STAUNTON, VA (Rocktown Now) — A murder trial got underway on Tuesday in Staunton Circuit Court.

Rodney Dwayne Phillips faces three felony charges, including second degree murder.

Police say the 36-year-old Phillips was responsible for the shooting death of 39-year-old Jonathan Michael Jacobs of Staunton on the night of March 8, 2024, at the Howard Johnson Motel on North Central Avenue.