Prosecutors say the case centers on the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Martez Corey near an elementary school.
HAMPTON, Va. — Two Hampton brothers went on trial this week in the fatal 2024 shooting of Martez Corey, a 26-year-old man who was killed while sitting on a porch on Old Buckroe Road, in a case that brought months of questions before arrests were made.
The trial marks a major step in a homicide investigation that began on June 1, 2024, when police found Corey with life-threatening gunshot wounds in the 500 block of Old Buckroe Road. Re’Al Butler, 24, and J.C. Butler, 25, were arrested months later and now face murder and related gun charges. For Corey’s family, the case is about more than a verdict. They have said they still do not know why he was targeted, and that uncertainty has added to the pain as the case moves through court.
Police said officers were called to the scene at about 7:30 p.m. on June 1, 2024, and found Corey suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Hampton Fire and Rescue crews tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting happened in a residential area near Robert R. Moton Elementary School, adding another layer of concern in a neighborhood where the evidence remained visible long after the killing. Prosecutors have accused the brothers of carrying out the shooting together, and the charges filed in the case reflect an allegation that the attack was planned rather than spontaneous. Corey’s father, William Corey, has said his son was sitting on the front porch of a family friend’s home when gunfire erupted. He said the family has struggled to understand why the shooting happened and whether his son knew the men now charged.
According to police and court records, both brothers are charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, shooting into an occupied dwelling and shooting a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school. Re’Al Butler also faces a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Authorities arrested the men in March 2025 with help from the U.S. Marshals Service, about nine months after the killing. A later indictment moved the case closer to trial, but public details about what investigators believe led to the shooting have remained limited. That lack of detail has left a wide gap between the charges and the motive. William Corey said his family has not been given a reason his son was killed. He said the defendants have denied responsibility, deepening the family’s frustration as the trial began.
The case has drawn attention in Hampton because of both the violence of the shooting and the long delay between the killing and the arrests. Corey was 26 when he died, and his family has described the loss as devastating. His father has said the extent of the gunfire was so severe that the family chose a closed-casket service. He also described the emotional weight of laying his son to rest and later scattering his ashes at the grave of Corey’s mother. The home where the shooting happened became a quiet marker of the crime, with visible damage left behind as the case moved slowly through the legal system. The charges suggest prosecutors intend to argue that more than one person took part and that the shooting placed others nearby at risk, including people inside the home and children in the area because of the school’s proximity.
As the trial moves forward, the focus will turn to what evidence prosecutors present to connect the brothers to the shooting and whether defense lawyers challenge the state’s timeline, witness testimony or physical evidence. Court proceedings are expected to address not only who fired the shots, but whether the state can prove conspiracy and the other related counts. It also remains unclear what jurors may hear about any relationship between Corey and the two defendants, since the family has said they know of none. The outcome could hinge on details that have not yet been fully aired in public, including how investigators developed suspects after months with little visible movement in the case. Any conviction on the most serious charges would carry major penalties under Virginia law.
Even as the case enters a more formal stage, the family’s voice remains central to the story. William Corey has spoken openly about grief that has not eased with time. He said he still passes the place where his son died and stops to think about him and his mother. His words have added a human dimension to a case otherwise defined by charging documents and court dates. In the courtroom, jurors are expected to hear evidence about a deadly shooting on a summer evening. Outside the courtroom, the case stands as a reminder that for families of homicide victims, the wait between a killing and a trial can feel like another punishment. What the family wants most, by their account, is a clear explanation of what happened and why.
For now, the case has moved from a long-running investigation to a public trial, with testimony and evidence expected to shape the next stage. The key milestone is the court’s handling of the charges against the Butler brothers as Hampton authorities and Corey’s family await the verdict.
Author note: Last updated March 27, 2026.