(Chatham) — A Pittsylvania County man convicted for a murder two-and-a-half years ago will learn his fate this week.
In August, Daniel Wayne Neal was found guilty of first-degree murder in the February, 2022 death of Charles Van Hooker. It happened at Van Hooker’s home on Boxwood Road in Gretna.
Deputies found Van Hooker’s body in the house after getting a report of a shooting. A witness said it stemmed from a drug dispute.
Neal’s original trial in July of 2023 was declared a mistrial after the court learned two prosecution witnesses had talked about Neal in one of the witness rooms.
Another defendant, Deshawn Hamlett of Altavista, was convicted of first-degree murder earlier this year and was sentenced to life in prison.
Neal was also convicted of Statutory Burglary and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. He will be sentenced on Thursday in Pittsylvania County Circuit Court.