used in the shooting on Wednesday and Boughton was arrested around midnight Wednesday.
Young was two months shy of completing his two-year service as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Heidbrink had begun his mission recently and plans to return.