Charges against Wharton certified by grand jury in double homicide

Linda Cicoira photo.

By Linda Cicoira

The man suspected of killing the manager of an Accomac convenience store and his daughter last March was indicted by an Accomack Grand Jury this week on 11 felony counts, including two charges of premeditated first-degree murder.

The defendant, 44-year-old George Frazier Devon Wharton, of Wharton Road in Accomac, is accused of the shooting deaths of 56-year-old Pradipkumar Ratilal Patel and his 24-year-old daughter, Urmi Pradipbhai Patel. The workers were hit with gunfire at the family-owned business at the corner of Courthouse Avenue and Lankford Highway on the early morning of March 30.

The legal strategy of indicting Wharton on both premeditated and second-degree murder counts was used for both victims to ensure convictions. Wharton was also indicted on counts of using a firearm in each murder, three counts of malicious shooting in an occupied building, brandishing a gun in or near a public property, and being a non-violent felon in possession of a firearm. Records show Wharton, who also goes by the name George Davis, was convicted of distribution of cocaine in 2008.

Wharton was arrested and charged with the crimes on the morning the shootings occurred. Court records tell of the victims being shot in the head and of the suspect’s face being seen on a surveillance video. The store manager was found dead. The woman was rushed to a Virginia Beach area hospital and succumbed to her injuries a couple of days later.

      A certificate of analysis filed with the court showed the presence of cocaine, morphine, synthetic morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone in the suspect’s urine. The confidence level of the testing is 95.45 percent. Wharton was also given a competency evaluation, which was sealed.