Thomas A. Porter 

Date of Birth: 11/1/1975

Sex: Male

Race: Black

Entered the Row: July 16, 2007

District:  Norfolk

Conviction: Capital murder-two counts

Virginia DOC Inmate Number: 374297  

On Nov. 2, 2005, Thomas A. Porter was arrested in White Plains, N.Y., and charged with capital murder in the Oct. 28 shooting death of Officer Stanley C. Reaves, 33, in Norfolk, Virginia.[i]

Due to extensive pretrial publicity in the Hampton area, Capital Defender Joseph A. Migliozzi Jr., and defense lawyer Michelle Atkins asked Circuit Judge Chuck Griffith to change the venue.  On Sept. 14, 2006, Griffith agreed to defense motion and moved the trial to Arlington, a suburb of Washington, DC.

During trial, one bystander testified that she had seen Porter point a gun at Reaves and shoot him.  Two men said they had traveled with Porter on a bus from Virginia Beach to New York City; and after arriving, they shared a taxi ride with Porter when he pulled a black gun from a bag and showed it to them. Three days later, after seeing Porter’s picture in a news story and reading of the officer’s death, the men notified police.  Witnesses from a second-story apartment at the scene also said they saw Porter shoot Reaves. A letter purportedly written by Porter to a jail house snitch was introduced at trial; in the correspondence, Porter admits to killing Reaves. [ii] The officer’s service pistol was later recovered during a drug bust in Yonkers, N.Y. [iii]

Porter testified in his defense and said he shot Reaves after the officer pulled a gun on him.  In closing arguments, attorneys for Porter told jurors that Porter had feared for his life.  They further maintained that testimony from several eyewitnesses were faulty due to physical obstacles in field of view.[iv]  At trial, two police marshals stood guard behind Porter.  Defense counsel repeatedly objected to their show of force. 

After deliberating less than two hours, a jury panel convicted Porter of capital murder March 7, 2007.[v]  During the penalty phase, Porter’s mother spoke of his unstable childhood and of constantly being shuffled between Virginia and New Jersey.  His girlfriend also testified that Porter had provided care for her and her son during her long recovery when she had broke two bones. Jurors deliberated for two days and on March 14, they recommended that Porter be put to death.[vi]

On July 17, 2007, Circuit Judge Chuck Griffith followed the jury’s recommendation and imposed the death penalty on Porter.[vii]