A Newport News jury convicted Oris Askew of murdering his former partner, whom he raped more than twenty years ago.
Askew was imprisoned in 2002 for raping the woman. After he was released from prison, Askew continued to have contact with her, even asking to move in with her, which she refused. On March 28, 2025, he went to her house and beat the 41-year-old woman to death using a metal rod, causing ‘sharp force injuries’ to her torso and her throat was slit.
A 7-Eleven surveillance camera captured the pair together around 1 a.m. March 28. Police obtained phone location data for Askew and the victim on March 28 and found the victim’s phone then left the 7-Eleven went back to the aera of the victim’s home. Askew’s phone did not connect to the network until mid-morning when his phone went from Stewart Gardens to Aquaduct Apartments. The victim’s van also travelled this route though she did not allow others to drive her van. Askew was known to hang out in Stewart Gardens and was staying in Aquaduct at the time.
Around 1 p.m. March 28, Askew was seen on surveillance walking toward where the victim’s van was parked. The van then travelled to Food Lion where he was captured cashing in a bag full of coins. The victim had a jug of coins in her house, that was only partially full.
Askew left Food Lion and his phone and the van travelled to Beechwood Drive where the van was abandoned. Askew was seen walking away from where the van was left towards Stewart Gardens. Askew talked to police but none of his statements matched his phone location data, her phone location data, and the surveillance videos.
The victim’s phone traveled from Stewart Gardens also mid-morning on March 28th. No messages were sent from the victim’s phone after 1:16 a.m. on the 28th. The phone was found on the side of the highway along the route the van traveled on March 28th. It was found by people cleaning as part of adopt-a-spot.
Askew’s DNA was found on one end of the metal rod and the victim’s blood was all over the rod. The victim’s blood was in her bedroom, the on stairs, at bottom of the stairs, and the on front door. Askew’s DNA and the victim’s DNA were also found on a bloody T-shirt at the top of the stairs, about six feet from the metal rod.
The victim was found on March 29th by a family member after she did not respond to any messages. The front door had been barricaded by household items. Askew had once barricaded the victim inside her home when a friend tried to help her leave him during an argument.
Askew could be sentenced to life in prison on August 7.